Sandy De Almeida may only have been at The Drake Hotel for around a month, but she’s already put her mark on the menu. Slinging drinks behind the Lounge bar, the west-end bartender says that in addition to her duties at the hotel, she still pours at Churchill and Reposado — though it’s only here that one can toss back a Deliverance ($14).
Plucked from the hot-off-the-presses fall menu, the drink was inspired by — you guessed it — fall. A seasonal mix of Calvados and cedar-infused Bulleit bourbon, the beverage is lent a bitter and herbal quality thanks to Fernet Branca, an herbal liqueur hailing from Italy. Sweetened up with just a touch of maple syrup and a sliver of apple, denizens can sip on it next to a wall festooned with hardcover books while taking in Queen West’s vibrant street scene.
The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042
Other must-try Toronto cockails:
The Corpse Reviver No. 2 from SpiritHouse
The Bubbly Sue from SPiN Toronto
The elderflower martini from Park Hyatt Toronto
