Joanne Sasvari is the editor of The Alchemist, Vitis and YAM magazines. She is a WSET-certified writer-editor who covers food, drink and travel for a variety of publications, and is the author of several cookbooks, including 2023’s Okanagan Eats.
Stephen Beaumont has been writing about spirits and beer for 35 years and is the author or co-author of 15 books, including The World Atlas of Beer and the Canadian distillery guide, Canadian Spirits.
Matthew Benevoli is an awardwinning mixologist, industry veteran and mentor. He has a passion for creating custom and unique cocktails and loves storytelling through them.
Viranlly Liemena is a Vancouverbased creator with deep love for travels, cocktails and travelling for cocktails. He is a big fan of Martinis and Champagne, preferably on the plane.
Brenton Mowforth has become Toronto’s authority on where and how to drink. His mission is to influence people to share a passion for “drinking better, not more” by taking a thoughtful approach to imbibing.
Reece Sims is a retired awardwinning bartender, avid destination distillery-goer and the owner of SIP Spirits, an agency that works with beverage brands. Follow her on Instagram @reecesims.
Christine Sismondo is a National Magazine Award-winning writer who covers spirits, wine, bars and cultural history for numerous publications, and is the author of America Walks into a Bar
ON THE COVER: The Angel’s Share cocktail from Vancouver’s Prophecy Bar, Canada’s first bar to earn two pins from The Pinnacle Guide. This zero-proof cocktail is a dreamy concoction of Seedlip Spice, toasted oak, verjus, tonka bean and jasmine. Eduardo Abarca photo
Editor’s letter
There’s a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on across Canada this fall, and stirring, building, infusing and maybe even a little throwing, too. The global finals of World Class just wrapped up in Toronto, and the city is getting ready to host the inaugural Toronto Cocktail Festival, from October 22 to 26. It’s brought to you by The Alchemist magazine team behind Vancouver Cocktail Week, which celebrates its fifth anniversary in March. But big events aside, every night is cocktail night in Canada, with bars from coast to coast celebrating cocktail culture and, more importantly, connection.
Here at The Alchemist, we love the craft of cocktail culture, but mostly we love its conviviality. In an era of loneliness and division, when we spend more time on our screens than talking to each other, cocktails give us a reason to slow down and connect.
Cocktails are also a great vehicle for storytelling. That’s what Christine Sismondo found in her story on narrative-driven cocktail menus, whether they follow the exploits of a 19th-century explorer/ geographer/naturalist/general polymath, dive into the history of Chinatown or capture a community’s unique vibe. And no one says cocktails even have to contain alcohol—in our story on the “10-year overnight success story” of a Kelowna-based syrup maker, we also look at the massive popularity of “dirty sodas” and offer tips for making your own.
In this issue we also take a deep dive into the smoky deliciousness of mezcal, learn how to make hot buttered rum, celebrate some big wins and check out new spirits and cool bars both near and far. Mostly, though, we’ll be raising a glass to spending good times with good friends, preferably over a glass of something delicious and thoughtfully crafted.
Find The Alchemist in select distilleries, cocktail bars and independent liquor stores across B.C. and Ontario.
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PUBLISHER: Gail Nugent gnugent@lodestarmedia.ca
EDITOR: Joanne Sasvari
jsasvari@glaciermedia.ca
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MANAGER: Tara Rafiq
SOCIAL MEDIA
EDITOR: Valeria Remizova
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NEWS AND NOTES FROM BEHIND THE BAR AND AROUND THE WORLD OF
COCKTAILS AND SPIRITS
A TOAST TO TORONTO
OnOctober 22, the inaugural Toronto Cocktail Festival, presented by The Alchemist magazine, kicks off an exciting round of seminars, tastings, neighbourhood cocktail crawls and other events, wrapping up with a cocktail-paired brunch at the Fairmont Royal York on October 26.
It’s a celebration of the city’s vibrant food and drink culture, and the multiaward-winning bartenders, brand ambassadors and chefs who bring it to life. Local and international talent will be on hand for an event that will appeal to industry, consumers, visitors and media alike.
The highlight of TCF25 is sure to be the Friday night Gala of Cocktails. Held at the Waterworks Event Hall, this glamourous party will feature top bartenders and brand ambassadors from near and far crafting cocktails just for you. The evening begins with a VIP hour of passed canapés and cocktails, and then the doors swing open onto the party of the year. Put on your fanciest cocktail attire and dance to the DJ while enjoying bar bites and cocktail stations hosted by more than two dozen premium national and international spirit brands. Note that this event also supports Mind The Bar.
Toronto Cocktail Festival set to serve up good times. Living Room Creative photo
TCF25 is a toast to the art of the cocktail in a city that just keeps raising the bar, and it’s one festival you will not want to miss! For a lineup of events, see page 13; for tickets and information, visit thealchemistmagazine.ca/tcf.
WHISKY FROM THE WEST
It’s great to see those interprovincial trade barriers being chipped away, especially when that means we get to enjoy delicious things from across the country. Case in point: two exceptional whiskies from Western Canada that are entering the Ontario market.
SHELTER POINT DISTILLERY
CLASSIC SINGLE MALT WHISKY
46% ABV, $87.50, 750 ML
From Vancouver Island off the coast of British Columbia comes Shelter Point Distillery’s Classic Single Malt Whisky. Established in 2011, Shelter Point released its first whisky five years later and promptly won gold at the 2017 World Whisky Awards. Since then, the distillery has won barrels of other awards, including double gold at the World Spirts Competition in San Francisco in 2022, multiple World Whisky
and Canadian gold medals, and recognition as single malt whisky of the year at the 2024 Bartenders Spirits Competition in Chicago.
Made in small batches using traditional methods, pot distillation, barley from the distillery’s own farm and water from its own aquifer, Shelter Point Classic Single Malt offers a balanced mix of fruit, caramel, baking spices and honey, as well as terroirdriven notes of seaside salinity and a hint of smoke. shelterpoint.ca
ALBERTA PREMIUM GOLDEN RYE 9 YEAR
45% ABV, $37.95, 750 ML
The 100-per-cent rye whiskies from Alberta Distillers continue to be some of the best values on the market, and this rich, harmonious expression is no exception, with a price point that makes it a great cocktail whisky, although it’s just as good a sipping one.
Aged for nine years in a combination of new white oak, ex-bourbon and ex-Canadian whisky casks, this golden whisky is made from Alberta-grown rye, then distilled and bottled in Canada. It has all the bold spice notes typical of rye whisky—think cracked pepper, vanilla, baking spices—as well as aromas of caramel, leather and coconut, with dried fruits and molasses on the palate and a sweet, spicy finish. It’s both refined and rugged, and just what rye connoisseurs crave. albertadistillers.com
Photo courtesy of Shelter Point Distillery
A REALLY LIKEABLE READ
Wecan’t wait to read 2017 World Class champion Kaitlyn Stewart’s new book, Three Cheers: Cocktails Three Ways: Classics, Riffs, and Zero-Proof Sips (Penguin). Stewart, the Vancouver bartender also known as Likeable Cocktails, takes 55 classics and offers a modern version and a non-alcoholic one for each, for an impressive total of 165 recipes for every mood—and everybody.
Take, for instance the classic Jungle Bird tropical cocktail (blackstrap rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice, demerara syrup). In the updated City Pigeon, the original’s blackstrap rum is replaced by white rum and gin, while the spirit-free Free Bird is based on spiritfree gin. Meanwhile the classic Tom Collins (gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, club soda), becomes a modern Tom Cat Collins (Aperol, Peychaud’s bitters, milk
liqueur, acid-adjusted grapefruit juice) or a n/a Joan Collins with zero-proof gin and lemon oleo-saccharum.
