Toronto Cocktail Week is Back and Better Than Ever

By Toronto Cocktail Week  |  Oct 01, 2019

Toronto Cocktail Week is back for another six days of spirit-infused fun. And this year, with 70 (yes, 70) of the city’s best bars taking part, and more parties, workshops and one-of-a-kind dinners than you can shake a swizzle stick at, it’s bigger and better than ever. We apologize to your liver in advance.

The bacchanalian bash kicks off on October 15 with an opening party at the Evergreen Brick Works, an all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink affair, with more than 20 of Toronto’s top mixologists in attendance, each one serving a special cocktail and bar snack. You’re gonna want to get Uber (or Lyft or Beck or a teetotaling friend) to be your DD for the night.

The spirited fun continues with two amazing ticketed dinners, one presented by Don Julio, Johnnie Walker, Ketel One, Tanqueray No. Ten and Bulleit Bourbon at Xango, celebrity chef Claudio Aprile’s hot new Nikkei restaurant, and the other, a bourbon- and barbecue-filled night at Carbon Bar, courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery, complete with a tasting of the rare George T Stagg. You won’t want to miss these and tickets are guaranteed to sell out, so order yours today.

There are also more than a dozen super-informative and -interesting classes, tastings, workshops and seminars. Learn how to sip sherry like a pro at Supernova Ballroom, master the martini at Death and Taxes, understand the difference between tequila and mezcal at Vatican Gift Shop, and—with the holidays fast-approaching—let PrettyUgly’s talented bartenders teach you how to make low- and no-alcohol cocktails that go above and beyond soda water with a lime wedge, or Frankie Solarik from BarChef showcase how to make experiential cocktails. It’s like going back to school but you get to drink in class!

If that’s not enough, commitment-phobes can casually drop into pop-ups at Mahjong Bar (for a Montreal mixologist takeover) and the Drake Mini Bar (to sip Moet Hennessy all fancy-like) or visit any of the participating bars between October 15 and October 20 to enjoy $3 off signature TCW tipples. Bonus: Instagram your drink for a chance to win a trip to Montreal or a gift basket full of booze.