Cocktail Menu: Bravo Pizzeria Grill in Niagara Falls, Canada

I really respect the cocktail bar pioneers, those bartenders who set up a quality beverage programs in the middle of the cocktail tundra. In them, every customer transaction ends up being an educational session, as there is always a learning curve with people new to proper cocktails where there were none before. These bars can have a great impact though, and turn a small community into a thriving cocktail city. 

It seems there is such a pioneer in Niagara Falls, Canada. Nick Nemeth, a veteran of Tales of the Cocktail and Art of the Cocktail, has put together a drink program at Bravo Pizzeria Grill, a restaurant that doesn't exactly scream "gourmet cocktail experience" from the looks of its website.

Best of luck, Nick, and for the rest of us, we now know where to drink when getting hitched up in Niagara Falls. 

The list is below the jump.

Classic Cocktails
A selection of some of our favourite drinks from around the
world that have acquired notoriety among some of the finest
cocktail bars and books to date.
The Last Word
An almost forgotten 1930’s tipple of the Detroit Athletic Club
revived by famed Seattle bartender Murray Stenson. This
refreshingly herbal concoction combines Beefeater 24 Gin,
Green Chartreuse, Maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime. $9.99
The Sazerac
Famous since creation in the early 1830’s, this drink was
declared New Orleans’s official cocktail in 2010. In 1876, The
Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans improved this complex
mix by subbing Rye for Cognac, and including the standard mix
of sugar, bitters, and Absinthe. This is how we serve it to you
today. $7.99
Moscow Mule
Originally a marketing gimmick of John Martin and Jack Morgan
of Los Angeles’ Cock n Bull Saloon in 1941, this drink was
vodka’s first official leg up, today served with Tito’s Handmade
Vodka, Fever Tree Ginger Beer, and fresh lime. $8.49
Old Cuban
An emerging classic, the Old Cuban was made famous in 2004
by Audrey Saunders at New York’s legendary Pegu Club, and is
an elegant improvement on the Mojito, combining Havana Club
7yr Old Rum, Italian sparkling wine, Angostura bitters, fresh
lime, and mint. $8.49
Tommy’s Margarita
Hailing from Tommy’s restaurant in San Francisco, Julio Bermejo
improved on the classic Margarita in the 1980’s. Served up, this
refreshing mix of Herradura Reposado Tequila, spiced Organic
Agave Nectar, and fresh lime is tough to beat. $7.99

Jack Rose
For those with a sweeter tooth, Bill Boothby’s 1910 mention of
Apple Brandy, fresh lime and grenadine has more than a few
storied origins, though that involving New York hitman Bald Jack
Rose tends to be a house favourite. $7.49
Corpse Reviver Number Blue
Jacob Briars breathed new life, and a little levity into this
bartender’s favourite in 2011 with an electric blue tint. Beefeater
24 Gin, Lillet Blanc, Bols Blue Curacao, fresh lemon, and
Absinthe combine for a potent, but refreshing break from
cocktails that take themselves too seriously. $8.99
Manhattan
The first classic cocktail to marry spirit and vermouth, with roots
stretching back to New York’s Manhattan Club in 1874.
Classically prepared with American Rye, we tend to favour
Maker’s Mark Bourbon, with a heathly addition of Italian
Vermouth and Orange bitters. We’d be happy to prepare it for
you either way. $7.99

CLASSICALLY ITALIAN COCKTAILS
FROM FRIULI TO SICILY AND
EvEYWHERE IN BETWEEN
Or viva Aperitivo!