This love letter to cocktails will become essential reading for any for any home or professional bartender who wants to expand their repertoire.
Also playing with the idea of low- or noalcohol cocktails and inclusivity are two other books out this fall:
Both Sides of the Glass: Paired Cocktails and Mocktails to Toast Any Taste by Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka (Plume)
This married couple— Harris is an actor and cocktail enthusiast; Burtka, a chef who celebrated eight years sober in 2024— twin boozy cocktails with non-alcoholic ones.
In Session: Low-Proof Cocktails for High-Quality Occasions by Steven Grasse and Adam Erace with Lee Noble and Charlie Hall (Running Press)
This ensemble cast comprising a distiller (Grasse), food and travel writer (Erace), cocktail specialist (Noble) and drummer (Hall) envisions eight themed meetups complete with lowproof drinks, food and playlists.
PROPHECY
PINNED AT THE PINNACLE
For the first time, some of Canada’s greatest watering holes have been recognized by The Pinnacle Guide, a new recognition system for cocktail bars. Think of it as Michelin, but for the stirred-and-shaken set, offering one, two or three “pins” rather than stars; one pin means “excellent,” two “outstanding” and three “exceptional.”
Vancouver’s Prophecy Bar is the country’s first to earn two pins, while six others earned one: Bagheera and Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions in Vancouver; Bar Pompette, Library Bar and Suite 115 in Toronto; and in Montreal, Cloakroom Bar.
Congratulations to a worthy lineup of establishments and the talented barkeeps behind their drinks programs!
The Pinnacle Guide was created by London Cocktail Week co-founders Hannah SharmanCox and Siobhan Payne, along with Dan Dove, founder/director of the Global Bartending agency, and announced its first pins in May 2024.
It recognizes excellence in drinks, ambience and hospitality, as well as operators who make a positive social impact. And, unlike some awards programs, it promises a fair and transparent evaluation process that begins with an application and includes rigorous assessment modules, spotcheck interviews and anonymous in-bar reviews.
The deadline for the next round of applications is November 2025. thepinnacleguide.com
BAR POMPETTE AMONG THE WORLD’S BEST
As the cocktail world breathlessly awaits the announcement of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025, organizers have dropped a tasty teaser: the extended 51-100 list.
Only one Canadian bar made it onto the list: Toronto’s Bar Pompette, which earlier this year placed No. 7 on North America’s 50 Best Bars.
Over the 17 years since the list was first announced (nine since the extended list was
added), it has become a benchmark for cocktail excellence and a roadmap for cocktail lovers as they travel around the world. More than 800 independent experts, including acclaimed bartenders, educators, cocktail authorities and award-winning drinks writers, contribute their votes on the bars in 34 cities around the world.
This year’s top 50 bars will be announced on October 8 in Hong Kong. theworlds50best. com/bars/
Eduardo Abarca photo
We are who we meet
AT NO VACANCY, TROY GILCHRIST DISTILLS A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCE INTO FLAWLESS HOSPITALITY
by Brenton Mowforth
Behind the wood at No Vacancy, veteran bartender Troy Gilchrist and his small crew of fellow bartenders Kat Yu and Nick Hurd embody the ethos that personal connection is the business they are in and everything else is simply implementation. The result is one of those places where entertainment, showmanship and finely crafted cocktails are born together, and live together, within its walls.
Gilchrist, general manager and beverage director at the nearly one-year-old Ossington cocktail spot, has been around long enough to witness Toronto’s cocktail landscape evolve into the rich patchwork it is today, a vibrant tapestry of cultures, each lending and borrowing from one another to deliver harmonious complexity in food, drink and beyond.
Among his experiences: On December 31, 1999, bartending a Y2K New Year’s Eve party at Toronto’s now-long-shuttered Purple Pepper Bar. In 2012, opening Lucid, which rivalled early cocktail-scene pioneers like BarChef, under industry veteran Moses McIntee. In 2023, joining
the opening team at Overpressure Club, a venue that quickly earned a reputation as one of the country’s best—and faded just as quickly.
At No Vacancy, the Smokey Nagata’s Supra cocktail merges mezcal and coffee with Asian flavours. Brenton Mowforth photo
It’s fair to say that Gilchrist has seen some things.
And now, he uses all the hard-earned lessons of his career to raise the bar of hospitality and flavour at No Vacancy.
GHOSTS OF THE PAST
The story of No Vacancy began when the founders of Ghost Chicken—a now-closed casual fried-chicken spot—decided to repurpose an underutilized dining area into a sophisticated, cocktail-focused venue. They partnered with Solid Designs to transform the space into a moody bar, where exposed brick walls are softened by warm lighting and a carefully curated colour palette. Clean minimalist lines and refined details, combined with deep reds, gold accents and dark wood, evoke the elegance of upscale Japanese izakayas and cocktail lounges.
The Asian inspiration carries into the cocktail and spirits program with an impressive selection of baijiu, sake and Japanese whisky, reinforced by a list of house cocktails where you would be hard pressed to find a drink that doesn’t include at least one Asian ingredient.
While creating the cocktail menu, Gilchrist took inspiration from No Vacancy’s chef, John Carlo Zabala, who is familiar with Peruvian Nikkei-style cooking, which
blends traditional Japanese dishes with South American flavours and ingredients. (Think spicy aji peppers and fresh seafood in dishes like tiradito and ceviche.)
Many of Gilchrist’s drinks combine Asian flavours with South American or Mexican ingredients—such as the Smokey Nagata’s Supra cocktail, which merges mezcal and coffee with plum wine, Asian pear sake, Hinoki bitters and a black walnut amaro from Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers for a local touch.
Behind the stick, Gilchrist is joined in cheerful energy by fellow bartenders
No Vacancy evokes the ambience of an upscale Japanese izakaya. Brenton Mowforth photo
Kat Yu and Nick Hurd. And beyond what first meets the eye at No Vacancy’s door, the true heart and soul of the bar is mentorship. An ethos of hospitality is shaped over time, through every interaction, and those lessons are passed to the next generation so they, too, can carve their own path.
“Troy taught me so much about the psychology of what it means to be in the industry and the etiquette for speaking with guests,” says Yu. “Others mainly spoke about techniques, but Troy also spoke to the logic.”
Gilchrist himself credits his own mentors, among them, spirits and mixology consultants Michelle Hunt and Laura Panter, who ran an events company back in the aughts called Martini Club International, and industry legend
TROY TAUGHT ME SO MUCH ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGY OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE IN THE INDUSTRY AND THE ETIQUETTE FOR SPEAKING WITH GUESTS.
Renata Clingen, who championed the idea that hospitality isn’t just about making great drinks, but about developing the skill set to manage every aspect of an operation.
And then, of course, there’s the aforementioned McIntee, who along with Christina Kuypers of the now-shuttered Ursa, is industry titans whose mentorship can still be savoured within No Vacancy’s walls, lending further proof to a timeless truth: We are who we meet.
No Vacancy is located at 74 Ossington Avenue, Toronto. novacancybar.ca
The No Vacancy team, from left, Troy Gilchrist, Kay Yu and Nick Hurd, serve up an ethos of hospitality alongside their craft cocktails.Brenton Mowforth photo
ONTARIO DISTILLERY LISTINGS
YOUR GUIDE TO THE SPIRIT MAKERS
These distilleries in Ontario produce everything from vodka to vermouth. Start exploring them here— and find a complete list of Canada’s distilleries at thealchemistmagazine.ca.
