7 delicious Calgary created cocktails we're excited to order again
Calgary misses the sounds of stirring spoons and shaking tins.
No matter how much our at-home mixology skills improved over quarantine, it’s still no match for the incredible bartending talent in Calgary. We definitely can’t replicate their skills or creativity, so seeing their friendly and familiar faces will be a welcome sight.
Here are seven cocktails that Calgarians should be excited to order when it’s safe to do so, created by a few of Calgary’s best cocktail bars and restaurants.
Little Nancy
View this post on Instagram
With possibly the best back bar in the city, Proof’s always extensive cocktail list is bound to feature more than one cocktail to be excited for. The drink we can’t wait to get back to is the Little Nancy, named after Nancy Callahan from the Sin City graphic novel. Served neat and smoking, this bourbon and cognac based drink offers exciting flavours that mix perfectly, from the brown butter apple syrup, to the hellfire bitters. Proof — named the fifth best bar in Canada in 2020 — changes their cocktail menu by the season, so watch for the Little Nancy and other exciting creations with literary influences.
Address: 1302 1st Street SW
Phone: 403-246-2414
White Peach Negroni
View this post on Instagram
Like the old-fashioned cocktail did before it, the negroni has been making a huge comeback on cocktail lists recently. The elegant balance of sweet and bitter has become a go-to order from many open cocktail menus. The minds at Bridgette Bar — Calgary’s 35th best restaurant in 2020 — swapped the sweet vermouth for a lighter blanc aperitif, while adding peach bitters, for a subtle re-imagination of the Italian classic. The White Peach Negroni at Bridgette Bar is one we’ve been craving for too long.
Address: 739 10th Street SW
Phone: 587-319-6827
Planet of the Apericots
Planet of the Apericots/Model Milk
A great movie-inspired pun is welcome on any cocktail menu. This bright and tasty whisky-based cocktail is made similar to a whisky sour but is shaken with unique and complimentary flavours. Apricot Liqeur mellows the whisky for a fruity base, Orange Tree Bitters is used for the bitter component, lemon juice for the sour notes, and to balance everything, Model Milk adds black tea simple syrup. The Planet of the Apericots tastes as delicious as it looks.
Address: 308 17th Avenue SW
Phone: 403-265-7343
PPWP
PPWP/Cleaver
This drink contains simple flavours but makes for one of the more flashy beverages in the city. It definitely tastes fantastically refreshing, containing vodka, limoncello, and a basil leaf, but what makes it truly stand out is the citrus bubble that shrouds the drink. It could be the most Instagram-worthy drink in the city. Cleaver dedicated this drink to the women who get things done, giving it another excellent reason to look forward to ordering it.
Address: 524 17 Avenue SW
Phone: 403-452-1211
Jungle Bird
View this post on Instagram
This amazing tiki-style cocktail has been on the Cannibale menu since they opened. We loved it then, and we still love it now. Cannibale has to be one of our favourite bars to sit at the wood, and when we do, our first order will be the The Jungle Bird. It’s a wonderfully tropical blend of Cruzan Black Strap rum, Campari, pineapple, lime, and simple syrup. Ordering it is a choice we’re excited to make again, hopefully on one of their fun Tiki-Tuesdays!
Address: 813 1st Avenue NE
Phone: 403-454-5808
Slurpee
View this post on Instagram
A relatively recent addition to Calgary’s 17th Avenue, Lulu Bar was a must-try that quickly became a must-revisit. If six people ordered six different drinks, six entirely different creations would arrive, unlike anything you have seen or tasted before. You can’t go wrong at Lulu Bar, but our drink order to sit with the small plates, snacks, and skewers is the Slurpee. This adult slurpee is made with the under-appreciated spirit pisco, as well as watermelon and lemon. Remember to pace yourself and avoid the dreaded brain freeze.
Address: 510 17th Avenue SW
Phone: 403-930-5707
Pandan Pain Killer
Pandan Pain Killer/Paper Lantern
Piña Coladas are for celebrating, and when we’re able to order this drink, that’s reason enough for us. The Pandan Pain Killer has the rum, the coconut, the pineapple, and the look of a piña colada, but it uses nutmeg and Pandan flavours to create one of the best tiki-cocktails in the city. House-made pandan coconut cream is used to create this mouth watering twist on a classic. Pandan has a unique and sweet tropical aroma, one that has to be tried.
Address: 115 2 Avenue SE Basement
Phone: 403-457-7765
Many of these bars and restaurants are currently selling their cocktails to make at home, offering curbside takeout or delivery.
Make sure to check out their websites and treat yourself to some of the best food and drink in the city, at least while we wait to visit them in-person.
Follow Channels and Categories