Whether it’s tossing bottles, hand-chipping bespoke ice cubes, lighting things on fire or orchestrating a fluid “dance” behind the wood, the visible effort bartenders put into their craft is not just for nerdy self-satisfaction. The spectacle is for you, dear drinker. It may range from the subtle to the flashy, but theatre contributes to a quintessential bar experience.
It can be as simple as an evocative drink name or a beautiful crystal glass or as complex as molecular mixology and a la minute infusions, but a small sense of wonder is part of a memorable night.
BarChef (472 Queen West, 416-868-4800, barcheftoronto.com), one of Toronto’s original cocktail bars, takes a singular, hyper-modernist approach to its drinks, which are served smoked to order (like the famous vanilla and hickory-smoked Manhattan) or in redefined forms like gels, “ravioli,” foam and “snow.”
At the recently opened Linwood Essentials (930 Queen West, 647-828-9663, linwoodessentials.com), owner Jake Valianes puts a lot of time and thought into presentation, without “taking anything too seriously.”
After spending four months researching cocktail bars around the world for inspiration, Valianes channels a wacky, irreverent sense of whimsy into his cocktails: Dr. V’s Magical Quick Fixer Elixir (Grand Marnier, Becherovka, amaro, lemon and sparkling wine, $16) is sipped from a medicinal bottle that comes in a branded box. Breakfast in Portland (Old Tom gin, Aperol, lemon, simple syrup, egg white, soda and Froot Loops milk, $14) froths over the lip of a tiny milk bottle spiked with a paper straw.
The confidence, precision and finesse a bartender exhibits behind the stick contributes to the overall guest experience. Not only do we automatically trust bartenders who look like they know what they’re doing, but we feel justified in paying for the experience as well as the drink.
David Greig, manager of Cocktail Bar (923 Dundas West, 416-792-7511, hoofcocktailbar.com), used to dismiss any frills that weren’t purely functional, but “I’ve come to see the value in the visual aesthetic. People come to a bar partly for that. A cocktail is decadent, frivolous – always will be. That’s why they’re fun,” he said.
Shane Mulvany, bar manager at DaiLo/LoPan (503 College, 647-341-8882, dailoto.com), thinks a little effort goes a long way. Like many bartenders, he admits to practising new techniques at home or during lulls in service, because ultimately “technique shows a guest that you care about what you do.”
One of my favourite quotes pertaining to the bar is from bar lord Gaz Regan: “A mixologist makes my drinks, but a bartender makes my night.” What makes a bartender great is how comfortable and engaged they make their guest feel, be that through banter, jokes or magic tricks.
“I always start off with a big smile. I’ll ask them how their day was, to get a little conversation going, says Chanel Wood, bar manager at Rasa (196 Robert, 647-350-8221, rasabar.ca)
“We’re a little neighbourhood bar, so I like to see if they’re from the area. Cracking a joke always helps, too – if I remember a good one!”
“When I’m entertaining a guest at my bar, my goal is to introduce them to something new, Holly Caverly, bar manager at Momofuku (190 University, 647-253-8000, momofuku.com/toronto), weighs in.
“You never forget the first time you taste a great dry sherry or a fierce new amaro. It leaves a lasting impressing, and it’s the perfect way to start an exciting conversation about spirits.”