North of 7 Distillery Ottawa northof7distillery.ca
O’Kenny Craft Spirits Pembroke okenny.ca
Old Son’s Distillery Toronto oldsonsdistillery.ca
Paradigm Spirits Co. London paradigmspirits.com
Polonée Disillery St. Catharines polonee.ca
Reid’s Distillery Toronto reidsdistillery.com
Rheault Distillery Hearst rheaultdistillery.ca
SFR Distillery Ottawa sfrdistillery.com
Silver Fox Distillery Arthur silverfoxdistillery.ca
Spirit in Niagara Niagara-on-the-Lake spiritinniagara.com
Spirit of York Distillery Toronto spiritofyork.com
Spring Mill Distillery Guelph springmilldistillery.com
Stalk and Barrel Distillery Concord stalkandbarrel.com
Still Waters Distillery Concord stillwatersdistillery.com
Strati Spirits Tyendinaga stratispirits.ca
Tawse Winery & Distillery Vineland tawsewinery.ca
Top Shelf Distillers Perth topshelfdistillers.com
Vieni Estates Wine and Spirits Beamsville vieni.ca
Wayne Gretzky Estate Winery & Distillery Niagara-on-the-Lake waynegretzkyestates.com
Wild Lot Farm Distillery Picton wildlot.ca
Willibald Farm Distillery Ayr drinkwillibald.com
Wolfhead Distillery McGregor drinkwolfhead.com
WINTER DISTILLERY GUIDE
Warm hearts and fill glasses with these locally-crafted products this winter.
COPPER ROSE DISTILLERY PREMIUM VODKA
40% ABV, $39.95 (750 ml)
Copper Rose Premium Vodka is crafted with Canadian rye and distilled 12 times for a silky, smooth finish.
A clean, bright vodka with floral notes on the palate and a faint citrus pepper finish.
Delicious and versatile, this vodka makes an exceptional cocktail, martini or is perfect for sipping neat.
Available in the LCBO and online at copperrose.ca
MACALONEY�S ISLAND DISTILLERY
CATH-NAH-AVEN
46% ABV, $104.99 (700 ml)
Cath-nah-aven pays homage to the great sherried whiskies from the banks of the river Spey. Our award-winning Vancouver Island distilled classic single malt is carefully crafted in premium Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks from Andalucía in Spain. Married by our Whiskymaker, this whisky reveals a complex red-berry, plum, and oak nose, enhancing the fruit, floral, and sea-breeze notes.
Available at our distillery, select private liquor stores, and at macaloneydistillers.com
PARADIGM SPIRITS CO. JULIET GIN — BOREAL SONNET
40% ABV, $59.60 (700 ML)
Boreal Sonnet is Juliet’s bold northern expression — a spruceforward, citrus-lifted London Dry gin. Crafted with hand-harvested Ontario spruce tips and macerated botanicals, it delivers a vivid forest brightness layered with citrus clarity and a bold, lingering finish. Equally compelling in a cocktail or savoured neat, Boreal Sonnet is a spirit that refuses to whisper.
Available at the distillery or online at julietgin.com
ELORA DISTILLING CO. ONTARIO BLACK SPICED RUM
40% ABV, $49.99 (750 ml)
Aged in new oak char #3 Kelvin Cooperage barrels for at least a year, this dark, delicious and flavorful rum gets its smoothness from a mixture of three distillations. After its aging period, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg are macerated to add a spice bouquet. Silver medal winner at 2024 Artisan Distillers Awards Canada.
Available at the distillery, in the LCBO and online at eloradistillingcompany.com
TORONTO COCKTAIL FESTIVAL 2025 SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22
The World of Liquid Transformations –Mother Cocktail Bar, 2pm
A guided tasting with Massimo Zitti on fermentation in cocktails.
Trinity-Bellwoods Cocktail Crawl – 4pm
Cry Baby Gallery, Compton Ave., and Bar Mordecai with Empress Gin cocktails.
Hendrick’s Gin Cocktail Class – Suite 115, 5:30, 7:00, 9:30pm Hands-on cocktail making with Oliver Leung. Limited to 10 guests per seating.
Classic Martini Seminar – Bar XXX, 5pm H explores the martini’s styles with tastings and stories.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23
Little Italy Cocktail Crawl – 4pm
Bearface Whisky cocktails across Suite 115, Bar Pompette, and Lonely Diner.
Understanding Umeshu – No Vacancy, 5pm
An introduction to CHOYA’s plum liqueur with pairings.
Master Classic Cocktails at Home –Bar XXX, 5pm
Learn three essential cocktails with H.
NOLA Nights – Compton Ave., 6 pm
Live jazz, Louisiana-inspired cocktails, and bites.
Japanese Umeshu Tasting Dinner –No Vacancy, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00pm
Multi-course dinner pairing Choya Umeshu cocktails with Japanese dishes.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24
Gala of Cocktails – Waterworks Food Hall, 7pm VIP / 8pm Party
The festival’s signature night: dozens of spirit brands, gourmet bites, and DJ sets in a festive atmosphere. VIPs enjoy early entry with cocktails and canapés.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25
The New Wave of Baijiu – Hong Shing, 1pm Alex Black introduces baijiu with tastings and canapés.
Milagro Tequila Pop-Up – Suite 115, 5:30pm Free entry, vibrant cocktails, and music.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26
Closing Cocktail-Paired Brunch –REIGN, 12:30pm
A five-course gourmet brunch from Chef Roland Torok-Ducharme paired with inventive cocktails by James Grant’s Library Bar team. The perfect way to close the festival.
Discover the wild side of Bearface Whisky— guided tasting, custom cocktails & Canadian flavour.
Queen & Ossington Cocktail Crawl – 5pm Cocktails and bites at Mother, Prequel & Co., and Gift Shop.
Industry & Friends Closing Party –Gift Shop, 8:30pm
A free industry & friends late-night send-off.
See full event descriptions and buy tickets at thealchemistmagazine.ca/tcf
Peat & pot stills
THINK YOU KNOW IRISH WHISKEY? DIVERSE STYLES AND NEW DISTILLERIES ARE DEFYING THE STEREOTYPES
by Stephen Beaumont
Ireland’s southern “second city” of Cork has many things going for it, including an easy walkability, a perhaps surprisingly impressive culinary scene and more than a brewery or two of note. For anyone with an interest in Irish whiskey, however, without question its top attraction is the Shelbourne Bar.
Located in the Victorian Quarter on the north side of the River Lee, the Shelbourne began life as a whiskey bar in 2013 and a mere five years later boasted a menu of 280 Irish whiskeys, a selection that has since almost doubled to 538. For Irish whiskey drinkers in Canada, accustomed to a relatively modest selection of spirits from the Midleton/ Jameson distillery in the south and Bushmills in the north, plus a handful of outliers like Writers’ Tears, The Busker and Glendalough, the Shelbourne list is nothing less than revelatory.
While the exact count of Irish distilleries varies, there are easily more than 50 in operation today, with more in development and still others aging and finishing sourced whiskeys. And although the fates have not always been kind to newer operators—the Waterford Distillery, brainchild of industry vet Mark Reynier, entered administration in late 2024—successes have by far outweighed the failures.
Further, those successes have occurred virtually all across the island, from Clonakilty in the south to the Northern Ireland farm distillery, An Carn, nestled at the foot of Carntogher Mountain.
