Introducing: Hitch, a cozy new Leslieville bar named for an irascible literary gadfly
Name: Hitch (yes, after writer and noted drinker Christopher Hitchens)
Neighborhood: Leslieville
Contact info: 1216 Queen St. E., 647-351-7781, facebook.com/HitchLimited, @hitchlimited
Owner: Douglas Tiller, co-owner of Mercury Espresso
The drinks: A small selection of classic cocktails, like old fashioneds ($11.50) and manhattans, ($11.50), as well as craft beer (Duggan’s, Beau’s, Mill St.), wine and a wide range of bourbon.
Naturally, Hitch also serves its namesake’s drink of choice: Johnnie Walker Black Label with soda and a twist of lemon ($9.50).
The food: Hitch doesn’t have a kitchen—food is brought from Hooked and chef J.P. Challet and served in mini mason jars. Expect olives marinated in orange and fennel ($7), pork and duck paté ($9), smoked trout rillettes ($10), albacore tuna preserved in herbed oil ($10) and chorizo served with manchego cheese and bread ($10).
The place: A cozy neighbourhood bar with plenty of reclaimed wood and light fixtures fashioned from mason jars. In keeping with the Canadiana trend, patrons are greeted by a deer bust at the head of a long communal table as they enter. A back patio should be ready for this summer.
By the numbers: • 600 square feet • 115 years, the age of the barn whose wood was reclaimed for the bar’s back wall • 40, the number of seats • $6–$15, the price range for a shot of bourbon
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