drink canoe: summer sips

As summer envelops the city in its warm embrace, we invite you to experience the season’s essence from our lofty vantage point. Perched 54 floors above the bustling streets, we’re celebrating the season through the art of mixology.

While Executive Chef Ron McKinlay showcases Canada’s warm weather treasures in the kitchen, our bar menu evolves to star a medley of fresh, juicy fruits and crisp, invigorating ingredients. Oozing with imagination and crafted with meticulous attention to detail, our latest creations are the result of careful planning, ensuring every sip is quintessentially summer. 

Our approach—ranging from unique infusions to housemade spirits and elegant garnishes—reflects the complexity and creativity behind our flavour profiles. Though classic cocktails are timeless favourites (and we’ve got lots of them), there’s something uniquely satisfying about an afternoon drink, pre-dinner cocktail, or late-night libation that pushes the limits. Orchestrated by Bar Manager Bishop Wierzbicki, we present a selection of artfully designed drinks that are an ideal remedy for Toronto’s hot, hazy days.

Inspired by Leonard Cohen’s song “Famous Blue Raincoat”, this is an imaginative blend of two cocktail recipes: the Jungle Bird and Philadelphia Fish House Punch. Its base is a blend of two white spirits: pisco and rum. Maison Briottet’s blue Curaçao lends a striking azure hue, while a housemade clarified pineapple cordial provides a zesty citrus note. A pomegranate and orange shrub, macerated with sugar and apple cider vinegar, adds a delightful tartness. Separated by a layer of Campari at the bottom, this Tiki-inspired drink has a sweet and tropical profile that evolves to a slightly bitter finish with each sip.

Prepare for an amaretto sour like no other. This elevated version on the 54th floor reimagines the classic cocktail with a meticulous selection of premium amarettos, each chosen for its exceptional qualities. Blended with Rémy Martin X.O. Cognac—aged in French oak casks for at least 10 years—and Michter’s small-batch American bourbon, this cocktail is a full of top-tier ingredients. Although its sugar level has been pulled back, it retains a punchy, boozy character, shaken to perfection with egg white for a frothy finish. Topped with Angostura bitters and adorned with a three-day-marinated cinnamon brandy cherry, this is the perfect balance between sweet and sour.

Elegant in its simplicity, this green-dusted creation from mixologist James Leberg imagines our popular house lychee martini recipe with a sophisticated twist. By replacing simple syrup with housemade basil cordial, it infuses the cocktail with a refreshing herbal note, while St-Germain elderflower liqueur adds a touch of balance and refinement. To achieve its milk punch status, the cocktail is then poured into a coconut-flavoured yoghurt. A reaction with the lime juice allows the milk solids to be strained, resulting in a silky finish. Light and invigorating, this beach-inspired drink comes together with a sprinkle of basil powder, evoking the essence of perfect summer days spent by the shore.

Another top-floor cocktail, this work of art is fittingly named Group of Seven after the famed Canadian landscape painters. One look and you’ll see why. Not only is it visually stunning, but its name also refers to seven ingredients that inspired the original recipe. It starts with a Scotch Manhattan: Highland Park 12-year whisky is accented with Cocchi di Torino vermouth, delivering vanilla and tobacco notes. Oloroso sherry adds tartness and nuttiness while botanic Licor 43 brings sweetness and mature fruit flavour. Finally, a housemade salted caramel cordial is added and everything is poured into heavy cream and carefully strained to clarify. This is stirred with Ron Zacapa 23-year rum into a glass washed with amaretto and finished with a peated Scotch mist.

A decadent nightcap that perfectly complements golden hour views, it is garnished with an edible landscape. Executive Pastry Chef Raffaele Stea decorates sheets of isomalt with chocolate soil, marigold petals, and purple powder for an artistic nod to Canada’s natural beauty, completing this elevated drinkable dessert.

Inspired by Brazil’s classic Caipirinha, this cocktail is a vibrant fusion of black cardamom and blackberry. Crafted by mixologist Eleni Bock, the drink starts with black cardamom—sourced from a local spice shop—macerated with vodka to create a unique base. Chef Stea’s skills contribute to a housemade black licorice liqueur, made with Lot No. 40 Canadian rye whisky for depth and complexity. Sugar and lime are muddled to perfection then combined with crushed ice and poured into a glass. A final spritz of Laphroaig peated Scotch adds a subtle smokiness, balancing the blackberry’s sweetness. Smooth, summery, and intriguingly smoky, this maroon-hued creation is delightful on a sunny August day.

Designed to suit every taste, from the light and invigorating to the bold and adventurous, we invite you to join us at the bar to explore our newest cocktail creations. Let us mix up something special for you. View the full bar menu here and book now to join us today!