Cork’s Shelbourne Bar is a must for whiskey lovers, with a menu that offers more than 500 options, all from Ireland. Photos courtesy of Shelbourne Bar
NOT JUST LIGHT AND SWEET
Encouraging this rapid growth is not just a keen interest in and awareness of the whiskey itself, spurred in no small part by the global success of Jameson, but also a dramatic expansion of what defines the Irish category. From the old stereotype of triple distilled, always unpeated and usually light and sweet, Irish whiskey has expanded into a multitude of variations on the theme.
Single pot still is unquestionably the best known of these, it being whiskey distilled in a pot rather than a column still and crafted from a mix of malted and unmalted barley. As a type, it is likely best exemplified by Redbreast from Midleton, but it is now also produced under any number of labels, from such familiar names as Teeling and Green Spot to more hard-to-find gems such as Drumshanbo, Boann and Dingle.
More recent is the emergence of Irish single malt, pioneered in the 1990s by the Cooley Distillery in Dundalk, near the Northern Ireland border. Recognizing that there was likely a market for whiskeys beyond those of the “Big Two,” John Teeling transformed an industrial alcohol plant into a catalyst for change in the national whiskey market, launching not just such single malts as Tyrconnell, but also peated whiskey in the form of Connemara. Since 2013, the company has been owned by Suntory Global, formerly Beam Suntory.
While peated whiskeys are still considered outside the Irish norm—although some labels have embraced the smoke to their abiding benefit, including the Legendary Silkie and Hinch Peated Small Batch—single malt Irish whiskeys have over the past decade or two grown almost commonplace. In addition to such small production malts as The Irishman Legacy, West Cork Virgin Oak and Knappogue Castle 12 year old, the category
Dunville 20-year-old Oloroso Cask and Bushmills 30-year-old Irish Whiskey.
is experiencing the arrival of ultra-aged expressions, including Dunville’s 20-year-old Oloroso Sherry Cask from the Echlinville Distillery and 21-, 25- and 30-year-old releases from the venerable Bushmills distillery.
And finally, like the Scots before them, Irish distillers have in recent years fully embraced the notion of cask finishes. While these are perhaps most famously seen in the extensive Jameson lineup, which includes the beerthemed Caskmates series, both conventional and unusual finishes may be found across the land, from oloroso sherry cask finish of up-and-comer Glendalough Double Barrel to the tequila cask and icewine cask finishes of Writers’ Tears.
Taken together, these new distilleries and diverse approaches add up to a brand new, multi-faceted look for Irish whiskey, and a vast and most welcome expansion of the flavour profiles available therein.
The Shelbourne Bar is a good place to try the expanding range of Irish whiskey styles, which now embrace peat, pot stills and cask finishes.
Photo courtesy of Shelbourne Bar
A World Class welcome to Canada
NORWAY’S FELICE CAPASSO NAMED GLOBAL BARTENDER OF THE YEAR
Canada’s bartenders have long been stars at the prestigious World Class cocktail competition. But this year, Canada itself was the star, hosting 51 finalists from around the world and wrapping the event up with a thrilling final at Toronto’s historic Casa Loma.
The winner, who proudly claims the careerdefining title of World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2025, is Felice Capasso of Nedre Løkka Cocktailbar in Oslo, Norway, and also the founder of Sesto Senso Academy, a centre for wine and spirits education. Throughout the week, Capasso wowed the judges across every challenge he faced.
“Winning World Class is not just a dream come true. It is a goal I have worked tirelessly to achieve. It’s living proof that if you want something and you work for it, and you never, ever give up, no matter what—you can achieve it,” Capasso said. “By winning I know that I am taking on a responsibility, which I plan to take seriously, promoting education in spirits and inspiring other bartenders who want to progress in the industry.”
Despite winning more World Class titles than any other nation in the competition’s 16-year run, this was the first time Canada hosted the big event. And this country proved it knows how to throw a party. From September 24 to October 3, the World Class
The World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2025 is Felice Capasso of Norway. Photos courtesy of World Class Canada
Festival Roadshow saw international talent team up with top Canadian bartenders to host unforgettable nights in Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Halifax.
Meanwhile, the epicentre of the final rounds of competition was Toronto, where the city’s best bars hosted cocktail labs, curated tasting events and exclusive guest shifts by top international bartenders.
“Hosting the World Class Global Final in Toronto is a true milestone moment for Canada's cocktail community,” says Michael Armistead, National On Premise, Reserve & Sponsorship Manager at Diageo Canada. “This is our chance to show the world the calibre of talent, innovation, and hospitality that defines our country. With its worldrenowned hospitality scene and rich, multicultural culinary landscape, Toronto offers the perfect stage to spotlight the craft, creativity and culture of modern bartending and hospitality. We’re excited to bring the World Class experience to Canadians nationwide.”
The competition itself was held at venues around Toronto and centred at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel from September 30 to October 2. It featured two days of challenges designed to test the five pillars of a World Class bartender: hosting, craft, flavour analysis, knowledge and World Class advocacy. Competitors were also pushed to demonstrate precision, creativity and storytelling in challenged such as The Sensory Sessions with The Singleton, in which they had to design a custom record sleeve press a track and pair it with a signature Singleton cocktail.
By end of day Wednesday, the top 10 finalists were announced; sadly, World Class Canada winner Kate Chernoff sadly did not make the cut. In Thursday’s semi-final, those were winnowed to three, who competed on stage at Casa Loma for for ultimate title.
Diageo’s starring lineup of reserve brands is at the heart of World Class competition. From left: Tanqueray No. Ten, Bulleit, Ron Zacapa, Singleton, Johnnie Walker, Ketel One Vodka, Don Julio and Cîroc.
Becoming World Class Global Bartender of the Year is no easy feat. Each year, some 10,000 bartenders from more than 50 countries enter the competition—more than 400,000 of them since World Class launched in 2009. Four Global Bartenders of the Year have come from Canada, the most of any country: Kaitlyn Stewart (2017), James Grant (2021), Jacob Martin (2023) and Keegan McGregor (2024).
And while World Class is a showcase for Diageo’s Reserve brands—Johnnie Walker, Don Julio, Ketel One Vodka, Tanqueray No. TEN, Singleton single malt—it has also become a force for education, training and mentorship. It has forged partnerships with gurus, members of the media and other partners, and is widely recognized as a mark of sophistication and fine drinking culture.
Winning World Class changes lives and careers. Hosting it confirms Canada as a world leader in cocktail culture. As Kevin Delaney, Global Head of World Class, said: “World Class is the ultimate toast to the people who are the beating heart of the hospitality industry.”
Storied drinks
NARRATIVE-DRIVEN COCKTAIL MENUS DON’T JUST LIST DRINKS, THEY TELL A STORY OF PLACE
by Christine Sismondo
Thissummer at Cry Baby Gallery, a cocktail bar hidden behind a small art gallery in Toronto’s Little Portugal, the menu took a new direction—from minimalism to maximalism.
Once a sparse and straightforward list with a dozen cocktails, the menu at Cry Baby is now a 22-page nostalgia trip rooted in analogera Toronto. It borrows its format from the Yellow Pages, an artifact that is described on the menu as sort of a pre-digital influencer. Each drink is tied to a fictional business of days gone by—psychics, martial arts studios, modelling agencies and others—to build out an imagined community and history.
The transition towards this storytelling menu, according to owner Rob Granicolo, actually began six months earlier, when Cry Baby launched The Art Auction, a menu illustrated with images of works of art from the gallery side of the operation.
