Toronto just got a hidden outdoor patio with hay bales and fall cocktails
Fall is certainly here in Toronto, and we just got a hidden harvest patio behind a bar and art gallery.
Cry Baby Gallery is itself hidden behind an art gallery, and now has another secret behind that: a patio complete with hay bales, pumpkins and cozy fall cocktails.
"When the weather started to get colder we knew that we wanted to provide something seasonal and comfortable for our guests that would allow them to continue to enjoy our offerings and outdoor space," says Rob Granicolo of Cry Baby.
"The heated harvest patio just made sense. We developed a menu of hot and cold fall cocktails, set up straw bale seating and pumpkin displays and built rustic furniture to transport our guests to a rural pumpkin patch."
The cocktail menu consists of treats like the Coco Caliente with house spicy hot chocolate mix, Herradura Blanco, Briottet Cacoa Blanc, Amaro del Capo, torched marshmallows, and everyone's favourite: oat milk. There's also the Live Free or Chai Hard with rum, house chai, star anise and Punch Abbruzzo, and a New Wave 75 with cranberry-infused gin.
This isn't the first time something exciting has popped up at the Cry Baby patio.
"Since we created the patio this summer, we have been constantly evolving the concept to offer one of a kind experiences for our guests," says Granicolo."
"In July we began a live art series in the alley behind the bar, where we invited local artists to participate in large scale live paintings and featured the pieces in the gallery. In August we hosted our first Pina Colooza, a celebration of all things pina colada, featuring multiple variations of the classic summertime drink."
Safety measures include sanitization stations, contact tracing for each guest, tables spaced six feet apart and masks for all staff, and you have until it starts to get really chilly to experience the harvest patio and grab one of those boozy hot chocolates.
"We are planning on keeping the harvest patio around until mid to late November, when we will be ready to launch the next experience," say Granicolo. Do I hear jingle bells? We'll just have to wait and see.
Ben Ehrensperger
