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How many bartenders does it take to come up with a cocktail that’s representative of a city? In Montreal’s case, the answer appears to be 15, now that a group of local bartenders and owners have put their boozy expertise together to come up with a Montreal equivalent to cocktails like the Manhattan or the Singapore Sling.
The group of 15 (led by Cold Room owner Kevin Demers) put together the concoction for the city’s 375th anniversary celebrations, and it’s a low-key, nicely thought out nod to the city and its past, and a lot more sensible than other extravagant 375th celebration, like rodeos and expensive bridge lights (bonus: a cocktail also doesn’t require public money).
With London Dry Gin as a nod to the city’s anglos, and Gentian liqueur (e.g. Suze) for the francos, the tie-in to the city is logical, and the recipe itself is boldly boozy: there’s equal parts gin and Canadian rye whisky, rounded out with the sharpness of both the Suze as well as aperitivo (e.g. Aperol), lending it an electric orange hue. Could the symbolism of the ingredients be that Montrealers like copious amounts of booze? Your call.
The drink is available at Cold Room and numerous other bars in the city (see below); the team behind it (see the full list of names, also below) are planning to exhibit the creation at trade show Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans later this month.
- Le Mal Nécessaire
- Bishop & Bagg
- Cold Room
- Le Lab (both venues)
- 132 Bar Vintage
- Mile Public House
- Santos
- Jellyfish
- Huis Clos
- Teddy Bar
- 4e Mur
- Le Jockey
- Le Royal
- La Distillerie X
- Atwater Cocktail Club
- Atelier Argentine
- Cloakroom
- Le King Hall
- Wunderbar
- Plateau Lounge
- Auberge St-Gabriel
- Taverne Midway
- Rockwood
The Montreal Cocktail’s creators
- Kevin Demers (Cold Room)
- Graham Warner (Le Mal Nécessaire)
- Brynley Leach (Jellyfish)
- Hugo Dallaire (ex-Chez Dallaire)
- Charles Landry (Taverne Midway)
- Chris Natale (Ê.A.T.)
- Drahos Chytry (Bishop & Bagg)
- Fabien Maillard (Le Lab)
- Philippe Haman (La Distillerie)
- Sabrina Mailhot (Bishop & Bagg)
- Sam Dalcourt (of the Invasion Cocktail event)
- Jean-Maxime Giguere (132 Bar Vintage)
- Jason Griffin (Maggie Oakes)
- Kate Boushel (Atwater Cocktail Club)
- Tony Galdes (Le 4e Mur)
- Montreal Cocktail [Difford’s Guide]
