The thing about running your own business is that you do it, at least a little, every day. Especially when you start that business with your partner. This means that we have done Bartender Atlas every day for more than 10 years. Back at the end of May we celebrated our 10th Birthday by doing a pop-up at one of our favourite new bars in Toronto, The Virginia.
The concept behind this pop-up (much like the previous edition of PAYBACK from the RC Show) was to not just provide a fun night for some people that have maybe never actually had me (Josh) make a drink for them, but also pay tribute to some of the bars and brands that have supported Bartender Atlas over the years. Whether it was bars that employed me (a guy who is away a lot but acts like he’s in charge when he’s home) or distilleries we have visited or past sponsors for our events.
A few things to note about the logistics and mechanics of this pop-up:
- We live right down the street from The Virginia, so there was no travel or accommodation costs associated with this pop-up.
- This wasn’t intended to be a profitable affair for us at Bartender Atlas, so the cost to our sponsors was literally 1-2 bottles of their product. All sales went to the bar, which is still pretty new and as we all know, new bars can use as much income as possible.
- When Joel from The Virginia asked me when I was coming by to prep, I responded “The bar opens at 8pm, so I’ll be there at 6pm? I am not batching things because I actually like making drinks for guests.”
- The playlist for the event was approved by Joel earlier so that the vibe was both Bartender Atlas and The Virginia, rather than just some ding dong making drinks behind a bar where he usually doesn’t work.**
- The drinks on the menu were all drinks that I had featured at previous establishments I had worked at. Again, trying to draw attention to the idea that you can learn from anywhere you work and not every drink needs to be new and use modern techniques to be delicious.
Speaking of the drinks:
The Virginia (so far) has positioned itself as a room where you can have two or three drinks instead of just one. They have done this by keeping prices lower than average in this city and using more fortified wines than usual to keep the ABV% lower as well. Their cocktail list is made of some very deep cut but delicious tipples from decades past. I tried to stay within this approachable mindset when going back through my notebooks to find exciting and appropriate drinks. Unfortunately, the style of drink I generally make could be described as “Bruiser”.
HIGH BALLS – Lot 40/St Remy Signature/Wray & Nephew + Ginger – $8
Rye and Ginger was the first thing I drank legally in a bar, but the whisky was nowhere near this good. Brandy and Ginger plays in the same zone flavour-wise but with hint of florality. Wray and Ginger is a cheat code for tropical flavour in a way too simple combo. Add a dash of angostura to any of these for a boost.
NEW RADIO – Havana Club 7 Rum, Grapefruit, Lime, Wilcox Syrup – $15
This is a Daiquiri riff that I had on the list at The Harbord Room in 2016. Wilcox syrup is itself a riff on Donn’s Mix #2 using grapefruit zest, honey and cinnamon. By listing the ingredient as such you encourage the guest to chat with you about it. You can’t do this for every drink on a menu though (nightmare). Visiting the Havana Club distillery on a trip with 40 other top notch bartenders/owners/press that year was super impactful.
HERB ALPIN – D’Usse Cognac, Bonal, Lemon, Orgeat, Angostura Bitters, Nutmeg – $15
This is a Sidecar riff that I had on the list at Chantecler in 2017/18. This was definitely an attempt at a both “even more French” and “Tropical” Sidecar. Important to note that at the time of creation, I was using a different Cognac but in the years since, I have realised that D’Usse plays best in this drink. Plus Lucas Twyman is a long time supporter of Bartender Atlas (he was part of the Boozy Bookshelf duo) and he does a great job repping D’Usse up here. This is a bad cocktail name.
AN ANGRY LETTER – Bearface Triple Oak Whisky, Amaro Nonino, Torres 10 Brandy, Dubonnet, Angostura Bitters, Orange Bitters – $15
This is a Vieux Carre riff that was a special at Bar Isabel in 2014. Start at the measurements for a Vieux Carré and then adjust for Canadian Whisky instead of Rittenhouse (thanks tariffs). All the brands involved here have reps and ambassadors that have been more than gracious and fun to work with over the last 10 years.
EPIDEMIC OF VIRTUE – Undone Not-Orange Bitter, Cherry Rooibos Tea, Thomas Henry Grapefruit Soda, Rosemary
This was a recent creation based on a recent relationship with the Canadian distributors of both Thomas Henry and Undone. If I am remembering correctly, I have made sure to have a non-alcoholic cocktail on every cocktail list I have made since 2016. I never want anyone to feel left out, even if a can of Coke is good enough for me, personally.
Secret Menu Item!
GOURD-AGED BOULEVARDIER
When we were accepting applications for seminars for Toronto Cocktail Conference this year, Pan Savva from Sunmoon Hospitality in Cyprus submitted a seminar on Gourd Aged Cocktails. Which sounds cool as hell but not super relevant for the attendees of TOCC. He was so gracious when told the seminar wasn’t accepted that he offered to send us a gourd anyway. I filled it with Forty Creek Whisky, Campari and Sweet Vermouth and left it for about 4 weeks.
Thank you to everyone who came by to help us celebrate that night. It was a room full of people from all the years of doing Bartender Atlas and it truly warmed our hearts to have you there.There are currently no PAYBACK pop-ups booked but I can assure you that when I do another one it will be just as flexible in it’s menu and vibe as the first two have been.
* There is whole other thing about going to a guest shift to watch bartenders free pour from blank batch bottles feels…bad.
** I sometimes work there if they are stuck.
