The Hitch

“I enjoy creating new cocktails; coming up with the names is the fun part,” says Douglas Tiller, owner of Hitch Limited in Leslieville.

“We serve the classics and my takes on the classics,” Douglas explains of the bar’s cocktail menu. To this end, you’ll find cocktails with names like “New Fangled” and “Templarios Folly.” Douglas says the taste of the cocktail inspires the name and there’s a story behind each one, which he is happy to explain. “They’re based on all kinds of things that have caught my interest,” he notes. “I have one called Hucknall Vault, which is a reference to where Lord Byron is buried. It’s made of dark rum, ginger liqueur, lime, bitters and ginger ale to reflect the darkness of a tomb.”

The focus on words and tales comes with the territory here, as Hitch Limited is named after the edgy literary figure, Christopher Hitchens. “He openly enjoyed a cocktail or two, so our name is apt,” grins Douglas.

Douglas knows his cocktails inside out, having worked in the bar and coffee trade for years. Though, you can also expect to find a selection of craft beers and wines, light food with a South American twist and a friendly, relaxed ambience that draws a crowd of all ages at the bar.