The arresting ceiling-height backbar (replete with library ladder) and an extensive, inventive cocktail menu organized by spirit — from uisge beatha (whisky) to “mother’s ruin” (gin) — can be dizzying to navigate, so start with a half-sized Sazerac or Martini while you flip through the selections. Classics are discounted during happy hour, but Proof shines when it’s more playful, as in Night Out in a Barroom, a clarified New York Sour made with gin, peach, dry vermouth and a float of ginger-raspberry wine. Zero-proof drinks are approached with an equally exacting nature. Connoisseurs cruising the backbar will note rarities, like 25-year-old Macallan, but the casual neighbourhood ambience makes nerds and novices alike feel welcome.

Consistently fantastic drinks and vibe.” Gwendolyn Richards