As the Toronto International Film Festival descends, restaurants and bars across the city are preparing for one of the most glamorous weeks of the year. When we asked dBar at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto what was on the menu, they shared the new cocktail they developed just in time for TIFF 2018. Dubbed Same as it Ever Was (a nod to the 1981 Talking Heads song "Once in a Lifetime"), this drink includes hints of grapefruit, cider and blackberry, offering just enough sweet and sour to please any palette. If you're dashing off to a premiere, or just want to serve up your own cocktail to accompany a big bowl of buttery popcorn and some Netflix, this week we celebrate the wonderful world of cinema. Same as it ever was.

• 1 ½ oz vodka

• ¼ oz Giffard’s Pamplemousse liqueur

• 1 oz Seedlip Spice

• ½ oz Blackberry shrub (recipe here)

• Splash of soda

• Top off with dry cider (Tawse cider)

• Skewered blackberry, for garnish

For Blackberry Shrub:

• 1 cup fresh blackberries

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

• Combine all ingredients except for soda and cider straight into highball filled with ice. Quick stir to chill. Splash soda. Top off with cider. Quick stir to integrate. Garnish.

Blackberry Shrub (Recipe by The Little Epicurean):

• Mash fresh blackberries with sugar. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow fruits to expel juices.

• Stir in vinegar. Cover and let steep in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, depending on your desired flavor profile. Strain out solids and keep in a jar. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Blackberry shrub syrup keeps in the fridge for a month.

Raise the Bar