The golden olden decades of the three-martini lunch and scotch-and-testosterone-fuelled board meetings are long gone.
We have work to focus on, networking to do – we’re a world-class city now, T.O. Even after we’ve slipped into the comforting haze of social hour, it’s all too easy to forsake good conversation for two or three quickly pounded 3-ounce drinks. And while scarfing late-night slabs of pork belly washed down with corn whiskey and digested with a half-pack of smokes may be fun and delicious and something many of us are guilty of, it’s certainly not the quickest way to a long life.
Practising a healthier, active lifestyle is the movement of the moment. Though Toronto is has its share of bon vivants (we cannot deny our collective love for bacon, booze and the occasional cigarette), we’re learning to temper our tendency toward hedonistic consumption with a dose of #cleanliving. We’re becoming yogis and runners by day while continuing to revel by night.
A healthy interest in moderation doesn’t mean we’re stuck with soda water or that we can’t indulge in a proper drink. It’s acceptable and even cool to drink during the day, especially now that our great bars are guiding us along an enticing but far less sodden path.
Thanks to a growing number of Toronto bars and restaurants offering suppressors, shims and other low-alcohol libations, brunch and daytime drinking isn’t restricted to a half-pint of lager or a meagre glass of rosé. Take note: these joints are also open after dark, because moderation is the key to longevity regardless of the hour. Here are some cocktails that won’t knock you out.
Tanja-Tiziana
FIGO (295 Adelaide West, 647-748-3446)
This stunning bar, an all-white marbly ode to Italian elegance and decadence, is a killer place for a moderately boozy brunch. The cocktail list, put together by bar manager Jon Crosson, offers low-alcohol options like a stirred Perfect Adonis with sherry, vermouth and orange bitters ($14), a bubbly Bellini-esque Queen’s Park Cocktail (sorel, prosecco, peach nectar and lemon, $15) and the Punch Americano (Cocchi Americano and Cocchi Americano Rosa, rum, white wine, white cranberry and lemon juice, and bitters, $15/glass, $60/decanter). “I wanted to make a list of easily drinkable cocktails so people can try five instead of having two and having to go home,” explains Crosson. Amen.
Perfect Adonis
- 2 oz Fino Eléctrico
- 1 oz Cocchi Americano
- 1 oz Guerra Rojo
- 2 dashes Regans’ orange bitters
Whisper of simple syrup
Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
BAR RAVAL (505 College)
Bar Raval has championed low-alcohol cocktails since it opened over a year ago. Considering the Spanish-inspired vibe, the vermouth- and sherry-forward cocktail list is a perfect fit. There’s even a section devoted to aperitivi. Take your time with a consecutively crushable Spanish Fizz (your choice of vermouth topped with cava or soda) or try fantastically temperate house cocktails like the Lo & Behold (Hayman’s Sloe Gin, Campari, Guerra dry vermouth, China-China, $14) and the Jacques Fresco (Tío Pepe, Iris Bianco vermouth, lime, frankincense, cava, mint, $13).
Mal Gusto
- 1.5 oz Tío Pepe Fino Sherry
- .5 oz Cocchi Americano
- .75 oz fresh lime juice
- .33 oz rich simple syrup (2:1 sugar to water)
- .25 oz Pernod Absinthe
Shake all ingredients and strain into a chilled coupe.
BAR BUCA (75 Portland, 416-599-2822)
Buca’s popular all-day-to-late-night sister spot stays true to its Italian roots by making tasty food, excellent coffee and light cocktails available seven days a week. Whether it’s a simple aperitivo like a Campari soda or a more intricate blend of vermouth and amari, Bar Buca showcases aperitivi (really just culturally ingrained suppressors) at their finest. The fresh seasonal menu, designed by head bartender Jorge Yarce, drops in the next few weeks. Set aside April’s first sun-drenched Sunday afternoon to make a dent in the new lineup of low-octane concoctions and grab some brunch while you’re at it.
Catanese Spritz
- 2 oz Spumante Rosso sparkling wine
- 1 oz Amara Rossa
- .5 oz Aperol
- 1 oz tonic water
Build in a glass over ice and stir to integrate. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf and a lemon twist.
PEOPLES EATERY (307 Spadina, 416-792-1784)
Peoples doesn’t serve weekend brunch, but it has one of the best lunch specials in the city (soup, salad and a badass sandwich for $15). For those in the industry stuck playing brunch bitch every weekend, weekday indulgences are fair and even necessary game. Try mellow cocktails like the ultra-refreshing Capo Cup No. 1, an aperitivo-based spritz/cobbler mashup that won’t knock you off your bar stool ($12). Co-owner and barman Matt See also mixes up a Spanish Hanky Panky made with Tío Pepe instead of gin, vermouth and a touch of China-China ($12) and a gentle sour with white port, yellow Chartreuse, lime and cardamom ($13).
Capo Cup No. 1
- 1.5 oz Capo Capo
- .5 oz Branca Menta
- .5 oz cucumber juice
- .25 oz lemon juice
- 1.25 oz ginger beer
Swizzle over crushed ice in a tall glass. Garnish with a grapefruit slice and a cucumber ribbon.
MAPLE LEAF TAVERN (955 Gerrard East)
The shiny new Maple Leaf Tavern, not long ago the grubbiest of east-end dives, is slated for rebirth in April. The kitchen, run by a team of talented chefs including Jesse Vallins (the Saint Tavern), will serve relaxed but high-quality fare that the bar program, designed by NYC bartender Naren Young, will complement with fresh and simple, classically driven cocktails, house-made sodas and low-alcohol libations. Expect cocktails on tap, juices à la minute and lots of easy highballs to slide across the Tavern’s bar top.
The Garibaldi
- 2 oz Campari
- 8 oz fresh whipped orange juice
Process two whole oranges (peeled) through a high-speed juicer. Pour Campari in a glass and add the orange juice, spooning frothed foam on top. Garnish with orange wedge and stir stick.
