4 Spots to Sip Winnipeg’s Best Craft Cocktails
Have we reached peak cocktail? The waves of craft drink constructors shaking, stirring, infusing and zesting elaborate concoctions at the bar seems to suggest that yes, we have. And you know what? We’re on board. Winnipeg has no shortage of restaurants, cafes and cocktail bars that are treating boozy drinks with the reverence of fine food: balancing flavours, using seasonal ingredients and creating stunning presentations. These four spots will transport you to cocktail nirvana.
The Roost
There’s something endearingly DIY about Corydon Avenue’s quaint, whimsical The Roost: it’s the kind of spot where you just might find your drink dusted with edible glitter. In an intimate, well-styled second floor space, sample from the seasonally revolving menu of share plates and elaborate drinks. Cocktails are always playful, with clever ingredient combinations; think mezcal and dark chocolate bitters, or aquavit infused with lime leaf.
Patent 5 Distillery
A turn-of-the-century warehouse that once sheltered horses and carriages is now an elegant spot to sip. Small batch distilled spirits are made on site at Patent 5 Distillery, which boasts a stylish tasting room that turns a gin tasting flight into a glamourous Prohibition-era flapper fantasy. These spirits form the basis for an excellent line up of cocktails, spiked with local ingredients like Manitoba-made bitters. Also find snacks and mocktails for the DD.
deer + almond
Chef Mandel Hitzer’s brainchild deer + almond has been garnering national and international acclaim since it staked out its spot in the Exchange District in 2012. But locals know that this is the spot not just for brilliantly crafted sharing plates, but artful cocktails. The bar’s list mixes impeccably executed classics with creations that reflect the same considerations of flavour pairings and pan-Asian influence that imbue Hitzer’s menu. Where else would you find a mix of Japanese whisky and Italian amaro?
Amsterdam Tea Room
Tea is the star at this modern-yet-cozy Amsterdam Tea Room, the Exchange District cafe devoted to the world’s finest steep-ables. What does that mean for happy hour? Palate-expanding cocktails built on teas, of course. Campfire notes from wood-smoked Lapsang Souchong, grassy matcha and bracing black tea are such good foils for spirits, bitters and syrups, this spot will quickly convince you that your tea cupboard and bar cart are a match made in heaven. A hot London Fog tweaked with Earl Grey gin is a perfect cheeky twist on an after dinner cuppa.
