Quotes of the Day

Toronto's already diversified nightlife has gotten even hotter with the addition of a nascent cocktail scene that has seen new bars, lounges and even cocktail-themed boutiques opening their doors across Canada's commercial and cultural capital. It's partly inspired by Canada's buoyant economy, and partly by a speakeasy trend that's already swept New York City, London and Hong Kong. "There's a lag time between those cities and Toronto," says William Sweete, co-owner of Toronto Temperance Society (TTS), a members-only cocktail lounge near the University of Toronto. "But," he adds, "we are finally catching up."

Leading the pack is TTS, where the signature Petey's Mezcal Muddle is paired with a meat-heavy bar menu delivered via a passageway from sister eatery Sidecar. Then there's the reservations-only Goodnight Bar, hidden behind the cutting-edge menswear boutique Nomad in the hip Queen Street West quarter. Equally popular with local politicians, scenesters and visiting celebrities, this industrial-style venue serves concoctions like the Fat Sailor, laden with lime juice and three types of rum, or the vodka-heavy Volga Volga.

Farther west is the five-month-old Yours Truly, located on gallery-lined Ossington Avenue. The establishment's 28-year-old chef, Jeff Claudio, trained at New York City's Per Se, Copenhagen's famed Noma and at Chicago's Alinea. He pairs seasonal tasting menus with retro-style house cocktails like the bourbon-infused Seelbach and clementine-tinged Alibi — all made behind a bar of reclaimed wood sourced from Toronto's historic Distillery District.

Both drinks and decor are far more modern at Toca Bar in the skyscraping new Ritz-Carlton hotel near the iconic CN Tower. Thinking global and sourcing local, Toca's menu of updated "classics with a twist" has featured the likes of the Tandoori Spice Pisco Sour, which pairs the Peruvian liqueur with fiery sugar syrup infused with cloves, cumin, cinnamon and ginger, capped with egg whites. And speaking of sourcing local, Toronto's bartenders can now find sake right on their doorsteps, thanks to the one-year-old Ontario Spring Water Sake Co. Founded by former banker Ken Valvur, it brews traditional, unfiltered and unpasteurized sakes from rice seeds grown in California and is the only facility of its kind in eastern North America.

Lastly, if your Toronto cocktail tour inspires you to try your own hand, pay a visit to BYOB — a "cocktail emporium" stocking everything from vintage glassware to cocktail-recipe books and some 38 types of traditional bitters. In fact, you'll find everything cocktail-related except the booze itself.

• David Kaufman
• A new wave of cocktail bars gives Toronto nightlife a stir