Toronto hasn’t always been full of cocktail connoisseurs. But ever since Jen Agg dazzled locals and out-of-towners alike with her $16 Manhattan way back when, we haven’t been able to get enough of the well-crafted libation. Despite the cancellation of, well, everything, some of the city’s best bars are getting creative and ensuring our home bars are well-stocked with cocktail delivery kits.
At the Shameful Tiki Room — Parkdale’s slice of the tropics — Alana Nogueda is helping patrons craft their own tiki drinks à la maison. Shameful Tiki’s batch cocktail menu includes the Tiki classic Zombie or the well-spiced Navy Grog. The mixes are ready to go save for one key ingredient: the alcohol. As per government regulations, they can’t serve mixed cocktails to-go, so it’s the responsibility of the imbiber to get their paws on some rum. For the drinks perfectionist, the bar is also selling their signature pebble ice, and sharing videos outlining how to make cocktails. Orders must be placed by email, with pickups occurring from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday to Friday.
Over at Civil Liberties on Bloor Street (aka “the pineapple bar”), they’re doing things a little bit differently. “We are zigging where others have zagged,” says co-owner Nick Kennedy. This means that the speakeasy — known for their probing questions and personalized cocktails — has opened its cellar. The goal here is to bring tools and ingredients to the homes of non-industry folks that otherwise wouldn’t have access to the stuff. Think fortified wines, amari, mezcals, specialist mixes. Plus, there’s charcuterie and cheese ready for snacking on, meaning your Zoom shindig is more than ready to go. They too are doing informative videos; check IGTV every Thursday at 2 p.m. to tap into their wealth of knowledge. Deliveries are Sunday afternoon, with half of proceeds and 100 per cent of gratuities going to their unemployed staff.
Dundas West’s Project Gigglewater, a bar with arguably the best name in town, is coming through with deliveries this “Quarantine Season,” as they call it. Head bartender Alfred Siu and team have come up with some well-named libations. The refreshing Toilet Paper Greens ($60) matches Bombay Sapphire gin with lime, cucumber and mint, while the Keep Calm & Quarantine ($65) will warm you right up thanks to Johnnie Walker Black scotch with honey, ginger and smoky lapsang souchong tea. As the government rules that all alcohol orders must come with food, they’re offering a bag of chips. Rejoice! Deliveries are Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.
The team behind Mahjong Bar and Bar Mordecai, both DuWest resto-bars bathed in moody light, is also doing cocktail kits with a side of frozen dumplings. Their compact drinks menu includes a Tame Impala kit ($45) which comes with Tromba Blanco tequila with a cocktail mix made of fresh pressed ginger, lime and a house-made chai syrup. Each order comes with enough to make four cocktails, and all you have to do is pop it into the blender — no fancy bar tools required. Orders must be placed by Thursday at noon, with curbside delivery happening on the weekend. The minimum purchase is $45 and deliveries that fall outside their zone must pay a small fee.
Cocktail Emporium is Kristen Voisey’s altar to all things alcohol where mixologists of both the wannabe and more serious variety head to stock their home bars. Voisey’s temporarily closed brick-and-mortar locations are filled to the brim with all the glassware, bar tools, books, and accouterments one could ever need to build an expert tipple; her website destination is the e-commerce equivalent. Making things as smooth as can be, the emporium has partnered with Runner Delivery — a licensed alcohol delivery service — to get booze-inclusive cocktail kits to your door. The Stay Home Cocktail Club includes classics like Old Fashioneds and Moscow mules. Order before 11 a.m. and receive the goods just in time for your cinq-à-sept.
Toronto’s Reid’s Distillery is ensuring locals can get their hands on their regular, spiced and citrus gins. Build your own G&Ts with Fever Tree tonic, create classic martinis (whether with a twist, olive or dirty), or make blood orange Negronis. A signature tipple of the distillery, this rather sophisticated pack ($105) comes with Dolin Rouge Vermouth de Chambéry, Campari, dehydrated blood orange slices, and a blood orange for infusing the Campari with. Delivery is free and they’ll add ice if you so desire.
