Author: Andrej Ivanov

Despite the distance, Bar 132 Vintage is worth going the extra mile for

For most people, Ahuntsic, the northern part of St. Laurent Boulevard, would not be first place to go to grab a casual drink. Unless you live in the area, it appears to be a long and daunting trek and many Montrealers are not too fond of that in the winter months. For cocktail lovers on the other hand, the trek reaps high reward because at the end of the long journey they will find a beautiful watering hole known as Bar 132 Vintage.

The diversity of cocktails and bartenders make the bar an unavoidable spot. Four bartenders work there, each with their own specialty: Phillip Letellier, a master in scotches; Jonathan Elbaz, whose specialty is fruity and sweet cocktails; Jean-Maxime Giguère, the owner; and Jean-François “Superman” Laurence, specializing in cocktail creation and culinary inspirations.

The bar also hosts guest bartenders every Monday, bands every two weeks on Saturdays, and is even pitching its own television program. Laurence said that the program would consist of making original drinks for the bands that play and then discussing the drinks and the band.

The bar also decided that one day per week the staff goes completely off-menu. Every Wednesday patrons are invited to fill out a small questionnaire and have a custom cocktail made for them based on their answers. Laurence says some of the questions include the person’s favourite dish, their budget and the type of glassware they like to help make the drink as unique as possible. The recipe is then written on the back of the questionnaire and the bartenders can recreate the drink at any time.

For special occasions, the bar hosts classy parties inspired by The Great Gatsby, where people dress in 1920s attire and classic cocktails are on the menu. The entire bar’s concept pays tribute to what Laurence called, in French, “the heydays of cocktails.” Laurence added in French that they will use many occasions to host such parties, whether it’s the bar’s birthday, the manager’s birthday, Halloween, or the Holidays. “We always try and create chic-themed nights,” he said.

Laurence’s favourite drink usually depends on his mood. In general, he likes the “Hanky-Panky,” a prohibition-era drink created by one of the first female bartenders, Ada Coleman, who made it for actor Sir Charles Hawtrey. According to Laurence, the story goes that the actor asked for a drink that packed a punch and after much experimenting, Coleman created the Hanky-Panky. It’s a dry gin, red vermouth and Fernet Branca cocktail. “It has panache,” said Laurence.

 

Bar 132 Vintage is located at 132 Fleury St. W and is open Sunday 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., Monday to Thursday 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. and Saturday 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.

 

Irish Kiss, by Jean-Francois “Superman” Laurence

1oz Gin

1/2oz St-Germain

1/2oz Apérol

1/2oz Lime Juice

1 dash Rose Water

1/2 Egg White

 

Shake, strain and serve, with 3 drops of coriander bitters and 3 drops of chocolate bitters, with an orange zest.

Open a hidden door to discover Montreal’s true Prohibition-style cocktail bar: Cloakroom

Maison Cloakroom is a tailor shop that makes ready-to-wear and made-to-measure suits on de la Montagne Street. Upon entering through the old-fashioned wooden doors, visitors face a mirrored wall and turn right to go into the clothing store. But after closer inspection, the mirrored wall holds a handle, which, once opened, leads into one of Montreal’s newest bars, Cloakroom.

Beautifully designed to enlarge the space, most of the walls of the bar are covered in mirrors. The bar itself is made of marble, coasters are replaced with cloth and drinks are served on top of small plates.

Seating only 25 people, the small bar is located in what used to be the storeroom of the tailor shop. Co-owner and head bartender Andrew Whibley said that he was inspired to create this traditional Prohibition-style speakeasy from various bars in London, England and especially Attaboy in New York City’s vibrant Lower East Side.

The two head bartenders, Whibley and Simon Lesperance bring their vast respective know-how to offer everyone an individual experience. Whibley has 12 years of experience in the restaurant business under his belt as well as award-winning cocktail creations. Whibley explained that aside from a planned menu, they want to offer cocktails to suit a person’s taste based on several questions, starting with: “What base alcohol do you like?”

Whibley has put in place a mentorship system where there are always two bartenders working. The second bartender proposes a cocktail based on the client’s likes and the head bartender has the final say on what a drink will be.

