Leif Norman photographer

Toad in the Hole’s side venture a haven for whisky lovers

SARAH ZAHARIA, FOR THE WINNIPEG SUN

FIRST POSTED: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2013 02:33 PM CST

“Right beside the Toad in the Hole, a great pub serving pints since 1990, there is a new kid on the block.

The Whiskey Bar hosts patrons 25 years and older, giving whisky lovers and cocktail drinkers a refuge from the typical bar scene.

The passion from bartenders Kevin Monk and Patrick Morrow is obvious as they are quick with stories of house-made bitters, cherries and cocktail creations that make this a destination for Winnipeg whisky lovers. When they opened over two years ago, a suggestion to make it a martini bar was laughed off by Monk as, “the opposite of what we wanted to do.”

Carefully curated, the menu at The Whiskey Bar is separated into regional whiskies so you can explore your area of choice or branch out from what you’re used to drinking. And if money is no option, there’s whisky that goes for $50 dollars a shot. Personally I can’t think of a better gift for the whisky lover in your life than a Macallan 25 year.

If drinking straight whisky isn’t your style, you’re still at the right place. Monk explains, “they completely underestimated the demand” for craft cocktails. He and Morrow are the talented bartenders who have taken the time to house-make bitters, whiskey-soaked cherries and simple syrups with constantly changing infusions. Drinks from bartenders like this are as good as it gets and are relatively rare in our city.

Cocktails from the Mad Men era have experienced a resurgence recently and whisky aficionados couldn’t be happier. The Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Rob Roy and Whiskey Sour are drinks that still hold their ground today. Putting their spin on a classic, The Whiskey Bar serves up a house-created Waldorf, which is my personal favourite.

Morrow shares his recipe:

• 1oz Canadian Whiskey

• dash of black walnut bitters

• dash of house bitters

• 1/4 oz simple syrup

• Whiskey soaked cherries

• 1 flared orange peel

With no typical demographic, The Whiskey Bar is an easy host. Just as busy on weekdays as it is on the weekends, it is consistently one of the best places for a cocktail in Winnipeg. With whispers of a custom eggnog cocktail coming back for the holiday season, you’ll have to elbow your way by me to get one.

If you are looking to get a tour of whisky, come early and have one of the guys take you through a flight to see what you like. They’ll ask you a few questions about flavours and smells, then they’ll guide you from there and will surely surprise you.

Located at 112 Osborne St. in the heart of Osborne Village, this bar is a haven for whisky lovers or for people wanting to learn from expert mixologists.”