Places like Larry's Hideway, the Gasworks, Ports of Call, the Big Bop, the Brunswick House still animate our collective memory in a way that's hard to explain. Since the legendary Queen West bar opened its doors, hundreds of live music venues have come and gone in Toronto, most of which have been long forgotten even as a few are thought of with fierce nostalgia. Silver Rail Tavern, Toronto's first cocktail bar.įollowing closely behind the Silver Rail was the Horseshoe Tavern. Advertisements touted the 'scientific' preparation of drinks. At the time an Old Fashioned cost 65 cents. Located at Yonge and Shuter, it brought upscale booze to the city. The Silver Rail was the first cocktail bar in Toronto, and it didn't open until 1947.
The history of the Toronto bar is far shorter than you might think. In the 1970s and '80s, bars didn't need to have a hook or a playful concept to attract a crowd. Scattered around the city, these mostly humble and gritty spots were where we used to unwind over Labatt 50, long before it become semi-ironically cool to do so.