Negroni
One account traces this cocktail back to Count Camillo Negroni
in the 1920’s at Firenze’s Bar Casoni. King cocktail when it comes
to Italy, this blend of Beefeater 24 Gin, Campari, and Italian
Vermouth exudes fame and complexity for a bitter sipper. $7.99
Negroni Extra
As above, with the added depth of flavour exuded from 3 to 6
weeks of careful ageing in small, former Bourbon barrels,
finished with sparkling water and a careful spritz of orange zest.
Served in a keepsake vintage bottle. $9.99
Boulevardier
Consider this the younger, wilder brother of the Negroni, found
in Harry McElhone’s 1927 bar guide, Barflies and Cocktails, and
crafted with Maker’s 46 Bourbon, Campari, and Italian Vermouth.
$8.99
Bellini
Sometime between 1934 and 1948, Giuseppe Cipriani,
bartender at Harry’s Bar in Venice combined fresh white peach
puree and Italian sparkling wine, naming the concoction after
Italian Artist Giovanni Bellini. $5.99
Aperol Spritz
While this cocktail’s origins are foggy at best, its dominance on
Italian aperitifs is difficult to ignore: Aperol liqueur, Italian
sparkling wine, and mineral water form the backbone of the
perfect patio sipper. $7.49
Sicilian ‘68
Really into amaro? Give this blend of Averna Amaro, limoncello,
fresh lime juice, and orange bitters a shot. $7.99

PUNCH SERvICE
Family style food service has always been a staple of Italian
cuisine, and for something truly unique, we are proud to offer
the same for your cocktail. Let our resident mixology pros put
their collective genius, along with a bevy of small power tools to
the test as we prepare these potent brews designed for sharing
amongst the table.
villa Borghetti Punch
For Four: $55, For Six: $75
Flor de Cana 5yr Old Nicaraguan Rum makes a wonderful
addition to this potent punch combining the cinnamon-like
spice of Becherovka, with fresh Niagara strawberry cordial,
Italian sparkling wine, fresh lemon juice, soda, and Angostura.
The Regency Punch
For Four: $55, For Six: $75
A house twist on a tropical classic punch, we blend Appleton
White Rum with Aperol, Earl Grey Tea, pineapple juice, fresh
lemon, and soda for a light-bodied punch with just a hint of
refreshing sweetness.
Spanish Aero Punch
For Four: $55, For Six: $75
TAG’s Cable Car raised the bar, but this Niagara spin on the
emerging classic takes it one step further and expertly pairs
Spicebox Spiced Whisky, grapefruit, lime, orange curacao, sugar,
soda, and cinnamon for a fresh punch with a big bite.

…AND A BOTTLE OF RUM
A collection of the finest tropical tipples and mystical
concoctions of the rum shacks, grog shops, and tiki rooms from
Polynesia, the Americas, and the rest of the sunlit world.
Planter’s Punch
From Kingston, Jamaica’s Myrtle Bank Hotel in the 1920’s, this
potent blend of Appleton V/X, Havana Club Anejo Reserva, and
Bacardi Superior Rums, with fresh lime, house made falernum,
soda, and grenadine is about as classic as Tiki cocktails get.
$9.99
Dark and Stormy
A favourite of the early 1900’s at The Bermuda Yacht Club, this
drink is defined by it’s inclusion of Gosling’s Black Seal rum,
spicy Fever Tree ginger beer, and fresh lime. $7.99
PKNY
A 1971 precursor to the Pina Colada otherwise known as a
Painkiller, this drink originated at The Soggy Dollar Bar in the
British Virgin Islands, but was made famous in 2011 in a lawsuit
between Pusser’s Navy Rum and the New York tiki bar named
after the drink. We serve it with Havana Club 7yr Anejo Reserva
Rum, fresh pineapple juice, orange juice, and cream of coconut.
$7.99

Sloe Stone Fizz
For a refreshing break from island spirits, this Beefeater 24 gin
based cocktail combines English Breakfast Tea syrup, fresh
lemon juice, sloe gin and soda water perfectly suited to sipping
in the early morning sun. $6.99
Caped Crusader
Our improvement on Brazil’s national cocktail, the Caipirinha,
sources fresh Niagara blueberries, and pairs them with Leblon
Cachaca, fresh lime, house made Falernum, and Italian sparkling
wine. $8.49
Back to Gak
In 2011, Campari acquired Sagatiba Cachaca, and lost our dear
friend and global brand ambassador John Gakuru. Our tribute
to him combines Leblon Cachaca, Campari, spicy Fever Tree
ginger beer, fresh grapefruit and Angostura Bitters. $7.99
Canal Runner
An early inclusion into Bravo’s cocktail program, this house
favourite combines Flor de Cana 5yr Old Nicaraguan Rum, The
Kraken spiced rum, fresh pineapple juice, and Aperol liqueur,
produced in Canale, Italy. $7.49
Tai Fighter
Our sweeter, potent take on the classic Mai Tai, pairing fresh
grapefruit with house made Almond syrup, Bacardi Anejo rum,
and Snow Owl White Whisky. $8.49

