Insights from inside

A very personal look at what it takes to open a successful bar

The room is designed to be bright, cheerful and very personal. Jessica Blaine Smith photos

Opening a bar in Toronto, where every corner of the city seems to be filled with vibrant and eclectic spots, can be as challenging, intimidating and thrilling. It poses even more challenges when you are a self-funded solo entrepreneur, especially when you are known not for your business acumen, your operational skills or your taste in food and wine, but for something as specific as cocktails. In a city celebrated for its diverse culinary and drinkscape, making a mark requires more than just good food and drinks. It demands a vision.

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Make it umami

Compton Ave’s Umami Old Fashioned. Instagram.com/barcomptonave photo

The Dirty Martini is just the start. These days we love our savoury cocktails and the unexpected ingredients that add those rich umami flavours. Here are just five we’ve sampled recently in Toronto bars.

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Breathtaking Banff

Not just a pretty place, the mountain town is also a cocktail haven

Visit the majestic Rundle Bar for the quintessential Banff experience. Photo courtesy of Rundle Bar

Banff is world renowned for its majestic mountains, glacier-fed lakes and natural splendour. The town’s food and drink scene has long been trapped by those tall shadows—until recently. From cozy izakayas to groovy karaoke bars, Canada’s most-visited national park boasts a cool cocktail scene that’s on the rise.

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Lake Days

Lake Days is reminiscent of spending summer days at Banff’s many beautiful lakes. Photo courtesy of Fairmont Banff Springs

Sam Clark, the creative director of beverage at the Fairmont Banff Springs, named this Rundle Bar favourite Lake Days because it is “reminiscent of spending summer days at Banff’s many beautiful lakes, with a tropical touch from acid-adjusted pineapple juice, whilst keeping Albertan ingredients in the frame with the gentle heat of ginger liqueur … and of course, our signature Rundle Bar Gin, made with local botanicals and coloured with butterfly pea flower tea.”

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A tasteful journey with Nikka Whisky

Savouring nine decades of history

Celebrating 90 years of craftsmanship, Nikka Whisky offers a diverse range of whiskies. Gather your friends, raise a glass and enjoy the unexpected journey of taste and discovery that awaits.

I spent 25 years in the hospitality business and during this time, I had the opportunity to taste thousands of wines from many different countries. Tasting so many styles and varieties allowed me to decipher nuances of quality in every type of wine. It was those years of tasting experience that worked in my favour when I was introduced to Japanese whisky for the very first time.

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Sunny sips for rainy days

The Cinque Terre from Ombré Restaurant in Tofino is a richer, cold weather twist on a classic spritz, thanks to the autumnal orange and rosemary syrup. Kyler Vos photo

At the new Ombré Restaurant in Tofino, the vibe is sunny Mediterranean, but that doesn’t mean the team doesn’t know how to deal with rainy days. After all, this charming village on Vancouver Island’s west coast sees over 300 centimetres of rain each year even without an atmospheric river.

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Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre. Kyler Vos photo

This recipe from Ombré Restaurant in Tofino is a richer, cold weather twist on a classic spritz, thanks to the autumnal orange and rosemary syrup.

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Finding Common Ground on the farm

Makers Mark has committed to making its entire supply chain follow regenerative practices. Photo courtesy of Maker’s Mark

Much has been written about the challenges facing farmers in North America; less has been done to solve them. Now a new initiative in the United States, with big names and big money behind it, aims to change that. And who knows? It might inspire action on this side of the 49th parallel, too.

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Five great gadgets

The season of entertaining is upon us and that means it’s a good time to stock up on cocktail gear and glassware. Here’s what’s on our list right now.

Bucket list

Yeti is known for making coolers that keep ice cold for days. But their Rambler beverage buckets are just as handy. They’re big enough to hold three bottles of wine, with a handle that makes them easy to carry and double-wall vacuum insulation that keeps ice frozen and drinks well chilled. Available in an array of designer-friendly colours. Now that’s, well, cool. Yeti.ca

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