Kyoto Collins
Idol Meets Impostor
This twist on a classic Old Fashioned gets an appealing smoky note from the ice cube made with Lapsang Souchong, a Chinese black tea whose leaves are dried over burning pinewood for a rich, bold and earthy flavour with subtle bonfire notes.
Tea time
Discover a world of flavour in a cuppa
Tea is one of the world’s most common beverages—second only to water in terms of the amount consumed—yet it’s often overlooked as a cocktail ingredient. And that’s too bad, because it’s far more versatile, accessible and fun to experiment with than you may think.
With a wide range of black, green, white and herbal teas available, you can find almost any flavour profile you’re looking for, from a fruity herbal tea ideal for a fizzy and refreshing highball to a bitter, dry and tannic over-steeped green tea that makes a substitute for dry vermouth in a Martini. Looking for something more exotic? Enter Lapsang Souchong. Often referred to as “the scotch of teas,” its leaves have been dried above a pinewood fire, giving it savoury and smoky characteristics akin to Islay-made whisky.
Toronto Cocktail Festival 2025: The city’s can’t-miss cocktail event is coming this fall
Looking for the best events in Toronto this October? Mark your calendar for the first-ever Toronto Cocktail Festival, happening October 22–26, 2025.
Toronto is about to raise its glass in a whole new way. From October 22 to 26, 2025, the first annual Toronto Cocktail Festival will take over the city with a week of spirited seminars, tastings, and experiences that highlight the artistry, innovation, and community behind the city’s cocktail culture. Tickets are now on sale, with more programming to be announced in the weeks ahead.
Presented by The Alchemist magazine, this five-day city-wide celebration of cocktails, culture and culinary creativity unites Toronto’s top bartenders, chefs, and visiting talent from the global bar scene.
One week. Ten bars. Italy in every glass.
Toronto, get ready—Italy is taking over your cocktail scene. From October 6 to 12, 2025, the first-ever Italian Cocktail Revolution, presented by the Italian Trade Agency Toronto, is shaking up the city with an entire week dedicated to Italy’s world-class spirits and timeless drinking culture.
Great World Bars We Love: Handshake Speakeasy
Behind an unassuming black door marked “13” in Colonia Juarez, Mexico City, lies the best bar in the world: Handshake Speakeasy. Since opening in 2019, the bar has evolved from its original Polanco roots into a world-class destination, complete with a newly expanded basement space that complements its upstairs Art Deco-inspired lounge. They also swiped the title of No. 1 on the lists of World’s 50 Best Bars and North America’s 50 Best Bars (twice now), amid numerous other prestigious global awards.
Where to drink in Tofino right now
Tofino’s cocktail scene might be small, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking.
This beloved Vancouver Island surfing town is known for its food, and for good reason: dining here is fresh, inventive, and fun. The drinks at these establishments, however, are equally worthy of praise. Here are five places in Tofino to grab an expertly-crafted cocktail.
Canada in a glass
Bye-bye bourbon. It’s Canadian whisky’s time to shine in these modern cocktails
For decades, Canadian whisky has played the quiet backbone in everything from Manhattans to whisky sours. But now, a new wave of bartenders is reclaiming it—not just as a versatile base spirit, but as a way to express local terroir, seasonality and storytelling in the glass. Whether it’s smoky and coastal, floral and bright, or tropical and spiced, Canadian whisky is proving that it can do more than blend in: It can take the lead.
We sat down with seven bartenders from across Canada to find out which whiskies they’re reaching for and the signature cocktails they’re crafting to showcase them.
The Belly of the Beast
Recipe by Tristin Vissers, bartender at Toronto’s Library Bar.
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz Appleton Estate 12 Year old rum
0.75 oz Brown Butter Fat-Washed Bearface Triple Oak whisky (see note)
0.75 oz Metaxa 5 Star brandy
0.75 oz grapefruit juice
0.75 oz sea buckthorn juice
0.75 oz Toasted Pecan & Mace Orgeat (see recipe below)
1 dash Angostura bitters
Garnish: cedar sprig, cinnamon sticks, bitters
Rat Boy
Recipe by Kat Saulnier, bartender at Toronto’s Bar Mordecai.
INGREDIENTS:
0.75 oz Lot 40 Rye Whisky
0.75 oz Tio Pepe fino sherry
0.5 oz Strega liqueur
0.75 oz Salted Oat Orgeat (see note)
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
Garnish: star anise pod