As cinephiles know, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) starts today and runs until September 20th. TIFF generates an estimated economic impact of $240 million for Toronto, like 5 years of IndyCar races. With that kind of money pouring into the city, hotels, restaurants and bars are always looking for ways to get their share.
Now, the Four Seasons Hotel is offering a cocktail in honour of TIFF called The Final Cut XO Sazerac. And yes, that one drink really costs a thousand bucks. But for gearheads, there is a cool car angle. After you finish the drink, the Four Seasons will put you in its Rolls-Royce and drive you to your next stop near the hotel. Clearly, the whole thing is meant to make you feel like some Hollywood big shot for an evening.
The drink is a one-per-night TIFF spectacle, and it’s made right at your table. The cocktail is made with 16-year-old Lagavulin Scotch, absinthe, bitters, lemon oil, sugar and Rémy Martin XO Cognac. If you’re not sure which Rémy that is, it’s the rounded bottle your father had in the liquor cabinet for a decade, and only opened on the day of your sister’s wedding.
Expensive stuff on its own. Still, nobody is paying $1,000 for the booze. The whole thing is designed so some TIFF visitor can say, “We had the thousand-dollar cocktail at the Four Seasons and then they took us downtown in a Roller.” For us gearheads, that last part is probably worth more than the drink.