My Search for the Perfect Winter Cocktail

““If you were to ask me if I’d ever had the bad luck to miss my daily cocktail, I’d have to say that I doubt it; where certain things are concerned, I plan ahead.” - Luis Buñuel”

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been sampling wintery drinks at cocktail bars around Toronto in search of a favourite. A difficult task, yes, but someone has to do it.

I wanted to understand what goes into a great winter cocktail. When I think of the cocktails I love they tend to be very summery – light, frothy, gin-based with a citrus note. But on chilly, snowy winter nights I want, rather, I need something more substantial. A drink that will warm my belly and stand up to hearty winter fare like stews, chilis, creamy pastas and chunky soups. With that in mind, I went to four different bars with a special focus on cocktails to find the one that would warm me through to my toes.

The Leña

The first stop I made on my journey was to one of my favourite new places in Toronto, Leña Restaurante. Leña’s main floor area features an impressive 1920’s style bar that gives you the sense that at any moment Jay Gatsby might walk through the door and order a martini. Most of their cocktails tend to have a more tropical feel, which pairs well with their South American tapas-style menu. Their signature cocktail, The Leña is about as wintery as it gets, featuring charred cedar, Maker’s Mark bourbon (my fave), cocoa cocchi vermouth do torino and sour and scorched cherry. It was gorgeous. Very booze-forward with a dark, smoky scent and hints of cherry, it definitely hit the right note for me to qualify as a terrific winter cocktail.

Black Walnut

I was very excited to hit up this next spot, as weeks of scouring their Instagram feed revealed a bar that has their cocktail game down and takes it very seriously. Northwood is now my favourite place to go for a cocktail in Toronto. The décor is subtle and casual, making the focus really all about their extensive cocktail list. The cocktails aren’t overly dressed up with elaborate presentations that resemble science experiments like you’ll find at a place like Bar Chef. Northwood’s cocktails feel like classic combinations of beautiful ingredients simply done well. The Black Walnut featured walnut tea infused rum, cinnamon, cardamom, and lemon. It was warm and lightly frothy with a note of holiday spice. I would order this one again in a heartbeat!

Kentucky Backflip

A few weeks ago, I took the opportunity to sample this winter cocktail at The Drake while out celebrating a friend’s bachelorette. With Northwood still fresh on the brain, I’ll admit I was sceptical about anyone’s ability to outdo that experience. I ordered the Kentucky Backflip, which had Knob Creek rye, allspice dram, honey, whole egg and nutmeg. The flavours were lovely, but it wasn’t very booze forward and could have used a kick of something more. The ingredient list rang of warm, wintery flavours, but the drink was lighter than I expected. Good flavours, but not the optimal winter cocktail I was looking for.

Good Ass Drink

A fun night out with some girls from work a few weeks ago started at Track and Field – a bar that boasts shuffleboard and cocktails on tap. I went for the Good Ass Drink made up of bourbon (again), amara averna, crème de cacao, black cherry oatmeal ale syrup, lemon juice, peach bitters and soda. I’ve realized that I really like the combination of bourbon and cherry notes when it comes to a satisfying winter drink. Though this one isn’t available on tap, it is part of their regular menu and I would definitely order it again. My picture didn’t turn out well in this dark, underground bar, so you’ll have to drop in and try it for yourself to see it.

The winner

I had a lot of fun on my journey searching for the perfect winter cocktail and I found it at Northwood. The Black Walnut and Northwood in general was the winner above and beyond the others and I can’t wait to go back and sample more of their menu.

Now, I only made it to four places during this experiment, but I do have some other favourite cocktail bars in Toronto that I would highly recommend checking out.

Bar Chef - For a transformative, high-end cocktail experience

Rhum Corner - One of my favourite places to hang out and explore rum from around the world - The Zombie is a must to share.

The Walton - A beautiful, small spot with an old-fashioned feel, perfect for afternoon tea or excellent after-work food and cocktails.

Her Majesty’s Pleasure – Possibly the most brilliant business idea ever invented, HMP is a spa and cocktail bar, where you can enjoy a terrific Sidecar with your manicure.

Have other suggestions for me? Comment below or email carbsandcocktails@gmail.com if you have a favourite cocktail joint in Toronto I need to try!