A unique gin that’s only available at Toronto’s iconic Library Bar, within the Fairmont Royal York Hotel
It’s about 10:45am and I’m riding a Toronto city bus back from a fantastic overnight stay at the iconic Fairmont Royal York hotel. A fellow gets on at the next stop and decides to sit just kitty corner from me. Smelling decidedly like the “demon drink,” he proceeds to extract a rather large can of beer from his backpack, pops the top, and takes a large swig. It dawns on me (in a somewhat depressing way) that I’m now back in the “real” world; a world that felt 1,000 miles away from the pampering I experienced at the Fairmont Royal York.
First opened in 1929, this Toronto landmark of luxury had played host to numerous high-ranking types (dignitaries, royalty, celebs…the occasional journalist). In 2014 upgrades began to prepare for its 90th anniversary (June 11, 2019). These included extensive, multi-million-dollar upgrades to the Gold Floor and its rooms (12th – 19th floors, where I was fortunate enough to stay) and the addition of Reign Restaurant + Bar and Clockwork Champagne & Cocktails to accompany the historic – and always packed, I might add – Library Bar.
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A getaway to the Fairmont Royal York is something I’d recommend to anyone who doesn’t necessarily want to venture out of the city for an indulgence, but who wants to feel like they’re actually not in the city. The Gold Floor rooms, the opulent 18th floor Fairmont Gold Lounge, and the numerous attractions/distractions scattered throughout the hotel create something of a self-contained fantasy environment. What’s happening outside? Who cares. It certainly can’t be better than what’s going on inside.
The Fairmont Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto.
Anyway, a visit to the hotel’s world-famous Library Bar is like attending a perpetual cocktail masterclass. If you’re a martini fan, sipping on a signature Birdbath Martini (or the luxe version if you’re feeling particularly flush) or two may make you reconsider what you’ve thus far thought was the “perfect” martini.
Crafted for you table side, it is a subtle, sublime, sexy work of liquid art. Considering the minimalist nature of a martini, your base gin better be damn good. (I’m leaving vodka out of this. A martini is made from gin. The End.)
I’ll admit it came as a bit of a surprise to find that the “house gin” for Library Bar was distilled by Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers, which you’d hit directly if you were to swim from Toronto Harbour in a perfectly straight line across Lake Ontario to the opposite shore. Just saying…
“We wanted to do something for Library Bar that was different, something special.” – Geoff Dillon
But it does kind of make sense that one of Canada’s most famous martini bars incorporates Canadian spirits in its inventory. The interesting thing here is that the Fairmont Royal York didn’t just grab one of the many excellent Dillon’s gins off the shelf. Instead, it chose to work directly with Geoff Dillon, Founder of Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers, and his team to craft a signature spirit. The result? Quill Gin (yeah, yeah, they do a vodka, too…should you care).
“When approaching Dillon’s to create Quill, I thought about the kind of martini I wanted to create, and what role the gin or vodka would play in it,” explains James Grant, Director of Beverage for Fairmont Royal York – and pictured above. (And if a bartender of his repute is willing to concede to a “vodka” martini, I guess I should show some leeway. Whatever.)
The Library Bar, at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, is the only bar that serves Quill Gin.
“I prefer a martini ratio closer to two to one, spirit to vermouth, compared to some bartenders who want a much drier martini. So, I knew that the vermouth would be bringing more flavour and aromatics, and that we could go with a leaner botanical profile. I wanted something much closer to a classic London Dry gin profile. I also knew I wanted a bit more of a citrus punch.”
Grant’s main objectives were to create a gin with a lean botanical profile, a pronounced juniper “schwing,” and a very bright character of orange and grapefruit.
“We landed on the botanical profile quite early in the process,” Grant continues. “But what really took a lot of back and forth was the final ABV. Originally, Quill Gin had been a 50 percent ABV gin. I found this a bit too aggressive, and we ended up dropping it to 46 percent, which still holds up in a martini, but is a little more elegant.”
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“We wanted to do something for Library Bar that was different, something special,” recalls Dillon. “The Quill Gin and the Quill Vodka are both 50 percent rye based and 50 percent grape based, which is the first time we’d done this. We were aiming for a big mouthfeel, and the grapes give you some of that viscosity. We also were aiming for a brightness as well, so besides the usual blend of botanicals we use in our other gins, Quill has a lot more grapefruit, some meadowsweet, some licorice, some stuff to make it a little more savoury, a little sharper. It’s also distilled to a fairly high ABV, so it gives bartender’s leeway when it comes to how much dilution – if any – they’re after.”
Quill Gin is a Library-Bar-only exclusive, it’s not (unfortunately) for sale, and it’s not available in any other of the Fairmont Royal York’s bars or restaurants (or in any other bar or restaurant anywhere). So, if you want to experience it in the drink it was designed for, in the bar it’s specifically crafted for, you have no choice but to visit the Library Bar. Sorry for you…not really. (And to be fair, the Dillon’s Quill Vodka is actually quite nice…)
By the way – The Library Bar regularly hosts “guest bartender” nights, where world-renown drink slingers from famous bars around the world team up with Grant to showcase their style and creations. The latest of which was a visit from Tommaso Cecca, Head of Mixology of Italy’s Camparino.
The Birdbath Martini | Created by: James Grant, Director of Beverage at Fairmont Royal York
Ingredients:
- 66.5 ml (2.25 oz) Quill Vodka or Gin
- 22.2 ml (0.75 oz) Vermouth Blend*
- 2 dashes orange bitters
*Vermouth Blend
- 750 ml Tio Pepe Fino Sherry
- 1250 ml Martini Dry
- 750 ml Cocchi Extra Dry
- 125 ml Bergamot Liqueur
- 125 ml Umami Gin
(This will make about three litres of Vermouth Blend, of which you need less than an ounce per drink. So, unless you’re really into martinis, you might want to scale the amounts back a bit).
- Glassware: Pony
- Garnish: Olives, onion and lemon coin
- Method: Stir in a stirring glass with ice, strain into pony glass.
- Description: A signature martini, crafted with Quill Gin or Vodka – the house spirit. Served clean and cold with all the accoutrements.
– Tod Stewart is a judge for the Canadian Artisan Spirits Competition and Senior Editor with VineRoutes
