Take brick lanes and plumb lines, mix in a healthy dose of old and new, and what do we get? About 800 words of Distillery puns. Buckle in, my friends. We ‘hops’ you enjoy the ride.
Mixing Cosmopolitan with Old Fashioned
This pitcher-esque, 19th century time capsule is the place we call home. I love this neighbourhood. From our Juliet balcony (lifelong dream achieved), we see the red brick lane below and hear the soothing murmur of tourists against the muted revs and horns from the congested traffic on the Gardiner Expressway in the distance. As day turns to night, the scene below starts to dwindle, the lights inside Deciem flicker off, and the street completely quiets, except for stray groups of two or three, on their way to dine or drink. It’s magnificent! Jan and I get to live in a neighbourhood that’s teaming with energy during the day and sublimely relaxing at night. It really is the best of both worlds.
It really is the best of both worlds.
Aging Gracefully
The Distillery District is very young as far as the rest of the world is concerned, but it’s North America’s largest collection of Victorian-era buildings, painstakingly restored and fully interactive. And it’s gorgeous! Especially the original Pure Spirits building — that one is my fave.
In 1831, James Worts, a mill owner from England, and his oldest son immigrated to Canada to restart his old business with his old partner and brother-in-law, William Gooderham. They purchased a plot of land on the then north shoreline of Toronto Bay and built a windmill, comprised of roughly 105,000 bricks. Eventually they would tear it down and use the bricks to build the five-storey grey limestone Stone Distillery, and that’s still in use today!
The families built their milling business into what would be, for a time, the largest producer of distilled spirits in the world. In 1988, The Distillery received official heritage designation, and two years later, it officially closed down its distilling operations.
Here, the old and new share some qualities. There’s a careful move to preserve and celebrate the space, and you could say the spirit of the spirit springs to life in every corner. Today, visitors indulge in all of it, feasting on history and sopping up all the bright flavours that lace the laneways today.
Winter F’n Wonderland
The Distillery District is magical during the winter season. As the fluffy snow falls, your densely knitted mittens hug a hot chocolate as you walk through the centre of the Victorian square. It feels like a fairytale. If you can’t make your way to the Distillery during a flurry, visit during the Christmas Market or the Light Fest.
The Christmas Market. Honestly, if you’re making your way to the Distillery in frigid windy weather, you better be visiting the Christmas Market. This is where Santa went H.A.M on festivities. Check out our video on what to expect from the Market and how to make the most of it!
This is where Santa went H.A.M on festivities.
The Light Fest. During the darkest months in Toronto, we put on a light show to bring some brightness back into our lives. The Light Fest showcases local artists, and it’s best to come at night, after 9pm — that’s when the exhibits come alive. Check back in January, when we’ll have a rundown on the best bits of this bright spectacle.
Wait — there’s more to come!
Come on back in January to see us tour and taste the Spirit of York, as well as possibly learn how to temper chocolate. We’re working out the logistics of that! But in the meantime, check out our bookmaking skills with Natalie in the Artscape building, get jazzed about the holiday season with our Christmas Market adventure, and of course, learn about the history of our beloved Distillery! We have enough excitement to keep you busy until you ring in the new year.
This is a really exciting chapter for us in our I Love You Toronto adventure, because we really get to dog our heels into the neighbourhood we live in! We hope you had a great time in the Distillery, and if we’ve missed something, comment below and we’ll definitely check it out.
Eat, drink and be merry!
-Jiali
