Toronto & Muskoka, Ontario
From the quiet lakes of Muskoka to the cellars and lounges of Toronto — Issue 1 explores the rituals, makers and mastery woven into life in Ontario.
Take It With You
Enter your email and we'll send you the full PDF edition.
■ Articles in This Issue
Library Bar: A Book and Toast
A hidden, book-lined room off the Fairmont Royal York lobby — once the hotel's reading room, now one of North America's 50 Best Bars. The menu reads like a library, organized by literary chapter rather than base spirit, and every detail has been left to quietly do its work.
A Closer Look at Koko's Cookies
Earthy gas, Chem lineage, and a session tied directly to place — Koko's Cookies became one of those cultivars inseparable from the memory of where we smoked it.
The Porch at Casa del Humidor
Pouring rain, a barely-spotted sign, and a last-minute U-turn — Casa del Humidor turned out to be one of the finest cigar sessions of the entire trip, under a covered porch while Ontario weather pounded everything around us.
Wine, Rain, and Muskoka
By the time Matt and I pulled into Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery, the sky had completely opened up. Inside, warm wood, fogged windows and wines that tasted exactly like the land outside — tart, wild, resilient and unmistakably northern.
A Farm-to-Glass Surprise: Quayle's Brewery
One name came up twice from locals in Muskoka. That kind of repetition always catches our attention. Nestled in the forests and fields of Oro-Medonte, Quayle's Brewery is a farm-to-glass experience inside a four-story musical barn — and it was one of the best unplanned stops of the entire trip.
Down the Alley: A Night at The Griffin
Near Bracebridge, a basic search for nearby pubs led us down an alley and through a red door into one of the best unplanned evenings of the entire trip.
The Rama Way
Situated on one of the oldest and most historic pieces of land in Ontario, Rama Cannabis carries on an Ojibwe tradition of sharing medicinal knowledge, and it does so with a warmth that stays with you long after you leave.
The Kensington Market
Over a hundred years of immigrant arrivals, counterculture roots, and relentless creative expression — Kensington Market is the kind of place that reminds you why connoisseurship was never meant to be reserved for the elite.
Hallways of Contrast: A Day Inside the AGO
What was supposed to be a quick stop at the Art Gallery of Ontario turned into almost two full hours of wandering — and we still could have easily spent another four. Every time we thought we were done, another hallway opened into something unbelievable.
The Boardroom Consumption Lounge: A Place to Puff
In a city with the highest number of cannabis dispensaries in the country, one of the hardest things to find is a place to sit, roll, relax and actually enjoy a puff. The Boardroom changes that.
Copperhead Distillery: The North in Every Sip
Less than twenty-four hours into Canada, Matt and I were already heading into the forests of northern Ontario looking for whiskey. Copperhead Distillery in the Almaguin Highlands delivered everything the drive promised.
Muskoka Grown: Cultivating the Spirit of Muskoka
Deep in the heart of Canadian cottage country, the Muskoka Grown/Dank Craft facility is home to a passionate team intent on rising to the challenge of producing high-quality craft cannabis — and they were kind enough to grant us a full behind-the-scenes tour.
Muskoka Brewery: Craft Beer Done Right
In the sleepy town of Bracebridge, you will find a bar stool just your size at Muskoka Brewery — a microbrewery known province-wide for crafting some of the most unique beers on the market and a true staple of Muskoka culture.
Sugarbush Hill Farm: A Maple Masterpiece in Muskoka
Nestled into the rocky landscape of Huntsville, Ontario, Sugarbush Hill Farm is more than a maple syrup producer — it is a showcase of heritage, legacy, and dedication to a craft practiced at the highest level outside Quebec.
Hidden Histories and Towering Views: Inside Toronto's Iconic Fairmont Royal York
Coming from Las Vegas, I thought I had seen luxury. The Fairmont Royal York showed me something different — less spectacle, more substance. A behind-the-scenes tour through nearly a century of hidden rooms, royal suites, and stone guardians watching over the city.
Where There's Smoke, There's Flavor: A Stop at The Smokin' Birds BBQ
Two classically trained fine-dining chefs drove north to Muskoka and built a BBQ operation that passes every test — including the Kansas City Barbeque Society's.
Subtext Coffee Roasters: Pursuit of Clarity
At Subtext Coffee Roasters in the Junction Triangle, founder Alex Castellani is treating coffee the way serious winemakers treat grapes — as agriculture first, and everything else second.
Behind the Unmarked Door: The Story of Correnti Cigars
Hidden above Spadina Avenue, Frank Correnti Cigars is Canada's last handmade cigar factory — still rolling the same way it always has.