TORONTO — Civil Works cocktail bar recently opened its doors on the mezzanine level of the city’s newest culinary destination Waterworks Food Hall, located in the revitalized heritage building at 50 Brant St., in Toronto’s King West neighbourhood. A partnership between Woodcliffe Landmark Properties and Nick Kennedy and David Hyunh of Team Civil (behind the award-winning bar Civil Liberties), Civil Works is a stylish cocktail bar that serves up elevated libations enhanced with water from around the world.
“This project is unlike anything we’ve done before — with Civil Works we’re writing a love letter to the working-class roots of this historic landmark while getting to work with Woodcliffe Landmark Properties and their design team. We’re excited to extend our curiosity and nerdiness to the broader Toronto community,” says Kennedy. “Civil Works feels like a world-class hotel lobby that the barbacks and kitchen porters took over. It will be jovial and sincere. And as always, we serve up really good cocktails.”
Kennedy created the menu alongside Elise Hanson, recent winner of the Most Imaginative Bartender competition. The robust narrative driven drink menu features cocktails, martinis, alcohol free drinks, a curated selection of wine and beer, and a special menu of spirits paired with custom water inspired from regions around the world.
Using methods developed by Kennedy, Civil Works demineralizes Toronto tap water and titrates it with minerals to re-balance its flavour profile to match regions from across the globe, allowing them to create water with distinct tastes that compliment specific spirits. As a result, Civil Works serves up premium cocktails and spirit pairings that transport guests’ palates on a global journey. For example, a bourbon and water is poured with water that has the same total minerality as the limestone content in Kentucky’s water.
The 100-seat, 2,000-sq.-ft. cocktail bar’s design, led by Toronto firm Futurestudio, was deeply inspired by the historic venue and features an imaginative Art Deco inspired design, embellished with modern details.