Lost Highway
How the whale got its throat
This cocktail takes its name from a Rudyard Kipling short story in which an Irish boy is swallowed by a whale and spat out in Labrador. That journey inspired the drink’s split base of Irish and Canadian whisky, and its wild, botanical character. Recipe by Lucas Van Es, beverage manager at Bagheera in Vancouver.
Pollination
Bearface’s distinct character serves as the perfect foundation for a cocktail that connects flavour, place and story in Lacey Roberts’s (Published on Main) Bianco Manhattan, which is poured tableside from a beeswax-coated vessel, the wax sourced directly from the Queen Elizabeth Park apiary.
Tickets are on sale now for Toronto Cocktail Festival
The first annual festival runs from October 22 to 26 with a full slate of events, including the unmissable Gala of Cocktails
Tickets are now on sale for the first annual Toronto Cocktail Festival presented by The Alchemist magazine. Save your seat for the best seminars, most delicious cocktail-paired dinners and unmissable signature events like the Gala of Cocktails and the Closing Cocktail-Paired Brunch.
“We are proud to support and promote Toronto’s incredible cocktail community and culture. The success of Toronto Cocktail Festival is made possible through the collaboration of everyone in the industry including bartenders, venues, brands, consumers, and the supporting media,” says Gail Nugent, publisher of The Alchemist magazine and event producer for TCF.
Don’t miss two signature events: the week’s main highlight, the Gala of Cocktails, taking place on October 24 at the Waterworks event space. This glamorous night features hot tunes, bar bites, and more than two dozen cocktail stations hosted by local and international bartenders, including global brand ambassadors serving their most creative cocktail creations. The festival wraps up with the Closing Cocktail-Paired Brunch on Sunday, October 26, at the Fairmont Royal York.
PLUS: Until August 31, TCF25 is offering early-bird pricing for gala tickets—that means $25 off regular and VIP tickets.
Finally, no celebration of community would be complete without supporting those who work in it. Toronto Cocktail Festival is proud to announce that a portion of proceeds will be donated to charity partner, Mind The Bar, an organization dedicated to promoting mental health wellness across Canada.
Tickets for Toronto Cocktail Festival presented by The Alchemist magazine, October 22 to 26, 2025 ‘Signature Events’ go on sale August 1. All other events go on sale from September 1. Watch the space, sign up for the TCF newsletter or follow along on social for more events being added through the summer.
Devil
Recipe by Ryan Buchanan, bar manager at Arcana Spirits Lounge, Vancouver. Note that he uses lime ash to create black bitters to draw the pentagram on the drink, but recommends that home bartender use Angostura instead.
Make tonight a good night out
How a B.C. non-profit is helping bar and nightlife patrons stay safe
This past March, The Keefer Bar customers sipping Dragon’s Eye Mules and Café Bastille Martinezes were having a good night out, while also supporting Good Night Out (GNO). The Vancouver non-profit has a champion in World Class Canada Bartender of the Year 2025, The Keefer Bar’s Kate Chernoff, who in collaboration with Ketel One’s Garnished with Good program created two fundraising cocktails to support a group that has been making music festivals, bars and clubs safer from sexual harassment and violence for the past nine years.
Café Bastille Martinez with Ketel One
This dark, savoury twist on the Martini’s precursor was one of the cocktails created in support of Good Night Out this past spring. Recipe by Kate Chernoff, The Keefer Bar.
Taking flight
Could the Paper Plane be the perfect cocktail?
I love a Martini. I’m happy to whisper sweet words to a well-made Old Fashioned. I’ve fallen head over heels for a Negroni on a good patio. But hear me out: While all of the above are well and good, the Paper Plane is the perfect drink.
Made from equal portions of bourbon, Amaro Nonino, Aperol and lemon juice, the new-school classic cocktail has a kiss of booze, a bright hit of citrus and an herbal allure from the addition of amaro. The recipe is foolproof: just one ounce of everything, shake and pour.
A riff on the classic Paper Plane
Recipe by Nathan Murray, bar manager at aKin in Toronto: “I prefer Canadian whisky over bourbon. Then I add an acidulated green tea blended with toasted brown rice in place of classic citrus. The result: a flavour profile that is sure to surprise even the most seasoned Paper Plane drinker.”
The Turbulent Plane
This variation on a Paper Plane is by Anita Dorion, the Toronto-based Vine Translator.
INGREDIENTS:
0.5 oz bourbon
0.5 oz Aperol
0.5 oz Amaro Nonino Quintessentia
Juice of ½ lemon, freshly squeezed
Sparkling wine of choice