There are no Hawaiian leis at Montreal’s newest and only tiki bar. But there is a whole lot of rum served in coconuts and pineapples.
To get to Le Mal Nécessaire, enter Chinatown from the north, down St-Laurent from René-Levesque and turn right after the tea shop at 1106B. If it’s rained lately you’ll miss the chalk on the sidewalk asking if you’re thirsty and telling you stop. An easy-to-miss green sign reads “Le Mal Nécessaire,” luring those who know what they’re looking for into a dingy Chinatown basement.
The wrap-around bar and three, angular communal seating areas is the last thing you expect to see at the bottom of the half flight of stairs. Le Mal Nécessaire—”necessary evil”—is a subterranean drinking den of fine cocktails. It’s got a lot of hipster chic but the friendly welcome to those who descend says it all. The first time, a wave and a yell. The second a handshake or high-five. The third, a kiss on both cheeks (for women). It’s not set in stone, but I’m waiting for the hug or fist pump, and hoping for the former.
When you leave, Graham Warner, formerly of Dominion Square Tavern, formerly of Café Sardine, and formerly of Barroco, and Dave Schmidt (current co-owner of Magpie, Sardine, Datcha, etc.) might not seem like they noticed you get up to go, but you’ll be hard-pressed to slip out without one of them coming over to say good-bye. You’re friends now, after all.
All it took was a few Mai Tais and Painkillers.
The deal:
Some drinks are individual. Others come in pineapples, coconuts and pitchers and are meant for sharing. The coconut meat is a garnish. You’re supposed to eat it. Someone spent a lot of hours stripping the flesh from the husk.
Someone also spent a lot of time crushing ice in the food processor, which you may hear over the course of the night as the bartenders re-stock the supply for the Calcio Rosso, a grapefruit cocktail with just enough bitterness from Campari, sweetness from homemade almond syrup, and just enough Caribbean-style booziness from Havana 3-year aged rum.
It’s a heck of a lot more refreshing than the head-hammering Le Mal Nécessaire, the bar’s signature drink made with a heavy hit of bourbon and gin that’s good for what ails you.
What’s Tiki?
Tiki is all about rum. It’s cabana-friendly cocktails made from exotic fruit juices. It’s your last all-inclusive without the food poisoning. And at Le Mal Nécessaire it’s an artisanal version of all that with homemade tonic, private import Italian vermouth, a selection of funky bitters (cloves, hot peppers, and cardamom), and a by-the-glass wine menu for anyone who doesn’t love Fernet Branca as much as I do.
There’s no dress code. Bartenders wear everything from checkered button-ups and jeans to Hawaiian shirts. On the other side of the bar you’ll see torn jeans and disproportionately large glasses, but also sleek heels and leather bags. The only requirement for men is a sleeve. Not the shirt kind.
Did I say Graham is my favourite mixologist in the city? I’ve been following him since Sardine, and got really into his more-savoury-than-sweet cocktails creations at Made With Love a couple years ago. His contribution to the cocktail competition was a Quebec egg white semifreddo with tangy apple cider vinegar floating in a smoky tequila, honey and smoked tea combo.
Most of the cocktails at Le Mal Nécessaire are the booze-tacular sweet kind, though. My partially raw vegan friends, however, got into the Chia Fresca, a cucumber, chia seed and coconut water cocktail with thai basil and gin.
The gin and tonic comes with aloe juice (the least sweet brand they could find), so it’s almost healthy. Actually, tonic is supposed to be medicinal. I guess that’s the thing about Necessary Evil. Sometimes you need it. Maybe it’s even good for you.
Almost.
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