Montreal nightlife is so varied, but we’ve always thought the downtown core needed an elegant lounge in which to enjoy cocktails.

We got our holiday wish at The Club House, the new third floor lounge atop Rosalie Supper Club. The lofty space has everything you could want in a downtown speakeasy, from Moët by the bottle to surprise live entertainment (on the night we were there they had a saxophone player and three flapper girls dancing atop the bar!). We loved the décor featuring stunning wood floors and Gun lamps by Philippe Starck, as well as the music which mixed eras from the '20s to today. Go early to lounge and chat with friends, or later for a more club-like atmosphere.

Consider us members. —Jennifer Nachshen

Only open Wednesdays from 8pm, The Club House, 1232 Rue de la Montagne,  Montreal, 514-392-1970, www.rosalierestaurant.com

After our successful first foray into adult popsicles using Caramilk liquor, we started searching around for other icy recipes to help us beat the heat with a bit of a buzz.

We found recipes for mango-mojito popsicles from Erica’s Sweet Tooth, sangria ice-pops from Emily Bites and these fab vodka-spiked ices made with fresh watermelon by culinary goddess, Giada de Laurentiis. We used these stunning stainless steel molds from Onxy Containers to make our ice-pops, but you can go green by freezing your libation of choice in a thoroughly cleaned yogourt container with a lid.

Just make sure that the kids don’t find them, or there might be tears at happy hour. —Jennifer Nachshen

One of our favourite holiday gifts was this Bacardi gift set, complete with everything we need to ramp up our mojito mojo. Here’s a recipe for a sweet and spicy Ginger and Lemongrass Mojito that we’re pretty sure was responsible for curing our winter cold.

Ingredients
1 ½ oz Bacardi Superior Rum
½ lime
1 tsp Sugar
1 oz Bottlegreen Ginger and Lemongrass Soda
8-10 fresh mint leaves
Mandarin orange segments

Directions
Muddle mint, sugar and lime in a highball glass. Fill with ice, add 1½ oz. Bacardi Superior Rum and top with Bottlegreen Ginger and Lemongrass Soda. Stir well and garnish with a mandarin orange segments and sprig of mint.

Our Rx? Take two every Friday and don’t call the doctor in the a.m.

$35.45 at the SAQ until mid-January, www.bacardi.com

Decorating the house for Halloween needn’t be a headache. Just put your heads together.

A couple of Crystal Heads that is. The premium vodka brand owned by Dan Aykroyd and made in Newfoundland multitasks. The super smooth spirit within spikes the punch and the skull-shaped glass bottle you’re left with displays your candy corn in a goth way.

It’s a graveyard smash.

$54.99, find retailers here.

With peaches so plump and juicy this time of year we’re blending them into a summer cocktail.  This recipe for Cuban-style Peach Mojitos is peachy keen:

Ingredients
1 lime
1 Ontario peach, peeled and sliced
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup peach juice
3 oz white rum
2 cups ice, crushed
10 mint leaves
1/4 cup carbonated soda

Method
Squeeze juice from the lime into blender.
Add peach slices, sugar, juice and rum; blend until smooth.
Add crushed ice and pulse until combined. Pulse in mint leaves.
Pour into 2 chilled glasses. Add a splash of soda and garnish with peach slices and mint leaves.

Makes 2 servings.

After a long, cold winter, Montrealers don’t just desire to dine al fresco, we downright deserve it.

L’Autre Version’s stunning vine-covered terrace offers an urban oasis in the heart of Old Montreal. We dined on a duo of taratare ($17), featuring succulent ostrich and savoury smoked duck, followed by a melt-in-your-mouth filet of deer with Guinness cheddar potato puree on the side ($35). Challenged by the owner, we tried to determine the seven secret ingredients in the l’Aphrodesiaque cocktail. No one has ever done it (we guessed five), but if you do, your meal is free.

Now that’s what we call getting your just desserts.

L’Autre Version, 295 St-Paul St. E., Montreal, 514-871-9135, www.restoversion.com

Just in time for all those SATC 2 parties, a locally produced cocktail just for us gals.

Created by Montrealer Annick Major, Urb’nlili is a yummy new vodka beverage ($15.95/4 bottles) blended with plant extracts like ginkgo biloba, ginseng and guarana. The bottles are foxy and we love how each one is sweetened with all-natural fruit like lychee, lime or cranberry.

Cheers m’dears!

At SAQ Dépôt, Marché Central, 1001 rue du Marché Central, Montreal, 514- 383-9954, www.saq.com

To get us through the last leg of winter we need food, friends and firewater.

With its giant windows, cozy vibe and sinfully high-carb menu, we’ve found salvation at Le Chien Fumant. Do start with a fabulous French 75 cocktail ($8), made from brandy, sparkling wine, sugar and lemon. We dove into a bowl of spicy-sweet New Dynasty Calamari ($15) before savouring a basket of Southern Fried Rabbit ($31) that put the colonel to shame. 

And with the menu changing every few days, a few regular visits will take us right through to summer sun. 

Le Chien Fumant, 4710 rue de Lanaudière, Montreal, 514-524-2444.

Our favorite flare master and mighty mixologist Fabien Maillard (owner of the LAB bar) has just opened his own college of cocktail.

Watch out, Tom Cruise.

$500/24 hours instruction, includes manual and materials.

Workshops begin February 7, Mixoart Flare Gym, 160 St-Viateur #800A, Montreal, 514-303-1131, www.mixoart.com

It takes something special to make us put down our glass of Rhône-produced Syrah.

But now that Rickard’s has introduced an English Porter-like Dark Ale (from $8 for six), our guy is thrilled to find us breaking out the six packs. Made using roasted barley and caramel malt, its creamy flavor and special sweet tinge come from Quebec-made maple syrup.

There goes our other six pack…

At Metro stores, www.metro.ca