Proof Cocktail Bar

The brainchild of Vine Arts liquor boutique owners Jesse Willis and Jeff Jamieson, Proof Cocktail Bar is a stylish 60-seat watering hole specializing in handcrafted cocktails and spirited creations. Headed by Nathan Head (of Milk Tiger Lounge), Tony Migliarese (of Cilantro) and bar manager Jeff Savage (formerly of Edmonton’s Three Boars Eatery), Proof offers Calgarians an unpretentious introduction to cocktail culture.

"Through the States and major cities in Canada you see this cocktail culture and a group of individuals who are passionate about spirits and cocktail making. And we believed it could happen here," says Proof general manager and managing partner Tony Migliarese.

Upon entry, Proof is split into two sides – the bar area on the left and a more intimate seating area and open kitchen on the right. The space was designed by Sarah Ward – the designer behind The Nash and Corbeaux Bakehouse – and exudes upscale, rustic charm. Proof is decorated with kitschy industrial lighting, plush leather bar seats and eccentric touches of decor like the bar’s infamous pelican lamp.

“We have strange and weird cocktails, but when you taste them they are so familiar to you,” Tony says. “There's ingredients you may have never seen before, but it all makes sense when you taste it.”