Don’t be fooled, though, the bar is reasonably priced: a cocktail will run anywhere from $10 to $13 depending on the base.

One thing that makes this bar unique is that everything is made fresh. An enormous bowl of fruit adorns the bar, all used for freshly squeezed chasers. The ice is also frozen in large trays, not in a machine.

When asked what he would recommend to new cocktail drinkers that come to his bar, Whibley suggested Corpse Reviver #2. “It’s a Prohibition-era drink that bartenders used to make the morning after a night of heavy drinking,” he said.

It’s a sweet drink made with equal parts gin, lemon juice, Cointreau, Kina Lillet—an aperitif wine—and a dash of absinthe.

As for the seasoned cocktail drinkers, Whibley recommends his own creation: Riviera.

The bar offers an experience unlike any other in Montreal. It’s done in the truest Prohibition-style to date. No gimmicks, no pretension, just cocktails.

Cloakroom is located at 2175 de la Montagne Street and is open from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

 

Riviera cocktail recipe

by Andrew Whibley

 

1.25oz Bacardí White

0.75oz Cocchi Americano (White Vermouth)

0.5oz Aperol

0.5oz Amaro Montenegro

0.5oz Lemon juice

4 dashes of Peychaud’s (Bitters)

Shake, Strain and Serve

Discover the creativity and art of cocktail making in the cozy atmosphere of Pub Bishop & Bagg

With a recent renaissance of sorts in cocktail culture, making simple drinks has evolved into creating complex concoctions combining a plethora of flavours. Newly emerging cocktail bars are changing the game by adding their unique twist on an age-old tradition.

With this resurgence, many cocktail bars have opened around Montreal. Some are well known while others have yet to be discovered.

With its traditional exterior, it’s easy to miss Pub Bishop & Bagg or dismiss it as just another English pub. But this neighbourhood bar, located in the Mile End on the corner of St-Viateur Street Ouest and Clark Street, offers much more than meets the eye.

The pub was created as a continuation of the very popular Burgundy Lion in Little Burgundy. Bartender Sean-Michael McCaffrey said the pub was opened with the intention of having a smaller scale, more traditional cocktail bar in a completely different neighbourhood.

In came its three bartenders: McCaffrey, Drahos Chytry, and Sabrina Mailhot. Combining their years of diverse experience and their knowledge in cocktails and service, the three were able to create a diversified, easily accessible seasonal menu of high-end cocktails ranging between $10-$13.

The bar stocks 90 different kinds of gin, 15 types of amaro and 15 types of vermouth, making the possibilities for variations and tastes practically endless.

McCaffrey was eager to recommend some cocktails, which both beginner cocktail drinkers and seasoned veterans can enjoy. Newcomers should stick to the classics, but keep it diverse.

“Try a bitter cocktail and sweet cocktail,” said McCaffrey, listing the bitter Negroni, made with gin, Campari and sweet red vermouth and the sweet bramble, a classic English cocktail with blackberry liqueur, gin, lime juice and sugar as examples.

“Then try an old fashioned or a manhattan. Stick to the classics to gain knowledge about where cocktails come from,” he said.

The little secret specialties of the bar will vary between bartenders. Each bartender has their specialty drinks, said McCaffrey. Chytry’s specialty was also his claim to fame: a pisco sour. The cocktail is traditionally South American and mixes pisco, egg white, lemon juice and sugar.

When asked what his favorite drink to make is,  McCaffrey answered without the slightest hesitation: “Daiquiris. They are simple and there is a variety to them.”

From its humble beginning as a traditional English pub, Bishop & Bagg has since grown and incorporated themed nights into their repertoire.

McCaffrey said the most popular event is their Sunday night pub quiz, allowing people to compete in teams of six through two rounds of a variety of pop culture and general knowledge questions. The prize is $50 off the winning team’s bar tab.

For a less traditional experience, the bar holds a cocktail competition every Tuesday. The idea is simple: bartenders from different bars need to create a twist on a drink that is announced the same day. The crowd judges—whoever gets more orders wins. McCaffrey said that there is a three-month waiting list of weekly bartenders who want to participate.

 

Pub Bishop & Bagg is located at 52 St-Viateur and is open from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. on weekends and 11:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. on weekdays.