What hot cocktails tell us about the slow burn of Montreal’s bar scene

Back in 2016, the Christmas-themed bar pop-up Miracle arrived in Montreal. It was a hit and garnered press not long after, and why not? A four-season city like ours with infamously brutal winters ought to love some seasonal cocktails that warm you up while giving you the physical fortitude to handle temperatures below -10°C.

In the years that followed, Miracle (plus some occasional mulled wine or spiked hot cider at Christmas village pop-ups) was by and large the only real source of hot cocktails during the winter season, the pandemic notwithstanding. A myriad of spiked coffee digestifs regularly offered by restaurants doesn’t count here.

It’s only this past holiday season Montreal’s seen a big uptick in warm drinks. Miracle’s moved on to continue at 132 Bar Vintage, and winter terrasses have been set up at hotels like Hotel William Gray, the après-ski setup of Belvu at Marriott’s Chateau Champlain, and Bivouac. But now, these mainstays have been joined by the Secrets bar below Kwizinn, Marché des Éclusiers, Bar Bello’s own Christmas-meets-Italo Disco event Vacanze di Natale, and Le Petit Dep’s Taverne de Nöel; each of these addresses has hot cocktails in some way, shape, or form.