“Everything changed when we turned five and, for whatever reason, decided our next menu
At Vancouver’s Prophecy Bar, the menu includes cocktails like the Souvenir, which comes with a personal story that has universal relevance. Maggie Lam photo
had to be a statement piece,” he says, noting that the next step was telling a story about their hood. “We knew we had to one-up The Art Auction with the summer menu, so we decided to create a Yellow Pages menu, because it’s both hilarious and visually striking.”
It’s also likely a sign of things to come, given that so many notable bars have turned away from skimpy lists and opted for narrativedriven menus.
ABOUT CONNECTION
Vancouver’s Prophecy Bar boasts an ambitious and lovingly illustrated menu divided into seven chapters devoted to telling stories like “Our Shared History” and the “Legends Among Us.” The menu at the Fairmont Royal York’s Library Bar is a leather-bound love letter to CanLit and, at Victoria’s Humboldt Bar, the concept driving the plot revolves around German philosopher, geographer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (17691859).
The arguably obscure choice for a menu’s central character might sound random at first, but, once you learn the bar’s address—722 Humboldt Street—everything starts to make a lot more sense.
The cocktail menu at Cry Baby Gallery takes a nostalgic journey through old Toronto, and features cocktails like the Old Daytona. Danielle Levasseur photos
“I realized the street was named after Alexander von Humboldt and I very quickly realized that this is an incredible person from history who has touched so many parts of our lives,” says bar manager Brant Porter. “From a storytelling point of view, it was the perfect fold.”
A renaissance man if there ever was one, Humboldt was an explorer, geologist, botanist and abolitionist, as well as one of the first scientists to draw attention to the negative impact humanity had on nature. His work is considered a keystone in modern climate science.
“It’s really about connection,” Porter says. “Humboldt’s great gift to the world was showcasing that all of nature, including humans, was interconnected. And that’s what bars are for, too. So, it all fell into place pretty easily.”
The concept might have been a cinch, but tailoring the cocktail program to “reflect Humboldt’s vision of the natural world” involved some heavy lifting. Each of the
HUMBOLDT ’ S GREAT GIFT TO THE WORLD WAS SHOWCASING THAT ALL OF NATURE, INCLUDING HUMANS, WAS INTERCONNECTED. AND THAT’S WHAT BARS ARE FOR, TOO. SO, IT ALL FELL INTO PLACE PRETTY EASILY.
15 signature cocktails has a direct line to Humboldt and, to make that happen, Porter had to delve into his biography, as well as a healthy dose of German scientific and cultural history.
One saving grace, he says, was that having a very specific theme for each cocktail can actually make recipe creation easier because it often eliminates the “paradox of choice.” For example, when he decided to make a drink named after the cyanometer Humboldt used to measure the blueness of the sky, he knew the drink had to be blue.
“It forces you to be creative and, at the same time, it kind of boxes you in,” Porter explains. “And the best part, the most fun part, is that these drinks are very much more than the sum of the parts.”
BUILDING A STORY
Indeed, these menus tell a story and, often as not, become conversation pieces in and of themselves.
“It’s a big ice breaker for sure,” Élise Hanson says of the narrative-driven menu. She’s bar manager at Toronto’s Civil Works and cocreator of the bar’s award-winning menu, A Manual for Laying Pipe.
Hanson adds: “But it can also be a lot to digest, so, on the first page of the menu we open with bold red box that says there’s a quick reference page at the back of the book for folks who might be ‘on a date and too nervous to read this to read a bunch.’”
In Victoria, the Humboldt Bar cocktail menu is crafted around the fascinating life of explorer Alexander von Humboldt. Andréa Conforti photo
Or, for that matter, just want a cheat sheet, given that not everyone wants to feel like they’re studying for a test before they put in their drink order. Bar and history nerds aside, a lot of people just want a smart cocktail.
These menus do more than simply entertain guests and list the drinks, though. Almost all the narrative-driven menus in this current wave also help to build a sense of place for the bars. Laowai, for example, opened with an illustrated tribute to Vancouver’s Chinatown in 2021, making it a leader in this menu movement. The literary-themed menu at the Library Bar is a nod to the fact that the physical space the bar occupies was once the hotel’s library for guests. Cry Baby’s menu flicks at the grittier side of an imagined west end.
At Civil Works, the Manual is an exploration of the Waterworks building (in which it’s located) and its architect, JJ Woolnough. This summer, its patio extension, Civil Parks, celebrated St. Andrew’s Playground Park, an adjacent green space that was Toronto’s first purpose-built playground, with a new menu based in the history as well as nostalgia for the carefree summers of our youth.
And what’s next for the team at Civil Works? A menu that honours the Garment District, the area bordered by Spadina, Bathurst, King and Queen that was once the centre of textile and fabric manufacturing in the city and now is home to the Waterworks Food Hall.
“You can’t really control the space so, instead of trying to fight against it, you have to just embrace it and build your story from that,”
says Hanson. “I think it’s really important to honour the space you’re in.”
And she thinks it’s a key to their bar’s success as well.
“Toronto’s got so much talent, so many places and so many bartenders that make amazing drinks these days,” Hanson says. “So I think, at this point, it’s about doing something unexpected for the guests and then seeing the guest reaction. That’s why we’re doing this. That’s what makes it fun and worth it.”
YOU CAN ’ T REALLY CONTROL THE SPACE SO, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIGHT AGAINST IT, YOU HAVE TO JUST EMBRACE IT AND BUILD YOUR STORY FROM THAT. I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HONOUR THE SPACE YOU’RE IN.
The award-winning bar menu at Toronto’s Civil Works is an homage to the historic Waterworks building where it is located. Jessica Blaine Smith photo
Dirtycleansodas,profits
LIFE IS SWEET THESE DAYS FOR A KELOWNA-BASED SYRUP MAKER
by Joanne Sasvari
The day I stop by Simps Modern Beverage, located in an industrial part of Kelowna, everything is in cheerful chaos. Customers mill around the tiny shop, which is in the process of a makeover; behind the scenes, a small team is furiously packing boxes, answering calls, taking deliveries and sending even more of them out the door, everyone apparently doing at least three things at once.
That was in May; since then, things have only become even busier.
“We just got hit by the whole Buy Canadian thing,” says Gerry Jobe, one of the two founders; the other is Dave Simpson, the “Simps” in the company name. “This has been 10 years of two guys sweating it out and then have the whole country discover you.”
On March 4, the threatened 25 per cent U.S. tariff on Canadian goods went into effect. In return, a deeply offended nation turned its sights and dollars to homegrown products. And Simps was right there waiting.
At the Simps Modern Beverage shop in Kelowna, customers can find more than 70 syrups and other products—and they can craft their own dirty sodas just for fun, too. Photo courtesy of Simps Modern Beverage
With business booming, the Simps team keeps growing well beyond its original founders, Dave Simpson (in sunglasses at back) and Gerry Jobe (in the middle, wearing a black T-shirt).
Photo courtesy of Simps Modern Beverage
“Since March we’re at 6,100-per-cent growth as a company,” Jobe says. They’ve added 11 staff, all industry veterans, and have been adding new café and bar customers at a rate of seven a day. “It’s absolutely insane.”
And then, on top of all of that, there’s the whole dirty soda thing.
HOW IT BEGAN …
For years, Jobe and Simpson worked behind the bar. Simpson was a pioneer of flair bartending in Canada and along the way owned Kelowna’s Avenue bar, founded Flairfest and co-founded The Bartenders Guild. Jobe is probably best known for his years making farm-to-glass cocktails at RauDz Regional Table, but he’s also been a consultant, educator and brand ambassador.
