The Drake Hotel is getting a seriously spooky makeover this fall as the award-winning Halloween cocktail experience Black Lagoon arrives on Queen West.
Known for turning bars into immersive Halloween experiences, Black Lagoon is set to transform The Drake into a dark, metal-inspired destination with unique decor, cinematic lighting, as well as Halloween-style programming and a special cocktail menu created just for the pop-up.
The Toronto stop is part of Black Lagoon’s 2026 North American series.
Created by bartenders Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage, Black Lagoon has developed a loyal macabre-loving audience for combining cool Halloween aesthetics with serious cocktail-making prowess. Rather than simply adding a few cobwebs and pumpkin decorations to an existing bar, the concept temporarily takes over venues and turns them into fully themed Halloween spaces.
“Every year, we look for new ways to expand the world of Black Lagoon and create a spooky attraction that goes beyond a traditional Halloween pop-up,” says co-founders Hayes and Ramage. “Black Lagoon has always been a place where Halloween fans, cocktail enthusiasts and everyone in between can come together, and we’re excited to continue building that world through new venues, new creations and unexpected surprises this season.”
For Toronto, that means The Drake will trade its familiar Queen West personality for something considerably more sinister. The experience is built around immersive decor, theatrical lighting, soundscapes, collectible glassware and a new cocktail menu, creating something that sits somewhere between a haunted house and a cocktail bar.
The cocktails are a major part of the experience. The complete 2026 menu has not yet been released, but some drinks have been revealed. Abyssa’s Obsession is a spooky take on a piña colada made with pumpkin-infused spiced rum, Oloroso sherry, coconut, pineapple, lime and tobacco bitters. And, Bone Temple takes the margarita in a darker fall direction with tequila, sherry, tart cherry, spiced oat orgeat, lime, vanilla honey, absinthe and tobacco bitters.
Black Lagoon began as a one-time pop-up but has since grown into an annual Halloween event, with participating bars across North America temporarily becoming part of the Black Lagoon universe.
“A few nights into our very first year in Toronto, we suddenly had a line down the block. We were completely mind-blown. What really sealed it for us, though, was hearing from so many guests about how much they loved the experience — that they’d never been anywhere quite like it and that it felt like such a fun, safe space,” the co-founders said, for a previous article on Streets of Toronto.
The Toronto experience is expected to run as a limited-time fall activation, with opening dates and the complete cocktail lineup to be announced. For anyone looking for something beyond the usual Halloween party this year, The Drake could be one of Toronto’s more unusual places to get into the spooky-season spirit.
And considering Queen West is already one of the city’s better neighbourhoods for a night out, a Halloween cocktail bar taking over The Drake gives Torontonians a pretty convenient place to start.