SEASONAL HOUSE FAvOURITES
A collection of our favourite in house creations, inspired by the
season, and crafted with the same attention to detail and care for
premium ingredients that matter.
The Mysterious Mrs. Smith
Our tribute to Belvedere’s global ambassador, this delectable
quaff is a dangerously delicate blend of Belvedere Vodka, Lillet
Blanc, elderflower, and fresh grapefruit juice. Claire, if you ever
stop by, the first one’s on us. $7.99
Abbott’s Legacy
Before JP Wiser passed, he left his Legacy in the recipe of one of
our favourite Canadian whiskies, and this is our attempt at
making a good thing even better, with an addition of Amaro
Montenegro, Abbott’s bitters, and Niagara strawberry shrub.
$8.99
Johnnie’s Downfall
Consider this our improvement on the not so classic “Appletini”.
Apple-infused Bombay Sapphire, Becherovka liqueur, fresh lime
juice, and our homemade grenadine are shaken vigorously and
delicately decorated. $7.99

Two Four Eight
A refreshing mix of Beefeater 24 Gin, Lillet Blanc, Aperol liqueur,
and Grapefruit bitters that won over the judges in the 2010 Royal
Mixology Competition, sending bartender Nick Nemeth to
England for Beefeater’s invitation-only Gin School. $7.99
Loretto Lynne
This surprisingly potent creation combines a few of our
favourite things; Maker’s Mark Bourbon, fresh grapefruit juice,
house Kola syrup, Angostura, and Peychaud’s bitters. Think of it
as the best whisky and coke you’ve ever had, with a hearty
helping of fresh. $7.99
Little Italy
It’s tough to one-up a Manhattan for a stiff sipper, but this
wonderfully complex spin featuring Havana Club Anejo
Reserva Rum, Italian Vermouth, Amaro Averna, and Angostura
bitters is easy to rank better than the exceptional original. $7.99
zumela
This spiced apple cooler blends Zubrowka Bisongrass Vodka,
with the cinnamon-spice of Becherovka liqueur, Apple juice,
fresh mint, and Angostura Bitters. Fresh, spicy, and sweet; tough
to beat. $7.49


WORLD OF SPIRITS
Here at Bravo, our bar team takes every effort to scour the stores
for some of the finest, rarest ingredients available, and we’re
proud to offer one of the finest stocked bars in Niagara.
Due to the rarity of some of these, we can’t guarantee we will
always have stock of the following, but chances are, the collection
will already have grown by the time you read this.
Spirit Flights (Three 1oz Tastes)
Can’t decide on what you’d like? Why not try a few. Take your
pick of any of the following combinations, served neat, or we’d
be happy to tailor a flight to your tastes.
A Taste of Niagara $16
Three fine whiskies from the folks at Forty Creek: Barrel Select,
Double Barrel, and Confederation Oak.
Awesome Agave $18
A tour through the evolution of some fine agave spirits, including
Zacbe Organic Mezcal, Tromba Tequila, and Herradura
Reposado Tequila.
A Pirate’s Share $16
Some of our favourite rums from around the world, featuring
Havana Club 7 Year (Cuba), El Dorado 12 Year (Guyana)
and Ron Zacapa 23 Year (Guatemala)
Scottish Smoke $21
Feeling sophisticated? Take a trip through Scotland and enjoy a
dram of Chivas Regal 12 Year, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, and
Oban 14 Year.
Kentucky Bourbon Trail $16
We’ve always been partial to Bourbon, and this flight features
three of our favourites: Maker’s 46, Four Roses Small Batch, and
Woodford Reserve.