A decade or so ago, they’d started a sideline making cocktail syrups for other bartenders, using the Okanagan Valley’s micro-seasonal products. “We would buy up everything and do three months of big batching in about two weeks,” Jobe says. “We got really good at making syrup in big formats.”
One day, when they were repping Jack Daniels whiskey, they ended up at a golf tournament for a chain restaurant, hanging with a couple of the managers.
“We were on the 17th hole and they started to get into business, going into their pain points,” he recalls. One of those pain points: paying Red Seal chefs to stir pots of flavoured sugar water at every restaurant in the chain.
Simpson and Jobe crunched the numbers and figured the chain was spending $2 million a year to make cocktail syrups. And, Jobe notes, “That’s just labour costs before you buy sugar and fruit and spices.”
They knew they could make the syrups themselves, easily and profitably. And so Simps Syrups was born.
They didn’t actually start with cocktail syrups, though. They started with the world’s first vegan Caesar mix. Within two months, it was available in 650 locations and Simpson quit his day job to focus on the business full time.
Then they started making coffee syrups. They got a couple of investors and bought them out a few years later. They sold their products to grocery stores, cafés, diners, cocktail bars and the JOEY restaurant chain, which picked up their mint syrup for Mojitos.
Still, every penny went back into the company and researching the next product, and it was still just Jobe and Simpson, up at “the crack of dawn,” doing the best they could.
And then 2025 came along.
THE DIRTY SODA THING
Just as the “Buy Canadian” bomb was about to hit, so was a massive pop-culture one: the explosive popularity of the dirty soda.
A combination of soda, coffee creamer, flavoured syrup and other add-ins, sort of
The coconut-based C.R.E.A..M. creamer is among Simps’s newest products and is designed especially for dirty sodas.
milk-based creamer, and are designing kits for making dirty sodas at home.
Most significantly, perhaps, they’ve transformed their entire storefront into a dirty soda bar, where customers can experiment with different combinations of syrup and addins. “People love to come by to pick up their orders and grab a dirty soda for the road,”
Jobe says. “It’s been a lot of fun.”
… WHERE IT’S GOING
Today, Simps offers more than 70 products and is constantly coming up with more, including a new line planned for next spring that Jobe describes as “off the beaten path and super fun.”
like a melted root beer float, the dirty soda was invented around 2010 in Utah. It was designed as a special treat for the state’s large population of Mormons, who traditionally abstain from alcohol and coffee. Dirty sodas quickly became as much a part of Utah culture as espresso in Italy or pints of ale in the U.K. And then they went viral, thanks to TikTok and the TV show Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Today the Utah-based soda chain Swig, founded in 2010, has 124 locations with plans to open hundreds more. Coffee Mate has launched a dirty soda creamer. McDonald’s is working on a dirty soda to appeal to Gen Z customers.
Here in Canada, Simps is all in on the trend. They’ve catered dry grads with dirty sodas and adult events with boozy versions of the same. “Just add your favourite spirit,” Jobe advises.
With literally dozens of syrups to choose from, Simps is already paradise for dirty soda fans. They’ve also launched products specifically for dirty sodas, specifically, C.R.E.A.M., a coconut-
They use cane sugar, not corn syrup, and a generous ratio of natural flavours. “We don’t want generic stuff,” Jobe says. “We want a 5:1 ratio instead of the 1:1 ratio of most syrups.”
Vanilla, salted caramel and English toffee are among their most popular flavours, especially with dedicated Old Fashioned drinkers.
They’ve expanded into Alberta grocery stores and have a growing fan base among bakers and home cooks, who are often excited to share their successes. “We’ve had people glaze a ham with our caramel syrup and call to tell us how good it was,” Jobe says, adding that it’s those interactions that give him the greatest joy.
They’re good at responding to what the public wants and, more importantly, to what their growing list of clients do. “I’ve worked for other beverage companies before and we’re very solutions based,” Simpson says.
And after a decade, it seems that success has come at last.
“We like to say it’s a grand 10-year overnight success story,” Jobe says. “With Canadians backing us, we’re just so grateful.”
Photo courtesy of Simps Modern Beverage
HOW TO MAKE A DIRTY SODA
Making a dirty soda is less about following a recipe than it is about assembling the soda, syrup, cream (or creamer) and other add-ins to your own taste. But this is a good place to start. And if you do feel like breaking the rules and adding a shot of vodka or other spirits, we promise not to tell.
CLASSIC DIRTY SODA
Although its history is lost to time, this is believed to be the original dirty soda, and the model for all to come.
8 oz Diet or Regular Coca Cola
1.5 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp coconut syrup
1 to 2 Tbsp cream (heavy or light, as you prefer) or non-dairy creamer
Optional garnish: lime wheel
Pour soda into a glass filled with ice (preferably nugget ice), then add the rest of the ingredients and stir. If you like, garnish with a lime wheel and serve with a straw. Serves 1.
VARIATIONS:
Orange Creamsicle:
• Orange soda
• Orange syrup
• Vanilla syrup
• Cream or creamer
• Optional garnish: ½ orange wheel
Strawberries and Cream:
• Cream soda
• Strawberry syrup
• Cream or creamer
• Optional garnish: fresh strawberry slices
Raspberry Lemon Fizz:
• Sprite
• Raspberry syrup
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Cream or creamer
• Optional garnish: lemon slice
Coconut Cream Pie:
• Root beer
• Coconut syrup
• Cream or creamer
• Garnish: whipped cream, shredded coconut
Chocolate Cherry
• Cherry cola
• Chocolate syrup
• Cream or creamer
• Optional garnish: maraschino cherry
iStock / Getty Images Plus / MurzikNata photo
Hot buttered rum
THE PERFECT SIPPER FOR SWEATER WEATHER
Asthe weather shifts from warm to cold and dewy mornings turn frosty, we all look for ways to stay warm and cozy. Sometimes we grab a sweater or fuzzy blanket, but this year why not try hot buttered rum?
I normally gravitate towards drinks in my comfort zone, like a hot toddy, mulled wine or hot apple cider; however, it’s fun to branch out, venture into new territory and explore other options. Often associated with the winter holidays, hot buttered rum can easily be enjoyed throughout the year. Its blend of baking spices, brown sugar, vanilla, hot water, rum and (you guessed it) butter creates a rich, velvety and whimsical cocktail to warm you to the core and bring a smile to your face.
With the ever-growing selection of recipes for hot buttered rum, it’s hard to decide where to start. There is a plethora of classic and modern approaches to this centuries-old colonial drink, some calling for long lists of spices, hand-whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or even black tea in place of hot water. I felt something simple was a great place to start. Not only is the batter mix easy to make, but it will also keep for quite a while and,
Hot toddies and hot buttered rum are the warming drinks we crave in cool weather—and easier to make than you might think.
depending how much you prepare, you’ll be ready for hosting family and friends on the fly.
For any questions or additional tips, please reach out to @m.benevoli on Instagram.
Story, photos and recipes by Matthew Benevoli
1
HOW TO MAKE HOT BUTTERED RUM
To make this classic warmer for body and soul, start with a buttery spiced batter, then add spirits and hot water.
What you will need:
To prepare the base: A mixing bowl, dry and liquid measuring cups and spoons, spatula.
To make the cocktails: A heatproof glass mug with a handle, a kettle for boiling the water.
HOT BUTTERED RUM BATTER MIX
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup firmly packed Demerara sugar (see note)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
2
Method
0.5 tsp ground allspice
2 pinches ground ginger
2 pinches ground cloves
2 pinches sea salt
1. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar and vanilla, mixing well with a spatula until combined.
