The 43rd edition of the Toronto International Film Festival begins Thursday, kicking off 11 days of high-profile film premieres and flashy after-parties for celebrities and festivalgoers. Ahead of one of Toronto's biggest annual events, the most notable downtown bartenders at festival hubs and venues have prepared for the crowds seeking to imbibe with specialty festival cocktails—drinks that also spotlight some of the newest global cocktail trends. Mixologists shared the trends that festival attendees can expect this season, highlighted through cocktails that will be served at venues such as Montecito Restaurant, the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, and Soho House Toronto.
Melissa Hart, head bartender at Dbar at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, said festivalgoers should expect to see more classic cocktails—with social-media friendly twists.
"I'm talking about classic gin Gibsons with house-made pickled onions and Old Fashioneds with custom bitter blends or sours made with seasonally infused spirits. This not only gives bartenders the chance to showcase their skills, but the opportunity to highlight aspects of each ingredient and their importance in a well-balanced cocktail," she said. "I have created the cocktail, Rikyu's Harmony, which is an ode to Japan’s culture of contrasts. It is a modern-day interpretation of a whiskey sour—whiskey, lemon juice, syrup, and foam to mimic the egg white mouth-feel. Drinks that are complex in flavor but understandable to the average audience will be what wins the nominations for this 2018 fall season."
Nishan Nepulongoda, head mixologist at Italian restaurant Sofia, said cocktails incorporating bubbly will be prominent at festival events.
"At Sofia, one of our most popular drinks is our Colombina—a refreshing combination of gin, Aperol, grapefruit ginger honey cordial, lime juice, and prosecco. It is light and crisp, with the familiar bubble of prosecco that our clientele loves," said Nepulongoda. "Prosecco and champagne are a lot more common than we've seen in past years, but I think it remains the ultimate celebratory beverage, which is perfect for our city's festival. Whether celebs are in Toronto for their first time or returning for another year, I think a lot of bubbly-based cocktails will be sipped on at after-parties, on patios, and at V.I.P. dinners. It’s refreshing and fun, and guests can expect to see even more prosecco cocktails this fall."
Heather McDougall, head sommelier and general manager of Montecito Restaurant–one of TIFF's official hospitality partners—has partnered with festival sponsor Nespresso Canada to create two signature cocktails made with coffee, which will be served at film premiere parties.
"Coffee and cocktails? Yes, please," said McDougall. "One of my Nespresso TIFF Signature Cocktails combines Averna Amaro and Madeira to join dark chocolate for a modern twist on a classic pick-me-up."
"This year, I think the biggest push will be sustainability in both food and drink, meaning a larger focus on minimizing waste and using local ingredients," said Simon Ho, head bartender at Spirit of York Distillery, which uses locally-sourced spirits in all its cocktails. "A big way this can be done with a twist is by using seasonal vegetables like beets or pumpkin instead of fruits for fall-flavored cocktails."
The All That Jas cocktail features Spirit of York vodka, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, lemon grass, lemon juice, jasmine green tea, and strawberry Szechuan bitters.
The bartending team at the Thompson Toronto hotel noted that partygoers can expect complex flavor profiles and colorfully garnished cocktails. This year, the hotel will serve four cocktails inspired by films screening at the festival. For Steve McQueen's film Widows, the team created the What You Sow cocktail, which pairs ginger and lemon vodka with a shot of Guinness syrup.
