Crooked Little Heart

Barkeep

Drink Of The Month

Story by Jeannie Dubois, Photo by Jack Barten

St. Paul Street is quite the little gem in Thunder Bay, studded with shop fronts that cater to all tastes and thirsts. Nestled in the middle is the unassuming Barkeep, the de rigueur cocktail lounge, which entices you in with its noir backdrop, urbane lighting, and singularly stacked back bar. Add to that a sultry playlist, some savoury charcuterie, and the peerless Duran pouring up his newest potion, and there may be a slight swoon. Served up in a Nick & Nora cut coupe glass, the Crooked Little Heart (dare we say a Valentine cocktail?) is the perfect blend of herbal gin and smooth white rum, fruit-forward orange Curaçao and bitter Aperol, and in-house cranberry cordial and in-house cedar bitters, all shaken with egg white and garnished with a cedar sprig that is gently set alight for that sweet sauna fragrance. It’s so fine that if this is what it means to be crooked, then I don’t ever want to play it straight.

Barkeep 15C St Paul Street 807-767-0733