Named after a prohibition term for hooch, Project Gigglewater serves no-fuss, classic cocktails in a casual Dundas West drinking den. Try the recipes tonight.
Alfred Siu was just visiting Toronto when he realized there was an opportunity for a new cocktail bar in the city. “In the drinking culture sense, Toronto is a very uptight city,” says Siu, who is originally from Vancouver. “A lot of bars were just too serious. And we wanted to be laid back. There should be nothing pretentious about a cocktail.”
After quitting his Vancouver gig and heading to The Six, it took almost three years for Siu to find the right spot. In the interim, he worked at El Rey and a couple of other drinking dens, gaining inspiration for what would become Project Gigglewater.
Siu knew he wanted a neighbourhood, industry spot like Civil Liberties, one of his favourite cocktail bars in the city. He admits that not having backers meant constraints on the budget — but what Siu has achieved is an intimate space beloved by cocktail lovers.
Alfred Siu, owner of Project Gigglewater
Sarah Pflug
“We’re casual: We just do simple, good cocktails. We don’t make anything super instagrammable and the lights are usually dim at Gigglewater, so you can’t really take a photo,” laughs Siu. The drink menu is a little shorter right now (thank COVID) — but what you’re guaranteed is a collection of innovative cocktails with some very interesting infusions...
“Asparagus and sea asparagus are nothing alike. Sea asparagus actually tastes like the sea — it’s briny, it’s got a little bit of bitterness,” says Siu of the vodka-based Sea Asparagus is My Safe Word. Of course, amusing names are in Project Gigglewater’s DNA.
“In prohibition, there were many slang words like booze, hooch — giggle water was the cutest and best sounding name of all.”
Apeeling Rations
Sarah Pflug
Makes 1
Preparation time 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 oz banana-infused rum
⅔ oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
⅓ oz crème de cacao
3 dashes chocolate bitters Lemon, to garnish
Banana-infused rum
750 ml Appleton 8 Rum
250 g ripe banana
Method
Banana-infused rum
Cut up the banana and add to a vessel with rum.
Let infuse for at least 24 hours. Strain.
Apeeling Rations
Combine ingredients in a rocks glass with ice and stir.
Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.
El Finablo
Sarah Pflug
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 ½ oz Tio Pepe Fino Sherry
½ oz Mezcal Agua Santa
½ oz crème de cassis
½ oz fresh lime juice
Ginger beer, to top
Mint leaves, to garnish
Lime wheel, to garnish
Method
Add all ingredients except ginger beer to a tall glass filled with ice.
Top with ginger beer.
Garnish with a mint leaf and a dehydrated lime wheel.
Luck is Earned
Sarah Pflug
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 oz Herradura Reposado
¾ oz Lillet Blanc
½ oz Cynar
¼ oz Mezcal Agua Santa
¾ oz fresh grapefruit juice
¼ oz rich simple syrup (2:1 sugar to water)
Grapefruit moon, to garnish
Method
Combine all ingredients in a rocks glass and stir.
Garnish with a fresh grapefruit moon.
Sea Asparagus Is My Safe Word
Sarah Pflug
Makes 1
Preparation time 15 minutes
Ingredients
2 oz sea asparagus-infused vodka
⅓ oz pickled dill lemon brine
⅔ oz Lillet Blanc
Lemon peel, to garnish
Pickled Dill Lemon Brine
1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp salt
Sprig of dill
Lemon wedges to fill jar
Sea asparagus-infused vodka
750 ml vodka
50 g sea asparagus (available at Augusta Foods in Kensington Market)
Method
Pickled dill lemon brine
For this quick pickle method, add all ingredients to a jar.
Put in the fridge and let infuse for at least 24 hours.
Sea asparagus-infused vodka
Add ingredients to a jar.
Leave overnight, then strain vodka into a vessel.
Sea Asparagus Is My Safe Word
Add ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled.
