What to know
- Toronto event series Sip and Scholar is turning nights out into “smart nights,” offering attendees expert-led presentations on topics like psychedelics, space, and hip hop alongside a complimentary drink.
- Founder Raghu Balasa said the idea was inspired by a similar concept he discovered in New York, growing from an 18-person bar event into regularly sold-out gatherings hosting up to 120 people.
- Speakers and attendees say the events offer a fun, low-pressure way to keep learning outside of school while meeting other intellectually curious people in the city.
- Balasa, who still runs the operation solo, says Sip and Scholar is planning new collaborations and unique experiences with Toronto venues as the community-focused event continues to expand.
If you’ve ever had an itch to learn about a topic you didn’t get to study in school, an event is promoting the “smart night” approach, which helps turn the after-hours scene into an educational crash course for you and your friends.
Ticketholders of Sip and Scholar get a unique experience to learn an interesting topic, taught by an expert in the field, while nursing a complimentary drink.
Attendees will be welcomed with their choice of wine, beer or mocktail once seated, before the 45-minute presentation begins.
These presentations can range from space, to hip-hop, to the most recent theme Now Toronto attended on May 13, which was psychedelics.
Founder Raghu Balasa told Now Toronto at the event that he stumbled upon the idea during a trip in New York.
“I came across a similar concept and I was like, ‘Wow, this is really interesting. It’s too bad Toronto doesn’t have anything,’ and that too bad, turned into, ‘Well, why don’t I do something to actually launch it?’” Balasa said.
A year later, Balasa was seeing his almost bi-weekly events sell out in a matter of a day.
“Our first lecture was in a bar just off of Dundas Street West that had 18 people,” he explained. “I had to bring my own equipment because the bar didn’t have anything and now we’re in venues that can host up to about 120 people, always sold out.”
Balasa added that he’s seen the event grow very quickly, with people from all walks of life.
“We’ve grown a really strong community,” he said. “…one thing in common is they’re just intellectually curious, and they want to meet other people in the city that are intellectually curious without having that stigma of, ‘Can I go to a bar alone? Do I know enough about that topic?’
He said attendees tend to become really engaged with the lecture and with the topic.
“Anytime there’s an opportunity to speak to people, educate people, I always jump at it,” said Ronan Levy, the guest lecturer on Wednesday. “The reaction was great. It’s a topic that a lot of people are curious about.”
Levy said there’s an importance to continue to learn through life.
“The world is changing so rapidly. When I was younger, we used to just go out and get wasted at bars, and that was our social experience,” he said. “Anytime someone’s doing something new or innovative or interesting, where you’re pairing old fashioned in person connection with people with novel experiences, whether it’s educational or otherwise, I think it’s awesome.”
Levy noted aspects about psychedelics that are typically not spoken about, like how they can cause improvements in mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders among others. The forty-five minute lecture was packed with educational information on the topic, allowing those in the audience to dive deeper into the world of psychedelic paraphernalia.
Lecture attendees Jackson and Jessie were spending a date night at the event. They said it’s something they’ve checked out in the past, and felt it was worth it to attend again.
“We love learning, and it’s just a fun way to make it like a date night and learn something new,” Jessie said.
“It’s a cool environment, a cool way to learn that isn’t in a classroom,” Jackson added.
Another guest, Tameka, treated herself to the event, explaining she’s always had a passion to learn.
“I’m not in school anymore, so I just feel like it’s a great opportunity for me to immerse myself into something different,” she said. “It’s really great to immerse yourself into different sectors of life, things that you’re not typically introduced to.”
Balasa is still a one-man show as he continues to host Sip and Scholar. He said he is hoping to recruit more help in the future as the event continues to grow.
“We actually do have some interesting collabs, some that are still under wraps, but we’re going to be releasing them within the next couple of weeks,” he said. “We’re also working with a few local Toronto venues to create more unique experiences with them. More to come. We got a lot more exciting stuff to happen.”
