As if I needed any more excuses to ‘treat’ myself to a cheeky cocktail or two…
The big booze brands are ever so smart at selecting the perfect branding and marketing to subliminally coerce us into selecting theirs as our poison of choice. Check out any big event or festival; they are of course smart enough to jump on board as sponsors so that everywhere we turn their name and images seep further into our oh-so-easily influenced thoughts. Well, it appears that many of the liquor peeps that we know and love are not satisfied with just being one of many options in a slew of pubs and bars, so they are opening their own branded establishments where the star product is, of course, their own. Take for example the recently opened ‘Kahlua Caffe Bar’ located on Danforth Avenue. They offer specialty coffees and drinks all featuring the coffee flavoured liquor. They also feature live music with a cozy lounge and a pretty decent patio so if coffee is your thang, you know where to go. But they’re not the only producers of boozy stuff that are making the shift to proprietors. Let’s investigate this trend a little further with a look at some other branded bars around the world.
Bacardi at the Park, Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada
Staying close to home, the recently opened Bacardi Bar offers gourmet ballpark food for game goers with offerings including sliders and grilled hot dogs with various toppings available including onions caramelized in Bacardi rum, naturally. Classic cocktails with a twist feature a Bacardi Limon Caesar and a ‘Blue Jay’ mojito with Bacardi rum and blueberries.
Moet Bar and Restaurant, Selfridges, Manchester, UK
What better way to finish off a day of shopping than with a glass of posh bubbly? Hell you can even get started before you burn the credit card because this place offers breakfast, too! Offering beautiful views of the city of Manchester, you don’t want to be turning up here in your old jeans and tatty sneakers because apparently this is “…where the beautiful people eat… and drink equally beautiful champagne.” No pressure though…
Jose Cuervo Margarita Bar, Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Now this bar has a very strict dress code and you probably shouldn’t be expecting a drink anytime soon. And that’s not because the service is terrible but rather you have to scuba dive to get to it because it’s underwater! The 22-ton concrete margarita bar is located in the South Beach Artificial Reef Site. It was sunk off Miami Beach during the 2000 Cinco de Mayo Festival and is a fun spot for some photo ops if you’re a scuba fan.
Belvedere Milkshake Bar, The Long Beach Hotel, Belle Mare, Mauritius
This beautiful resort is located directly on white-sand beaches and offers beautiful views of the Indian Ocean. But if you don’t fancy getting sand in your knickers, you can hang out in one of the gorgeous pools and treat yourself to a poolside milkshake with a kick. Belvedere teamed up with this dreamy holiday spot to create some sinful concoctions to keep you cool and adequately buzzed at all times. Offerings include For Goodness Shake! which combines Belvedere Pink Grapefruit, milk and Nutella. Yeah, I said Nutella… in a shake… with booze. On that note, I need a vacation. Mauritius anyone…?
Amsterdam Brewhouse, 245 Queens Quay W, Toronto, Canada
Wrapping up back on home turf, this new addition to the Toronto restaurant scene is smack-bang on the edge of the lake and has a ginormous patio so you can soak in the views. Now although the place is new the company most certainly is not. Around since 1986 the brewers are somewhat of a Toronto tradition so it makes sense that they have made the move to the restaurant biz. The perfect location and local buzz gives them ample opportunity to show off their brews with tasting tours and a menu designed to be paired with their craft beers. Always one to expand my knowledge, I shall be more than happy to spend an afternoon at the Brewhouse to find out more… there’s samples right?