Not just a pretty place, the mountain town is also a cocktail haven

Banff is world renowned for its majestic mountains, glacier-fed lakes and natural splendour. The town’s food and drink scene has long been trapped by those tall shadows—until recently. From cozy izakayas to groovy karaoke bars, Canada’s most-visited national park boasts a cool cocktail scene that’s on the rise.

Rundle Bar

The grande dame of the Banff cocktail scene is a lobby bar—with distinctions. When the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, a.k.a. The Castle in the Rockies, was renovated in the late 1990s, the original lobby was moved to the other side of the building, making way for the Rundle Bar. The majestic, two-storey lounge is appointed with a grand staircase, glass atrium, intimate nooks including a plush speakeasy hidden behind a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf and an expansive patio recently named Canada’s best by Canada’s 50 Best Bars. If you can tear yourself away from the jaw-dropping views, the drinks are equally impressive. Creative Director of Beverage Sam Clark, a three-time Diageo World Class Canada top three finalist, works closely with local distilleries. The signature drinks are all expertly crafted, but the Wild Flower, a citrusy Martini made with butterfly pea flower-infused house gin, makes an exquisite opening sip.

Make the Rundle Bar’s Lake Days cocktail. 

Bluebird Wood-Fired Steakhouse

With its crackling fireplace, heady whiffs of smoke and vaulted ceilings, this is the comfy embodiment of your mid-century, Alpine-chalet dreams. Slow-roasted prime rib is the right move any time of day (on brioche for breakfast and dipped in fondue at happy hour). In the luxe, retro-chic lounge, cocktails (oddly) lean fruity and tropical, which seems to be a trend across town. Sink into a more appropriate Mad Men-esque classic with a clarified New York Sour or a warming Old Fashioned featuring a house bourbon blend.

Shoku Izakaya

Irrasshaimase! Before settling in Banff, chef Stephane Prevost (Block Kitchen + Bar) spent six years in Tokyo, where he fell in love with the convivial energy of its casual, after-work izakayas. When creating his own, he kept it traditional. The downtown pub is dark and cozy, with charred yakisugi walls and an undulating beam ceiling. A cheerfully priced snacking menu runs the gamut from yakitori to tataki. It all goes down swell with hard-to-find sakes (including one on tap) and creative Japanese-inspired cocktails like the sesame-washed-bourbon Seedy Fashioned.

Hello Sunshine

As groovy as the name suggests, this retro-chic karaoke bar channels a 1970s ski lodge with communal fire tables, wood panelling and orange accents galore. Pull up to the long sushi bar or reserve the six-seat Tiny Bar in the back for the new four-course omakase experience.  Pair it all with a full range of Japanese tipples that include sake flights, creamy coconut-matcha coladas and an original twist on the town’s unofficial drink—the ubiquitous hard-coffee Shaft, available here on tap with a chocolate-sake bomb.

Sky Bistro

A bucket-list peak experience, the transcendent journey to Sky Bistro begins with a stunning eight-minute gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain. At the summit, work up a thirst by exploring the boardwalk trails and taking in the sweeping views of six mountain ranges. Retreat to the glass-walled bistro, also known as The Sanctuary in the Sky, to unwind with a taste of local spirits on the near horizon: a Mountain Mule with Trail Blazer Vodka from Calgary’s Eau Claire Distillery or an Alpine Martini stirred with Rundle Gin from Wild Life Distillery in Canmore.

Park Distillery

Canada’s only working distillery located inside a national park, this backcountry lodge-inspired lair is where the small-batch, glacier-to-glass, toast-of-Banff spirits are born. Take a tour, book a blend-your-own gin experience or sidle up to the log-lined central bar for a rare dram of the latest release in the limited-edition Exploratory Whisky series, all made with 100 per cent Alberta rye. Tip: The bottled barrel-aged Negroni blended with hand-picked spruce tip gin makes a great souvenir.

Añejo Restaurant

It’s always tequila time at the local offshoot of the Calgary-based Añejo, known for its authentic Mexican food and drink. Boasting a massive selection of tequila and mezcal, Añejo’s deep back bar also includes cristalino, raicilla, sotol and other up-and-coming curiosities. Go for the Patrón Perfect or Mezcalarita with a grasshopper salt rim.

Lupo

Bringing that Italian marketplace magic to the mountains, this second-storey trattoria in the heart of town has an airy Eataly vibe with its open kitchen and central antipasti station. The cocktail card is bright with Mediterranean spritzes and bitter sippers. The complex Sicilian Sour mixes Park Flora & Fauna Gin with amaro, orange liqueur, fennel, fig and hibiscus. An inspired spirit-free selection includes the Naples Negroni with house-made, non-alcoholic red aperitivo. Snag a catbird seat by the window to watch the passeggiata stroll by.

Banff Legion

If you want to spot locals in the wild, head straight to the Royal Canadian Legion #26, Colonel Moore Branch. It boasts great views with its outdoor patio on the banks of the Bow River. And culture: This is where the Opera Pub originated, before the rousing evening of beer-fuelled arias and ensembles was transported to Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver. Then, of course, there are all the usual meat draws, bingo nights and cheap drinks ($6 double Margs on tap every Wednesday) that make Legion-hopping a great Canadian pastime.

—by Alexandra Gill