As U.S. whisky finally runs dry, Toronto bars pitch local dupes

Toronto whisky drinkers are inching closer and closer to their new, elbows-up reality: a city completely and utterly without bourbon. 

At Parkdale’s Danu Social House in the city’s west end, that reality is nearly there. Five months since the LCBO pulled U.S. alcohol from its shelves, the bar is devoid of cheaper bourbon, with only the final dregs of top shelf brands like Angel’s Envy and Woodford Reserve remaining — and they’ll cost you more than they used to.

“Because it’s in limited supply, I charge more for it, right?” said Scott Swain, Danu bar manager.

“It’s a premium product right now.”

Despite the higher and higher prices for those not-easily-replaceable top-shelf bottles, he said that “a few times a month” a bourbon die-hard will still ask for a old fashioned or whisky sour made with that distinctive pre-trade-war flavour profile. 

Bourbon has to be made using at least 51 per cent corn mash, aged in new oak barrels, and, most importantly, experts say, it has to be produced in the U.S.

“There’s nothing I can do to change their mind. They’ve made it up and that’s just what they want,” said Swain. 

For those who are willing to embrace a new favourite, Danu has jumped on the challenge of re-working its menu to highlight Canadian whiskys, adjusting cocktails like the old fashioned to compensate for the loss of bourbon’s sweet, caramel notes, and hosting a local whisky tasting. 

“Even in Canadian whisky there are very bourbon-style flavours to be seen,” said Swain. A couple of his favourite substitutes are Beaver’s Dram and Stalk and Barrel. 

“People are more excited to see something new,” he said. “With all the extra space now that bourbon has gone at the LCBO, there’s been a lot more space for local selection.” 

A 20-minute drive east from Danu Social House, the staff at Novotel Hotel’s Cafe Nicole on The Esplanade has a similar strategy to keep customers satisfied (and tipsy). 

Food and beverage manager Chand Shaik said their bourbon alternative comes from Newfoundland. 

“It’s Signal Hill … and it’s been a big seller,” Shaik said. 

For those unwilling to make the switch, Cafe Nicole still has some premium bourbon options, though prices have gone from $14 to as much as $20 for a drink, Shaik said. He expects that supply to last at most three more months. 

Nearby pub Scotland Yard, meanwhile, took the plunge and burned through the last of its U.S. booze after the LCBO ban was first announced.  

Owner Daniel Hnatiw said they made the decision not to stockpile and to move onto new Canadian suppliers, though he has some regrets. 

“I would have had a little more bourbon on hand, maybe just to give us a little more time to pivot,” he said. “If we had a little more, it would have given us a little more runway time to make the changes.”

Of course, whisky’s not the only arena where bars are facing issues. Hnatiw said prices have also gone up for other products sourced from the U.S., such as kitchen equipment, wax lining for dishes and even receipt papers. 

Novotel has had to pivot its wine program towards Ontario now that the California bottles they used to rely on are gone. While Danu is finding it harder to get some liquors that get shipped through the U.S., such as Kahlua. 

“A lot of Italian amaros come through the States as well, so we haven’t had access to them for a long time,” Swain said.