No matter what time of year you visit, vacationing in Niagara will afford you ample opportunity to relax and enjoy yourself. From the casinos and the shopping to the simple pleasure you’re sure to get from taking in the region’s eponymous waterfalls, there is so much to see and do that almost anyone can have a good time here — even the lover of quality cocktails.
While Niagara certainly doesn’t have the speakeasy and prohibition-style cocktail reputation enjoyed by larger urban areas such as New York City, that doesn’t mean the spirits snob will suffer. Here are a handful of places where you can get a great cocktail in the Niagara region, whether you’re enjoying it along with dinner or as the precursor to even more cocktails.
The Rainbow Room
One of the finest restaurants in the region, The Rainbow Room by Massimo Capra also boasts an excellent wine list, a full bar, and a delightful cocktail selection. Whether you make a reservation for dinner or you come in for a mid-afternoon drink and snack — something light and fresh-tasting that will pair well with a salad, for example — you simply cannot go wrong with this establishment. Everything from the food and decor to the view is top-notch, which makes the cocktails taste that much better.
The Keg Steakhouse
The Keg SteakhouseA chain that has numerous locations throughout Canada, The Keg Steakhouse is a great place to get a steak or a martini. Especially if you like your martinis made in line with the classic style — a.k.a. gin-based — their Cucumber Collins is a must. Hendrick’s Gin is shaken with simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, muddled English cucumber, and fresh rosemary before being topped with a bit of 7up.
Two Black Sheep
Located in St. Hamilton, this small and hip space is the perfect place to grab an unusual and expertly crafted cocktail. Charcuterie plates, local wine, chocolates, oysters, and booze abound. If you’re looking for a cocktail experience that feels like it’s a direct homage to Brooklyn, Two Black Sheep will fit the bill. They’re open every day from 4 p.m. until 2 a.m., and they also feature dollar oysters between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. every day. It’s the perfect place for an early evening hangout or an after the party nightcap.
Avanti Bar and Grill
An Italian restaurant in Niagara Falls, Avanti Bar and Grill can be counted on to provide a good cocktail, regardless of the type of liquor you’re seeking. A simple establishment that features excellent fare, you can easily sit down at the bar and enjoy everything from a Manhattan or a Negroni to a Chocolate Martini. Should you also be hankering for a meal, their pizza is excellent, too. They also offer plenty of beer specials for whenever you decide you need to pace yourself a bit.
Whatever it is that calls you to Niagara, don’t neglect the cocktail-loving side of yourself. Whether you find yourself in Niagara Falls proper or in St. Catharines, the region has plenty of restaurants and bars where your love for fine spirits can be both awakened and sated.
Wine enthusiasts the world over have been taking notice of the Niagara Peninsula for over three decades now thanks to the region’s remarkable wine makers and grape-friendly terroir. It’s a trend that seems to show no sign of slowing as, every year; more and more people realize that Niagara wine is some of the finest in the world.
The Beer
As any local or regular visitor to Niagara can tell you, the place is full of entertainment options. Arcades, nature hikes, bird watching, musical theater, indoor water parks, concerts, and more— from sun-up to long past sun-down, there really is always plenty of fun to be had. In fact, there’s so much fun to be had in Niagara that it’s hard to keep track of all of it — especially when what you need is something to do on a low-key afternoon.
Located in a historic two-story limestone building that’s almost 150 years old, the Lundy’s Lane Historical Museum marks and commemorates the Battle of Lundy’s Lane, the Battle of Chippawa, and the War of 1812 overall. An expansive collection of artifacts related to the time and the war is housed in the museum, including numerous rare prints of Niagara Falls over the years. Open to curious visitors and researchers alike, the museum offers hours throughout the year in an attempt to keep the history of the region — and the early 19th-century war that affected it so greatly — alive. The museum also includes artifacts and displays related to the African Experience in Niagara Falls, as the region was an important stopping point for escaped slaves from the United States before the Civil War.
Niagara Falls is known for many wonderful things and deservedly so. From the waterfalls that made the region famous to the world-class and award-winning wineries and vineyards that fill the countryside in and around it, any visit to Niagara Falls is bound to include unforgettable experiences. While it may seem improbable to the uninitiated in the ways of decadent fudge, Niagara’s fudge shops are just one more reason to love the place. Rich, creamy, and easy to find, here is a look at some of the best fudge in Niagara, just in time to help you get your fix this holiday season.
Located on Clifton Hill, the Fudge Factory features over 20 different flavors of gourmet fudge, all of it made fresh, right there. They also have a Candy Bar that allows you to purchase over 50 different types of candy and chocolate in bulk and at bulk-rate prices, which means you won’t have to choose between satisfying your craving for delicious fudge and your craving for Sour Soothers. Perhaps the best thing about the Fudge Factory is the fact that it’s open every day of the year, and during the busy season from June to September, they don’t close down until 1 a.m.
