“I’ve killed myself for this one,” laments industry veteran and No Vacancy bar manager and assistant general manager Troy Gilchrist. When Gilchrist was approached by Connor Gilbert, Joseph Lee, Chris Piron and Michael Swirla to develop an entire cocktail program for the opening of their brainchild, a sexy new Ossington haunt in the old Ghost Chicken digs, he only had two months. But, he was up for the challenge. “This is the eleventh opening I’ve done in my career,” he reveals.
No Vacancy bar manager and assistant general manager, Troy Gilchrist
Nicole & Bagol
Despite the impossibly tight timeline, Gilchrist pulled off an impressive feat: a menu of 13 intricate, sultry and layered Japanese-inspired cocktails; 14 whisky and shochu highballs; and selections of beer, wine and sake, all ready when the bar launched.
To match the libations, No Vacancy seduces from the moment you arrive. Inspired by a hazy motel, there’s plenty of exposed brick and soft mood lighting. A gorgeous, sprawling mural, by local artist Amelia Valentine, freezes the space in an eternal orange sunset.
Wielding house infusions, cordials, herbs, spices and unfamiliar ingredients, Gilchrist architects a labyrinth of tasting notes to uncover with each sip. The Killer Tomato, a bell pepper-infused milk punch, mixes over 12 ingredients; The Jump Off is an ultra-luxe espresso martini made with Vietnamese coffee from Cộng Cà Phê and brandy. You can practically chew the chunky foam that somehow never dissipates (“It’s like… Give me a spoon,” winks Gilchrist).
In the Flicker Flicker Baby, a mature margarita-adjacent cocktail, named after a Glüme and Johnny Jewel song, Gilchrist rounds out Espolon tequila with sake, while a whisper of mezcal, jalapeño syrup, and chocolate and mole bitters are supporting characters. Barbz will opt for the Seeing Green, which evolves a cucumber sour into an even more refreshing potion with yuzu, matcha and lavender.
No Vacancy is a nostalgic nod to a roadside motel; but, cozied up in this rouge-tinted oasis with a cocktail in hand, I don’t ever want to check out.
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Shiso Shiso by the Seashore
Named after the classic tongue-twister, this carbonated seaweed-tincture and shiso-gin concoction begs to be enjoyed on a warm spring night. Made with aloe water, St-Germain and jasmine, it’s pleasantly sweet with a hint of oceanic funk.
The wakame is cooked sous-vide with vodka. “If you drink that on its own, it’s fucking gross … But put it in a dropper, and it’s just this little hint of funkiness … It just fits,” grins Gilchrist.
Nicole & Bagol
Fashion Killa
This is a gin basil smash on steroids,” asserts Gilchrist. For this drink, he uses liquid nitrogen to turn the herb into a powder for a super-fresh blast of flavour. “It’s fun to see the reaction of people as they try it.” Named after A$AP Rocky’s 2013 hit, it also features Dillon’s absinthe, violette and a lemon cordial.
Gin, Dillon’s Absinthe, violette, a lemon cordial and Reynac Pineau des Charentes — a French apéritif — are the canvas for the burst of basil. Then, it’s adorned with a regal rice paper crisp.
