Civil Works is an irresistible riot of contradictions; gloriously stylish, it's also noticeably casual and fun. Carefully calibrated and precise, its menu is a delight to beverage nerds and to people just wanting to sip on something surprising.

From the moment it opened this summer, Waterworks Food Hall has wowed diners with its eclectic mix of local food businesses.

Stroll through the heritage building and you'll pass Aburi Sushi on one side, Otto's Berlin Doner on the other, with arepas, stuffed naan, burgers, ramen and more pulling you in every direction.

The newest addition, located in the hall's mezzanine level, is Civil Works, an art-deco modelled space with soaring ceilings, vintage carpets, and plenty of settees to swoon in when the team's bracing cocktails catch you off guard.

From the people behind the award-winning Civil Liberties bar and cocktail company Civil Pours, the space feels sincere and warm, with a lengthy menu of boundary-pushing beverages.

"This space is stunning," says bar manager Elise Hanson. "The expectation is that we'd be in suits but we want it to feel friendly and approachable. The goal is to break that guest-to-server barrier."

The perfect person to do just that? Team Civil partner Nick Kennedy, a gregarious type that Hanson describes as "a master of hospitality."

With 21 cocktails and 12 waters (more on that in a minute) on the menu, there's plenty to keep the team busy. Kennedy, says Hanson, "reminds us all that we're ultimately here for the guest to have fun."

And from the moment you're seated, that's exactly what you'll do. Presented with A Manual for Laying Pipe (which is much less risqué than it sounds), you'll marvel at the lengths the team went to create its menu, hue closely to a theme and just "nerd out," as Kennedy says, on every drop customers will imbibe.

That theme, as Kennedy explains, was shaped by the building's history. Between 1932 and 1964, he says, it was the place where pipes were built for the city of Toronto. The menu, then, is a cheeky ode to that momentous backstory.

Along with a description of each beverage, it includes an informative passage on actual steps taken to make and, ahem, lay pipe. From the menu's wealth of creative cocktails to the shreds of innuendo, it's clear that this team isn't afraid to let loose.

The best place to begin? With an order of unlimited Civil Worked Water ($8). Yes, this is a cocktail bar but it's through the water that you'll begin to understand the team's manic devotion to excellence.

"Before I knew about the piping, I thought the Waterworks was a water filtration plant," says Kennedy, explaining how the water portion of the menu came about. "The entire back bar is an homage to the building and all the water services that went on here."

"We replicate water from all over the world," he continues. "We take Toronto tap water, which is delicious, tastes like home, we then filter out all the minerals and re-add new minerals to replicate places like Chichibu, in Japan, Speyside, Scotland and Bardstown, in Kentucky." 

The team can then "pair those with whiskys, cognacs and hopefully just good times," he quips.

The result, is a variety of waters that take customers on a global tour. Not convinced? Even skeptics, says Kennedy, soon come around to the fact that, "not all water tastes the same." He adds, "a vodka soda made with different waters will taste totally different."

From there, dive into a menu that ranges from bubbly openers to a slew of creative signature pours.

Recently named the Most Imaginative Bartender 2024, by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, Elise Hanson has guided the team in creating a bevy of cocktails that lead guests on a surprising journey.

With Cava and seasonal peach and Campari sorbet, Scroppino ($20) is a flirty and fresh next step. With a name that translates roughly to "untie," it’s a frothy way to shed the day's concerns.

Another sudsy pour, and one of Kennedy's personal favourites, Guinness on Draught ($10) may not flaunt the team's skills but does show off its affection for detail.

Positioned on a bottom-lit glorifier, to let the first pour settle, it's then topped up exactly 93 seconds later. The direct-draw system also ensures a perfectly creamy pint, each and every time.

Named for the building's architect, the Woolnough ($19) is a heady combination of Cocchi Rosa, dry vermouth, Talisker 10 and haskap berry. A vetiver and sandalwood tincture take the cocktail from "light and fruity" to something with "depth and a woody character," says Hanson.

Crisp and aromatic, Equilibrium ($22) is the beverage that earned Hanson her recent win.

Made with ingredients chosen to highlight the botanicals in its dose of Bombay Sapphire, it also include Calvados, Manzanilla sherry and forest cordial, made with locally-foraged ingredients, from apples and balsam fir to sage, wild juniper, fennel seeds and more.

"It drinks like a modernized sour apple martini," she explains.

Named for a process that involved hammering sand "until it was extremely stiff," Pounding Sand ($24) was created by Civil Works' head of prep, Jorge Rodriguez. "It's all the components of an al pastor taco," says Hanson. "It's kind of like a twist on a mezcal margarita."

Topped with masa foam, the drink contains corn-husk infused mezcal, achiote cordial, lacto-fermented pineapple, lime and Civil Pours Hesperidium. Tangy and savoury, with whispers of citrus and fruit, it's a drink that keeps you coming back for more.

With plans to flesh out the menu with food from downstairs — including tacos, pizzas and zippy, fragrant bites from Vit Béo, team Civil alum David Hyunh’s Vietnamese concept — Civil Works will soon offer visitors everything they could possibly want for a seriously terrific time.

Civil Works is located at 50 Brant Street, Event Level, Unit 21.