Big Names, Bold Menus, and a City-Wide Celebration of Spirits.
From May 18 to 21, the second edition of Montréal Cocktail Fest transformed the city into a global stage for cocktail innovation. Over four days, international bar talent and local favourites took over speakeasies, hotel lounges, and neighbourhood haunts with a high-impact lineup of pop-ups, pairing dinners, seminars, and late-night takeovers.
Host venues like The Coldroom, Bar Bello, Bisou Bisou, and Atwater Cocktail Club welcomed a curated lineup of international guest bars, including Overstory (NYC), Selva (Oaxaca City), Viajante87 (London), and Truth & Dare (Vienna). For Montréalers, it was a rare chance to experience some of the world’s most exciting cocktail programs without leaving town.
At The Coldroom, Quebec City’s JJacques served up a Nikka- and Cocchi-backed pop-up, while Bisou Bisou hosted Toronto’s Civil Works in a takeover presented by Hendrick’s Gin. El Pequeño Bar featured a double pop-up with Ottawa’s Bar Occeli and Bar Guapo, and Badin welcomed Paris’s Le Syndicat. At Bon Délire, World Class Canada brought together Massimo Zitti, James Grant, and Keegan McGregor for a high-energy exhibition of technique and finesse. At the Viajante87 x Bisou Bisou pop-up, Beverage Director Pietro Collina served the Blood Moon—a smoky-sweet hit of Patrón Reposado, Aperol, pomegranate, and pasilla pepper—alongside a lineup of Latin-inspired cocktails.
At PHI Centre, the festival’s ideas hub, seminars explored the business and creative realities of modern bartending—from brand storytelling and social strategy to the economics of streamlined menus. The sessions underscored the bar’s evolving role—not just as a place to drink, but as a brand platform, community anchor, and cultural lens. The programming also touched on team well-being and retention in an emotionally demanding industry—with morning yoga and mat Pilates sessions rounding out the agenda. One standout session, Made in Québec: Women Leading Hospitality, featured a panel including Vanya Filipovic (Mon Lapin), Noémie Ducharme (JJacques), and Véronique Dalle (Foxy) in a candid conversation about visibility, leadership, and longevity in hospitality.
Culinary crossovers added depth. A Taste of Barbados at Tropikàl paired rum cocktails with a multi-course menu by Barbadian culinary ambassadors chef Damian Leach and mixologist Philip Antoine, while A Curious Dinner with Hendrick’s at Barroco with gin-forward pairings served alongside a creative, French-accented menu in one of Old Montréal’s most atmospheric dining rooms.
The festival closed on a high at Taverne Midway, where Baltra Bar (Mexico City) and Paris’s Amour Drink delivered a full-throttle final-night takeover—precision pours, big-room energy.
More than a cocktail showcase, MCF 2025 was a snapshot of where the industry stands now—and a sharp look at where it’s heading next.
– Alana Lapierre
