People who love Montreal’s drink culture need to make sure they pay a visit to Old Montreal’s newest bar Tittle Tattle, named after the neighbourhood’s sculpture Les chuchoteuses by artist Rose-Aimée Bélanger.
It’s a new project from Loïc Fortin, who was one of the contestants on Netflix’s first season of the show Drink Masters under the name Loyd Von Rose, and the co-owner of the wine bar Philémon Ariel Goldstein.
"It’s an interactive bar," Fortin explains. "We play a lot with nostalgia, games; it’s a bar where people have something to do [while they drink]."
Loïc Fortin eats a spoonful of peanut butter.Courtesy of Scott Usheroff.
The focus here is on cocktails, where a menu using advanced techniques changes every one or two months. That means it’s hard to pin down exactly what it is they serve, but some recent creations include a distillation of a peanut butter and banana sandwich, or a cornflake espresso martini that comes served with a bowl of milk on the side.
"We create cocktails the same way we create food. When we serve a drink, we explain how it’s made and the story behind it… it’s a culinary approach," Fortin says.
"[Here] it’s a lot of nostalgia, it’s all things I used to do and a lot of other people used to do as kids."
The pink entry to Tittle Tattle.Courtesy of Scott Usheroff.
Serving up wine, beers, and mocktails as well, the main cocktail menu does get mixed up often, but one thing that’s consistent is the drink recipes inspired by the secrets people tell the bar.
From a central spot in the bar, a hollow glass decoration (called a 'gossip box') is hung where clients can write down their secrets, fold them up, and toss them in. They can be as deep and as dark as people want to make them. People have written down stuff like:
- "I hooked up with Ross Lynch under the bleachers behind Liverpool House"
- "My friend in the army does cocaine and has his brother do his drug tests"
- "I love my dog more than my boyfriend"
- "He thinks we are exclusive… ha. I’m not."
- "I can’t break up with him because his cat died."
The Tittle Tattle team stand outside the bar.Courtesy of Scott Usheroff.
At 40 seats, the bar is set to hopefully expand in the coming months when its kitchen is taken over and Tittle Tattle starts to regularly serve food. Whether or not that happens, the bar currently serves a happy hour offering during the week and industry nights with speedrail drinks and beers for $10.
Tittle Tattle
Where: 22, rue Saint-Paul Est
When: Tuesday to Sunday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Why You Need To Go: You can drink at this place like it's a confessional. Share your secrets, and drink high-end and creative drinks at once.