2. Add all the spices and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly blended and you have a smooth, buttery paste.
3. Transfer to a clean (preferably sterilized) sealable 500 mL jar or other container—see pro tip.
4. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or in the freezer up to 1 year.
3
Pro tip: For future convenience, pack butter mix into small ice cube trays, move trays into a sealable freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, and freeze for easy portioning for individual cocktails as needed.
Note: Demerara is a less-processed type of brown sugar, with larger crystals and a flavour that complements most rums, especially dark rums, but dark brown sugar will also work well.
HOT TODDY
1.5oz Scotch whisky (preferably a blended or Highland whisky.)
1 Tbsp honey
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
4 oz hot boiled water (allow a few minutes to rest after boiling)
Garnish: Lemon wheel, star anise (optional) and/or cinnamon stick.
Place whisky in a heatproof mug, preferably glass, and add the honey and lemon juice. Stir well until honey is fully dissolved. Top with hot water, adding more if you like. Garnish with a lemon wheel, star anise pod and/or cinnamon stick. Serves 1.
According to cocktail historian David Wondrich: “The hot toddy was the original way single-malt scotches were consumed as they were considered to be ‘lesser quality’ whisky in contrast to the art of blended scotch.”
HOT BUTTERED RUM (COCKTAIL)
1.5 oz dark rum (see note)
2 tsp Hot Buttered Rum Batter Mix (best at room temperature)
4 oz hot boiled water (allow a few minutes to rest after boiling)
Place rum into a heatproof mug, preferably glass, and add the batter. Carefully pour water on top and stir mixture until batter mix is fully dissolved. Top with additional hot water as preferred or, if you like a richer texture, a splash of heavy cream. If you like, spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg and/or a cinnamon stick. Serves 1.
Note: Feel free to experiment with white, gold or spiced rum, and to tweak the overall recipe to taste.
Shaken, stirred & smoked
FROM NEAT POURS TO CRAFTED COCKTAILS, BARTENDERS REVEAL MEZCAL’S MANY MOODS
Compiled by Reece Sims
Mezcal has always had a way of sparking conversation at the bar. From its smoky, earthy backbone to the wild diversity of agave varietals, this spirit has become a favourite canvas for bartenders eager to showcase both tradition and innovation.
For this edition of Tasting Panel, we asked six
bartenders across Canada to share the bottles that excite them most and the cocktails that best show off their chosen mezcal.
This issue’s panel features Chris Enns, Andrew Kong, Taylor Kare and Chey Haima from British Columbia as well as Matt Sinagoga and Emma Osmond from Ontario.
BLANCO MEZCAL NEGRONI
Recipe by Chris Enns of Peya, Vancouver.
1 oz Solmano Mezcal Espadín con Mango
1 oz Martini Bianco
1 oz Suze (or, for a local option, try Woods Amaro Chario or Victoria Distillers Bitter Bianca)
Garnish: Grapefruit twist
Combine all ingredients (except garnish) in a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir until you reach your desired dilution. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Express the grapefruit zest over the cocktail and drop it in the glass. Serves 1.
Photo courtesy of Peya
MEZCAL SOUR WITH MANGO & PARSNIP
Recipe created by Andrew Kong of Bar Supernova, Vancouver.
1.25 oz Solmano Mezcal Espadín (either regular or mango)
0.75 oz Meletti Amaro (Montenegro is a good alternative)
1 oz Acidified Parsnip (see recipe below)
15 ml (0.5oz) Mango Coconut Syrup (see recipe below)
Place all ingredients in a shaker tin, add ice, and shake well. (Shake it like you actually mean it.) Double-strain into a coupe glass. Serves 1.
ACIDIFIED PARSNIP
Parsnips
Citric acid
Peel and rough chop parsnips, then soak overnight in water. Juice the next day. Weigh the juice and add 5% citric acid in weight (for instance, 500 g parsnip juice + 25 g citric acid). Mix well, transfer to a sealable, non-reactive container such as a Mason jar, and store in fridge for up to a week.
MANGO COCONUT SYRUP
Mango juice (such as the one produced by Del Monte)
Aroy-D coconut milk
Sugar
Mix together equal amounts (by volume) of mango juice and coconut milk. Weigh the mixture and add same amount in sugar. (For instance, 1 cup of mango juice plus 1 cup coconut milk equals about 500 grams, so add 500 g sugar.) Blend and store in fridge.
CHRIS ENNS
SOLMANO MEZCAL ESPADÍN CON MANGO
44% ABV, BC: $98, 750 ML
For Chris Enns, the beverage manager of Peya in Vancouver (@chrisenns), running an Indian-French-inspired bar means balancing bold, layered flavours. Solmano’s Espadín con Mango fits seamlessly into this world, bringing roasted agave, tropical mango, pineapple, caramel and vanilla into play. He finds it a natural fit for Peya’s cuisine, pairing the smokiness of mezcal with vibrant fruit.
Suggested cocktail: His cocktail of choice is the Blanco Mezcal Negroni, a twist on the early-2000s classic White Negroni. By swapping gin for Solmano, he amplifies aromatics and stretches the finish into something long, dry and bitter with notes of gentian, vanilla, citrus and red fruit roaring through each sip. “It’s all gas, no brakes, to flavour country,” he says.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Kong
ANDREW KONG
SOLMANO MEZCAL ESPADÍN CON MANGO
44% ABV, BC: $98, 750 ML
At Vancouver’s Bar Supernova, Andrew Kong (@amkong20) has also fallen for Solmano’s mango-distilled Espadín. He calls it “a mezcal that marries the sipping and mixing worlds,” where tropical fruit meets roasted agave and earth. Notes of vanilla, pineapple and even a cheeky “sunscreen on the beach” quality make it memorable.
Suggested cocktail: His creation, a Mezcal Sour with Mango & Parsnip, leans into unusual flavour pairings. Using acidified parsnip juice and a mango-coconut syrup, Kong builds a cocktail that’s as playful as it is precise. The result is tropical and creamy with a vegetal edge—a true testament to what happens when bartenders experiment with mezcal beyond the usual lime and smoke.
TAYLOR KARE
DERRUMBES SAN LUIS POTOSÍ
44.1% ABV, BC: $117, 750 ML
At H Tasting Lounge in Vancouver, bar manager Taylor Kare (@ taylorkare) finds inspiration in Derrumbes San Luis Potosí. Made from salmiana agave, a varietal that can take up to 25 years to mature, it’s a mezcal he loves for its vegetal, lactic funk. “It’s the bottle I use to show guests how diverse mezcal can be,” he says.
Suggested Cocktail: Taylor’s favourite cocktail is what he calls the M&M&M or Mezcal & Maíz & Montenegro. By infusing mezcal with charred tortillas and corn silk, and Montenegro with blistered poblano peppers, he creates a spirit-forward cocktail that’s
Recipe by Taylor Kare of H Tasting Lounge, Vancouver. M&M&M
1.5 oz Derrumbes San Lois Potosi infused with corn tortilla (see note below)
1.5 oz Amaro Montenegro infused with charred poblanos (see note below)
Combine in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled rocks glass with ice. Serves 1.
To make the tortilla-infused mezcal: Char 200 g corn tortillas with a kitchen torch or on a stove top and combine with 100 g corn silk and 750 mL Derrumbes mezcal. Rest at room temperature for 48 to 72 hours before straining out solids.
