Matt and I both lean towards being foodie-ish and had both seem an episode of Anthony Bourdain‘s show The Layover where he visits Toronto. We were very limited on time, but wanted to hit up at least one of the things Bourdain recommended, so after our team dinner most of us headed to The Black Hoof’s Cocktail Bar.

The Black Hoof actually consists of a few restaurants with a cocktail bar across the street. There’s The Black Hoof, Hoof Raw Bar, Hoof Cafe, and Cocktail Bar. On the TV show Bourdain took bone luge shots at The Black Hoof. We’d have to miss out on that because by the time we got over there, The Black Hoof was closed. And besides, we already ate. So, Cocktail Bar was where it was at.

Cocktail Bar is little hard to find, since the only thing in the window is a small sign that says “Cocktail Bar.” And the street it’s on isn’t exactly bustling with business. Our cab driver actually drove past it and was all “are you sure this is where you’re going?” but it was! And it was so worth it to find! My coworkers and I adored this place. The decor was retro, tin ceilings, there was the expected skinny, cute, hipster bartender, the music was super old school. Inside it felt like a warm hug. I just remember it being so warm and yellow. I never wanted to leave!

Drinks are hand crafted from traditional ingredients plus a lot of homemade concoctions. I remember seeing some flavor-infused agave in the cupboards behind the bar. I tried the Fall Cup, which was made of spiced rum, gin, apple cider, white balsamic. This was fabulous. And it was served in a chilled metal chalice, which made me feel like a pimp! I also tried the Guajillo Margarita, which was made from guajillo-infused tequila blanco, jalapeno agave, lime, maldon. This was super interesting and like nothing I ever had before, but I think I preferred the Fall Cup. Either way, I loved Cocktail Bar and wanted to go back the following night and the night following that too!

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