Whats your booze creature? Im pretty sure tequila unleashes my inner octopus.
Maybe youre a gin tabby. Or a rum rhino. Or a whisky falcon. Whatever the case, theres no better bait than alcohol for coaxing out your spirit animal, so get reverse-anthropomorphic at these two newly minted T.O. bars.
Finally open after months of Insta-teasing Bloordale residents, Grey Tiger (1190 Bloor West, 647-925-3310, @greytigerTO), Ryan Ringer and Becky Ips light-filled, thoughtfully composed space, capitalizes on one of my favourite beverage trends: cafe by day, bar after dark.
Besides Propeller coffee and vegan treats (including bar snacks like vermouth and herb-soaked martini olives for $5 and a Bounty Board with mushroom pate, nut cheese, pickles and fruit for $18), theres a full-blown cocktail bar equipped with lots of spirituous goodies (the whisky selection is especially well rounded).
Ringer, a performance artist, culls drinkspiration from pop culture media, especially film and TV. The Bat Country (fino sherry, cachaca, lime, cinnamon, salt-and-pepper pineapple shrub, grapefruit and bitters, $14), a twist on the Singapore Sling, is an ode to Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, while the Jesus Fizz (bourbon, cream, chocolate, mallow, egg white, coffee and chicory-pecan bitters, $15) is a gussied-up White Russian.
A short bound southeast lands you at NightOwl (647 College, 647-927-4321, @nightowltoronto), a two-storey adult arcade where you can play Rampage and Mortal Kombat, cocktail in hand.
Drinks named for various Toronto hoods are fun and fruity. Theres also a list of signature floats, because boozy ice cream is a tragically untapped market.
All drinks (and food, for that matter) wont punch a hole in your pocketbook, and theres an all-purpose venue in the basement that hosts readings, stand-up and live tunes for when you tire of video games.