To make the poblano-infused amaro: Char 200 g of fresh poblano peppers with a kitchen torch or on a stove top until blistered. Remove seeds and chop into smaller pieces, then combine with 750 mL of Amaro Montenegro. Rest at room temperature for 48 hours before straining out solids.
Photo courtesy of H Tasting Lounge
vegetal, bitter, smoky and complex. For him, it’s proof that simplicity and nuance can coexist beautifully in a glass.
CHEY HAIMA
BRIJ3 MEZCAL ESPADÍN
43% ABV, BC: $145, 750 ML
Tabytha Towe photo
At El Gato Gab Gab and Rosewood Hotel Georgia’s Reflections in Vancouver, bartender Chey Haima (@cheymonet101) champions Brij3 Espadín. The mezcal’s hand-painted bottles are as eye-catching as the liquid inside. Its profile, according to her, is lightly smoked, citrusy and herbaceous, with a smoothness that makes it easy to sip neat. “It’s incredibly balanced,” she says. “None of the flavours overwhelm.”
Suggested cocktail: Haima’s cocktail inspiration comes from the Vesper Martini. Her riff, called the Vesperado, pairs Brij3 Espadín with a citrus sake, Lillet Blanc and
vermouth, creating a clean, crisp drink that showcases mezcal’s brighter, citrus-driven side. The result is refreshing, elegant and a testament to how mezcal can elevate even the most classic of cocktails.
EMMA OSMOND DEL MAGUEY PUEBLA SINGLE VILLAGE
60% ABV, BC: $68 / ON: $66, 750ML
At Odd Duck Wine & Provisions in Kitchener, Ontario, bar manager Emma Osmond (@emmathebarwitch) often reaches for Del Maguey Puebla. She praises it as approachable for newcomers yet complex enough for seasoned drinkers. With flavours of roasted agave, citrus, pine, earth and gentle smoke, it carries a mineral-rich terroir. “This single-village mezcal comes from Puebla, near the Popocatépetl volcano, which lends both a sense of place and a touch of mystique to the spirit,” she says.
VESPERADO
Recipe by Chey Haima of El Gato Gab Gab and Reflections, Vancouver.
1.5 oz Brij3 Espadin Mezcal
0.5 oz Nakano Shuzo Co’s Citrus Mix Sake
0.75 oz Lillet Blanc
2 tsp Noilly Extra Dry Vermouth Garnish: Lemon twist
Stir ingredients (except garnish) in a mixing glass with ice until chilled and diluted. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Serves 1.
Photo courtesy of Chey Haima
Suggested cocktail: Her favourite serve, the Frequent Flyer, is a mezcal twist on the Paper Plane. Built with amaro, a bitter aperitif, lemon and a salted honey syrup, it’s bittersweet and bright, with just enough salinity to highlight the mezcal’s minerality. To Osmond, it feels both familiar and adventurous, like a classic that’s taken a detour through Mexico.
MATT SINAGOGA
ILEGAL MEZCAL JOVEN
40% ABV, BC: $78 / ON: $66, 750 ML
For Toronto’s Matt Sinagoga (@mixology_matt), the man behind Mixology Matt bartending services, mezcal discovery is about finding spirits that stand out in the glass. “I like a mezcal that is the star of the show in a cocktail, and enhances the drinking experience,” he notes. That’s why his current pick is Ilegal Mezcal Joven, an unaged Espadín with eucalyptus and mineral aromatics, notes of green apple and bright citrus. This mezcal gives cocktails both structure and depth, while remaining dynamic enough to also sip neat.
FREQUENT FLYER
Recipe by Emma Osmond of Odd Duck Wine & Provisions, Kitchener.
0.75 oz Del Maguey Puebla Single Village Mezcal
0.75 oz amaro
0.75 oz bitter red aperitif
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
1.5 tsp Sea Salted Honey Syrup (3:1) (see recipe below)
Garnish: Lemon zest, a tiny paper plane
Suggested cocktail: Sinagoga’s cocktail, the Huatulco Passion, blends passionfruit, lime, cinnamon and mezcal for a drink that evokes the tropical spice combinations he encountered in Mexico. Balanced yet bold, it’s a Daiquiri-meets-Daisy riff where mezcal shines as both anchor and highlight. The mezcal’s fresh, vegetal brightness anchors passionfruit and spice without overpowering the drink.
Add all ingredients (except garnish) into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake well for 15 seconds. Double-strain into a coupe glass. Express lemon oil from the zest over the surface of the drink, discard, and garnish with the best paper plane you can make. Serves 1.
SEA SALTED HONEY SYRUP
(3:1)
1 cup honey
0.33 cup hot water
1 tsp sea salt
Stir all ingredients until thoroughly incorporated and dissolved. Add more salt if needed.
Photo courtesy of Emma Osmond
HUATULCO PASSION
Recipe by Matt Sinagoga, a.k.a. Mixology Matt, of Toronto.
1.5 oz Ilegal Mezcal Joven
1 oz passionfruit liqueur
1.0 oz fresh lime juice
0.75 oz Cinnamon Syrup (see recipe below)
1 dash Ms. Betters Vegan Foamer (or egg white)
Garnish: Cacao Bitters
Combine all ingredients (except garnish) in a cocktail shaker. Dry shake (without ice) until foamy, then add ice and shake for an additional 10 to15 seconds, until chilled. Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass. Add a few drops of the Cacao Bitters on top of the foam and run a cocktail pick through them to create a “bitter heart” garnish. Serves 1.
CINNAMON SYRUP
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp vanilla extract
Place all the ingredients in a small pot over medium heat. Bring mixture to a simmer theh turn heat to medium-low and keep cooking, stirring frequently, for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and rest for an additional 10 minutes before straining out cinnamon sticks. Pour syrup into a glass jar and keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.
Photo courtesy of Matt Sinagoga
LAST CALL
GREAT WORLD BARS WE LOVE: COSMO PONY JAKARTA
Tucked inside the iconic Grand Hyatt Jakarta, Cosmo Pony is more than a bar—it’s a destination, where the city’s vibrant energy and warm hospitality are distilled into an elevated cocktail experience. Brought to you by hospitality powerhouses Union Group of Jarkarta and the team behind Asia’s No. 3 bar, Singapore’s Jigger & Pony, it has quickly established itself as one of the region’s most compelling addresses, landing at No. 38 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 within its first year.
The room is a cocktail of textures and moods: vintage Italian furniture mingling with custom woodwork, soft leather brushing against lush velvet, all glowing under a warm, golden light. Two bars hum with energy, framing a charming view of Jakarta’s ever-moving traffic—romantic, almost cinematic, especially when admired with a Martini in hand.
At the heart of Cosmo Pony is its debut menu, Rising City, a poetic love letter to Jakarta and
ABOVE: GM Sylvio Daniele prepares an Ugly Banana cocktail at Cosmo Pony. BELOW: The Jakarta cocktail bar captures the city’s romantic, energetic vibe.
Indonesia’s people and bounty. Curated by general manager Silvio Daniele, the drinks balance creativity with approachability, celebrating local ingredients without overcomplication. Highlights include: the Tequila Cosmo, a playful nod to the Cosmopolitan’s ’90s heyday; the Ugly Banana, a tropical riff on the whisky sour; and the bold Black Pepper Sazerac. Large-format punch bowls and reserve premium cocktails are also on the menu if you fancy.
What makes Cosmo Pony remarkable is not only the craftsmanship of its cocktails, but the sense of place it captures. It is at once cosmopolitan and unmistakably Jakarta— sophisticated, dynamic and unafraid to charm. cosmopony.com
