For the past 50 years, the first Thursday after Labour day has signalled the beginning of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF); aka when the city of Toronto is transformed into Hollywood North. On almost every corner there is a giant black SUV, a red carpet premiere, or a celeb trying to grab a quick bite to eat unnoticed. And while many look to TIFF to discover new movies (it is often seen as predictor of Oscar nominations and box office success), we thought it might be more interesting to take you, our readers, inside the exclusive celeb filled parties that happen every night. Of course, the going ons in these parties are kept very secretive (well, except for the “leaked” photos on social media). So we did the next best thing, we have sourced the hottest new TIFF cocktails (and how to make them) that the celebs are enjoying this year.
Hazelton Hotel’s Red Carpet Sour
Recipe:
- 2 oz The Macallan Double Cask 12
- 1 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 3/4 house-made simple syrup
- 1/2 ounce aquafaba
- 2 dashes bitters
- Garnish with Maraschino cherries
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin.
- Shake well.
- Add ice and shake again.
- Strain into a cocktail glass.
- Add Maraschino cherries garnish.
Magpie Martini
Recipe:
- 1.75 oz. Ketel One Vodka
- 1 oz. Fino Sherry
- 0.25 oz. Benedictine
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
- Garnish: Lemon Twist
Directions:
- Stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a chilled cocktail glass that has been rinsed with peated
scotch (Lagavulin 8 or Talisker 10). - Garnish with a lemon.
1 Hotel Toronto’s Gothic Cocktail
Recipe:
- 0.5oz Patron Silver
- 0.5oz Bacardi Superior
- 0.5oz Cointreau
- 0.5oz Passionfruit Puree
- 0.5oz Pineapple Juice
- 0.5oz Lime Juice
- 0.5oz Orgeat
- 1oz Red Wine Float (Niagara Merlot-Gamay recommended)
Directions:
- Shake all ingredients except red wine with ice (10 sec).
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Gently float red wine on top using a barspoon.
Peroni Nastro Azzurro Spritz
Recipe:
- 1.5oz Campari
- 4oz grapefruit juice
- 0.25oz lemon juice
- Garnish with an orange Slice
Directions:
- Combine ingredients in a tall glass.
- Top with Peroni Nastro Azzurro and garnished with a slice of orange
Redbreast Flying Old Fashioned
Recipe:
- 2oz Redbreast 12-Year-Old
- 1 Bar spoon Simple Syrup
- Dash Black Walnut Bitters
- Dash Xocolatl Mole Bitters
- Dash Angostura Bitters
- Orange Zest Garnish
Directions:
- Build liquids in iced mixing glass and stir until ice cold and correctly diluted. (This can take anywhere between 20 and 60 seconds, depending on variables – so practice makes perfect)
- Take a rocks glass and add a large block of ice.
- Pour the final mixture into the glass, double filtering slowly through both a cocktail strainer and a fine sieve.
- Garnish with neatly carved orange zest, first expressing the orange oil over the serve, twist, then gently place ‘skin-up’ on top of the ice.
Such Grape Heights
Recipe:
- 1.5 oz. Tanqueray No. TEN
- 0.5 oz. Green Grape Soju
- 0.25 oz. Elderflower Liqueur
- 0.25 oz. Lime Juice
- 3 oz. Fever-Tree Ginger Beer
- Green grape cut in half on pick
Directions:
- Combine Tanqueray No. TEN, grape soju, elderflower liqueur, and lime juice in an ice filled shaker tin.
- Give a gentle shake just to incorporate and strain over fresh into a Collins glass.
- Top with ginger beer and garnish with green grapes.
The Drake’s Gold Digger cocktail:
Recipe:
- 0.75oz Hennessy VS Cognac
- 0.75oz Bacardi 8 Rum
- 0.75oz Guerra Blanco Vermouth
- 0.5oz St-Germain
- 0.25oz Cynar
- 1 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters
- 1 tbsp. Gold Luster Dust
- Gold Luster Dusted Cherry, metal skewer
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and stir with ice.
- Strain into a gold-rimmed martini glass.
- Using an atomizer and a lighter, flame absinthe tableside.