All across Canada, the United States, and throughout much of the world, families and friends will soon gather to celebrate and mark another holiday season. In between catching up with one another, opening presents, and taking long and treasured walks down memory lane, the activity that’s bound to receive the most preparation and attention is definitely holiday eating. While every get-together will have its own spin on the classics, whether you’re indulging in latkes or Christmas cookies, one solid standby that will appear on almost every holiday table is roast turkey. This year, let that bird shine, by pairing it with a perfectly chosen glass of Niagara Peninsula wine.
A little bit of sugar can be a great help with the saltiness that often accompanies a holiday meal, and a crisp and off-dry riesling is often seen as turkey’s best companion. Especially if you can find something that has a bit of fruit it in, a riesling can sit next to turkey as well as the finest of cranberry sauces. Some of the best rieslings in the Niagara Peninsula come from the following wineries:
For the average eater of cheese, cheddar is cheddar and a gouda is indistinguishable from provolone. To the cheese lover, however, there are worlds of difference to be experienced even within the same variety of cheese. No two gorgonzolas or comtes are alike given the fact that everything from where the cheese was made to how long it was aged can all heavily influence a cheese’s outcome.
Behind the excellent cheese and craftsmanship of the Upper Canada Cheese Company is the milk that’s used to make their cheeses. Only milk from Guernsey cows is used, and the ones that supply the Upper Canada Cheese Company come from the herd that resides at the Comfort Family Farm. Guernsey cows are rare — there are only six Guernsey herd in all of Canada — and they are known for producing a golden milk that’s higher in butterfat and, therefore, richer in flavor. They also enjoy a storied history that reaches back into the 10th century onto a small island in the English Channel called the Isle of Guernsey.
Whether you’re at work or going back to graduate school, autumn can be a very busy and hectic time, as the easy, breezy skin of summer’s lull is finally and fully stripped away. Add the holiday squeeze of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s to that, and the months of November and December can begin to feel downright overwhelming for some of us.
Unlike most parades, the Port Colborne Annual Lighted Santa Claus Parade takes place in the evening, which transforms the seemingly commonplace experience of attending a parade into a magical experience that’s perfect for the holiday season. Head to Port Colborne on December 5 by 5:30 p.m. to get a good spot, and bring along some hot cocoa or cider, as well as some non-perishable canned goods if you’d like — the Port Colborne Optimist Club will be collecting them along the parade route. The parade gets underway by 6:30 p.m., and after it’s over, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy Port Colborne’s charming downtown. Grab a bite of international and Asian-inspired fare at The Smokin’ Buddha after the parade, or, if you get to town early enough, grab a fresh fish lunch or afternoon snack at Minor Fisheries.
Whether you’re a serious student of yoga or just beginning what you hope will be a life-long practice, going on vacation can throw a wrench into the spokes of your well-meaning routine. After all, isn’t that why we go on vacation in the first place? To rest from our labors, reawaken our delight in the uncommon, and jolt ourselves out of our habitual endeavors? Unlike many of the habits of daily life, however, yoga isn’t something that clouds our vision or adds stress. Instead, it brings the practitioner more fully into the present, which actually makes it the perfect companion to a vacation.
A teacher who found her way to yoga first via the practice of Kundalini Yoga, Diane Manjeet Herring opened Shine On Yoga in Niagara Falls in 2011. A deep interest in yoga as therapy has driven and continues to drive her practice and instruction, and she is a tireless advocate of yoga for everyone, regardless of age, income, or ability. Especially if you’re new to the practice or have worried about past injuries or limitations, taking a class at Shine On while you’re vacationing is a great idea. The yoga studio is beautiful and welcoming, and a wide variety of different types of yoga classes are available. Shine On Yoga also offers a free yoga class for the community and visitors now and again at the Niagara Falls Museum.
For many people, the holidays are often more stressful than fun, prompting many to take to the roads and skies in search of destinations where fun can be had without any feelings of accompanying obligation. However, especially for Americans who have only a short four-day weekend with which to mark their gratitude at Thanksgiving every November, getting out of town is often more trouble than it’s worth. But if you don’t venture too far out of the way, Thanksgiving can be a great holiday to experience in a new location.
Eating in the Niagara region is one of the highlights of any knowledgeable foodie tourist. The farm to table movement is alive and well in the Niagara area, which means there is plenty of local, delicious produce available for area chefs to work with — even in November. Regardless of what you like to eat, you can find an entirely new Thanksgiving menu to enjoy when you spend your last Thursday of November in Niagara. Skip the cranberry sauce, the dressing, and the turkey, and choose one of the area’s award-winning, farm-centered restaurants instead — many of which are located at area wineries, including:
Summer is great for fruity frozen drinks; winter needs deep, warming cocktails; but autumn is indubitably the beer season. Fortunately, Niagara Falls is an excellent destination for a beer-cation, especially during September and October when the regional hops fields are being harvested and the local brewers are hard at work fermenting new ales and lagers. This year, you shouldn’t bother trying to scrounge up tickets to Belgium or Germany — Oktoberfest is 
If these two events don’t provide nearly enough ales and lagers, you can round out your Niagara beer-cation with a tour of the Niagara beer trail. Though the region is known better for its excellent wineries, Niagara is quickly becoming a craft brewer’s paradise due to the plethora of fresh ingredients for beer-making.