By Kat Veilleux, Spirit of York Brand Ambassador
Pumpkin spice. Just reading that, you either found yourself with a wave of excitement or rolled your eyes. While autumn's usual suspects (apple, cinnamon, cranberry) are making their predictable rounds, Toronto's bar scene is telling a different story this fall. Here's what we're seeing out there.
New Flavours Taking Over
Walk down Ossington right now and you'll find pandan on at least a third of cocktail menus. If you haven't encountered it yet, think of it as "Asian vanilla”; it’s herbaceous like matcha, but rounder, nuttier, with a sweetness that doesn't overwhelm. At After Seven, it's paired with melon in the Ghibli Elixir. No Vacancy puts it with pineapple in their Pineapple Pen. Bar Banane goes the passionfruit route with their CTL + Shift + N.
What makes pandan work so well right now? It bridges summer and fall perfectly—bright enough to feel fresh, warm enough to feel seasonal. It's the kind of ingredient that shows Toronto's cocktail scene is looking beyond the expected.
Another popular flavour we’re seeing is sorrel, a leafy green with a bright, citrusy punch that tastes like what we'd call "vegetal lemon." Slice of Life uses it in their Silver Fizz alongside a citra-hopped IPA. Cry Baby adds it to their Zombie for a tart twist on the classic. While you'd typically see sorrel in salads or as a garnish, Toronto bartenders have discovered it satisfies the desire for unique citrus-like elements in cocktails. That's the kind of creative thinking we love to see.
Carbonation Gets Interesting
The other trend making waves? Carbonating whole cocktails, distillates, and tinctures. Most bars are going the DIY route with CO2 canisters, old pop bottles, and carbonator caps. It's inexpensive, versatile, and gives bartenders plenty of control. Places like Uh Bar on Dundas West and Civil Liberties on Bloor are batching full carbonated cocktails this way — alcohol, syrups and juices included. The result? Perfect consistency, zero dilution, and flavours that hit exactly as intended.
The Art of the Welcome
Here's a hospitality trend we're particularly into: welcome shots. It's not a new concept; many bars and restaurants in the past would provide “comfort in the wait” through small glasses of sparkling wine or other small pours, but Toronto bars are modernizing it. Everyside on Adelaide rotates their welcome shots which elevates guest experience while adding a time buffer to service.
It's a small gesture that says a lot about where Toronto's cocktail culture is right now. Whether you're staying for one drink or settling in for the night, the experience starts the second you walk in. That philosophy of “make it memorable, make it fun” is something we're always thinking about at Spirit of York.
What This Means
This fall is showing us that Toronto's bar scene isn't interested in coasting on the usual seasonal playbook. Bartenders are experimenting with ingredients from different culinary traditions, finding smarter ways to execute drinks, and thinking about hospitality as a full experience, not just service.
We're watching closely and already thinking about how some of these ideas show up in what we're creating next.
Kat spends her time exploring Toronto's cocktail scene, visiting bars, and bringing insights back to the Spirit of York team. Follow along with what she's discovering by staying tuned to this newsletter.