Bar Bites

Four Toronto bars on North America’s 50 Best list

May 26, 2026 No Comments

The Library bar team. Rick O’Brien photo

The Library Bar (#19) and Civil Works (#29) are the latest Toronto bar stars to join the prestigious list of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026, which were announced at a celebration in Vancouver (the host city for the second year in a row) on April 22. They join existing entries Mother (#22) and Bar Pompette (#8) in the top 50.

Also notable were the number of Toronto bars on the extended 51-100 list for 2026. Those included new entries Suite 115 (#74) and No Vacancy (#82), along with Civil Liberties (#54), Cry Baby Gallery (#69), Slice of Life (#90) and Bar Mordecai (#94), which were also on last year’s list.

To see the full list of North America’s 50 Best Bars, visit theworlds50best.com/bars/northamerica/list/1-50.

Bar Bites

More B.C. bars join North America’s 50 Best list

May 18, 2026 No Comments

The Prophecy Bar team. Photos courtesy of Prophecy

June on Cambie (#17) and Prophecy (#32) are the latest B.C. bar stars to join the prestigious list of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026, which were announced at a celebration in Vancouver (the host city for the second year in a row) on April 22.

They join Botanist Bar (#38) and The Keefer Bar (#7 and ranking as Canada’s Best Bar on the list) in the top 50—in both cases, growing the Vancouver family bar tree sprouting from those institutions. Jeff Savage, beverage director of Prophecy, was previously lead bartender at Botanist, when it won the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award 2024 from North America’s 50 Best Bars. June on Cambie is the brainchild of The Keefer Bar team and its key players, including beverage director Amber Bruce and operating partner Keenan Hood.

Also notable were the number of B.C. bars on the extended 51–100 list for 2026. Those included Humboldt Bar (which went from #69 last year to #53) and Citrus & Cane (a new entry at #87) in Victoria, plus new entries Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions (#91) and Bagheera (#59) in Vancouver, plus Meo (#64) and Laowai (#72) in Vancouver, which were also on last year’s list.

To see the full list of North America’s 50 Best Bars, visit theworlds50best.com/bars/northamerica/list/1-50.

Bar Bites

Whisky from the West

December 2, 2025 No Comments

It’s great to see those interprovincial trade barriers being chipped away, especially when that means we get to enjoy delicious things from across the country. Case in point: two exceptional whiskies from Western Canada that are entering the Ontario market.

Photo courtesy of Shelter Point Distillery

Bar Bites

A really likeable read

November 17, 2025 No Comments

We can’t wait to read 2017 World Class champion Kaitlyn Stewart’s new book, Three Cheers: Cocktails Three Ways: Classics, Riffs, and Zero-Proof Sips (Penguin). Stewart, the Vancouver bartender also known as Likeable Cocktails, takes 55 classics and offers a modern version and a non-alcoholic one for each, for an impressive total of 165 recipes for every mood—and everybody.

Bar Bites

Prophecy pinned at the Pinnacle

November 10, 2025 No Comments

For the first time, some of Canada’s greatest watering holes have been recognized by The Pinnacle Guide, a new recognition system for cocktail bars. Think of it as Michelin, but for the stirred-and-shaken set, offering one, two or three “pins” rather than stars; one pin means “excellent,” two “outstanding” and three “exceptional.”

Bar Bites

A local liqueur to go nuts for

October 31, 2025 No Comments

Just in time for the cooler weather and all your après ski special coffee needs, The Woods Spirit Co. is releasing its all-local, award-winning Crema Nocciola. This hazelnut cream liqueur, a gold medal winner at Sip Magazine’s Best of the Northwest Awards 2024, is crafted in small batches from sustainably grown Abbotsford hazelnuts, freshly roasted Moja Coffee distillate and Canadian non-GMO oat milk.

Bar Bites

Toronto Cocktail Festival set to shake up the Six

July 3, 2025 No Comments

TCF promises to be a destination event for cocktail lovers. Living Room Creative photo

The Alchemist magazine team has had so much fun hosting Vancouver Cocktail Week, we’re bringing the good times to Toronto. This fall, we’re launching the first annual Toronto Cocktail Festival, to be held October 22 to 26, 2025.

Bar Bites

Cocktails to go, go, go

June 30, 2025 No Comments

Summertime means camping and picnics and lounging in the back yard—or the back country. Now you can bring your favourite cocktails with you, thanks to the folks at Yeti.

Bar Bites

Aw, shucks for this umami moment

June 23, 2025 No Comments

Umami, the savoury so-called fifth taste after sweet, sour, salty and bitter, is having a moment in the world of drink. Think Dirty Martinis, whisky made with mushrooms, gin with savoury herbs and olives, or cocktails shaken with miso, saline or soy sauce.

Now distillers are turning to the sea for what might be our favourite umami-rich ingredient yet: the oyster.

Bar Bites

Spritz up your summer

June 16, 2025 No Comments

Summertime and the living is lazy, or at least it should be. So when it comes to our favourite cocktails of the season, we not only crave something light and thirst-quenching, we also want it to take as little effort as possible, but maybe just a bit more effort than cracking open an RTD.

Enter the spritz. The Aperol spritz has been ubiquitous for more years than we like to count; last year, summer was all about the Hugo spritz, which is made with elderflower liqueur rather than Aperol.