Electric Bill Bar, new to the Bloorcourt area, is bringing something to Toronto's nightlife scene that we've likely never had before: an emulation of Australian bar culture. 

You're probably wondering: what is Australian bar culture?

You won't find that Aussie inspiration in a specific, pigeonholed menu they're holding themselves to. According to Electric Bill's owner, Australian-native Casey Ryan, you'll find it in their style of service more than anywhere else. 

"It's a lot more about the approach to service and the mentality," says Casey. "A little more chill, a little more playful — very cheeky."

It's Casey's goal to let the customer lead their own experience at Electric Bill Bar.

Rather than have his servers explain the menu in detail and linger around the table to map the night out, his staff are encouraged to "shoot the shit" with customers, or even leave them alone for the evening if it feels right. 

"We really don’t take ourselves too seriously," says Casey — though he and the team have every right to.

Casey Ryan has an impressive history in Toronto's bar scene. After working for several years as the head bartender at the award-winning Civil Liberties, just a few storefronts over, Ryan and owners Nick Kennedy and Dave Huynh were interested in expanding their resume. 

Casey, in particular, was nostalgic for a sense of his southern hemispheric home here in Toronto and set out to create a space that paid tribute to Aussie classics and could provide a home away from home.

Tucked on a bustling Bloor Street corner near Ossington Station, the steamy windows and glowing shadows within are an incredibly tempting call to enter the lively space.

Upon sitting down, either at a charming little table or the booming bar, you'll be presented with a thick, page-marked dictionary — which happens to be the cocktail menu.

With each cocktail being named after an Australian slang term, the playful dictionary not only explains the ingredients of each drink, but the meaning behind its name as well.

Plus, it certainly helps emphasize the spirited atmosphere Casey is pushing for.

"You give someone a dictionary and they give you a funny look — or they sit down next to someone at the bar and see them reading a dictionary," reminisces Casey with a chuckle. 

Their quirky shell is fitting: those cocktails have a lot of seriously unique ingredients. 

Seasonality is key at Electric Bill Bar, hence the current menu featuring winter flavours. The beet-forward Bin Chicken ($17.50) - featuring Cocchi Americano, pineapple skin oleo (margarine), and lemon - is earthy and strong.

This is thanks to Electric Bill's employment of the "switching" technique which Casey explains consists of freezing alcohol down (here, gin) into the -30s to remove the water content and "watering" it back down with a secondary flavour component (here, beet juice).

This way, you concentrate the flavours into one potent sip, rather than a muddle of ingredients. 

If you're seeking something fruity, the starchy sweet potato isn't overpowering in the Budgie Smuggler ($16.50) and instead lends a sweetness to the Cachaca, Gentian Apertif, and lime.

Alternatively, grab Casey's current favourite, the Good Egg ($17.50) consisting of gin, fermented passionfruit and strawberries, whey, egg, and sparkling water.

The vibrantly flavoured drink may at first remind you of a Whiskey Sour, but the inspiration comes from Australia's popular meringue dessert Pavolva, and this drink gets impressively creamy when you give it a good mix. 

"We look at seasonality two ways: not just with the ingredients, but with techniques. On winter menus, we do a lot of stuff with fermentation and switching — ways to showcase fruits in a different way," says Casey.

"It might not be [a fruit's] season, but there's preservation techniques you can do so that the [fruit] tastes different in November than it would in summer."

One fruit that really gets its moment in the winter sun here is apples, particularly shining in the Whiskey Apple ($12.00).

Paired simply with Lot 40 whiskey, Granny Smith apples are freshly squeezed to order for this drink — so fresh we were warned to drink it fast, before it turned. 

And the flavour truly is fresh. Incredibly clean and simple, you can barely detect the whiskey aside from a little warmth on the palette — it's as dangerous as you'd imagine.

But the cocktail-foward drink menu isn't here to alienate anyone; it's Casey's intention to ensure Electric Bill Bar is a neighbourhood spot for everyone.

The majority of the cocktails on the list can easily be made into a thoughful non-alcoholic rendetion, and there's even a house canned beer in case you need to wash down some delicious eats. 

Just like with its libations, Electric Bill's late night snack menu takes inspiration from down under. 

While you might get lucky coming across the odd hand-held meat pie or Vegemite and cheese toastie in Toronto, having an entire menu at your fingertips inspired by the varied cultures and eats in Australia is tricky to find.

The small but mighty snack menu has both homey eats from Casey's Australian childhood, as well as some modern fare for the more sophisticated palette. 

Chicken Parm Lollipops ($12.00), apparently an absolute Aussie staple, come coated with a crunchy panko exterior and packed with gooey mozzarella, ready to swim in the side marinara sauce.

For those looking to try the infamous Australian spread Vegemite, your prayers are somewhat answered.

While the Aussie version of the savoury yeast spread is pricey to get your hands on, you'll find the similar British spread Marmite coating the Grilled Napa Cabbage ($9.50), alongside black tahini and preserved lemon. 

An incredibly unexpected take on the vegetable, the dish is pleasantly nutty and mild, unburdened by the typically tangy and overpowering spread. 

And it's not the only coincidentally vegan dish on the menu — in fact, 50 per cent of the snack menu just so happens to be plant-forward.

Juicy Mushroom Scallops ($11.50) get the seafood treatment with a charred sear and a spiced gastrique glazed on top, sitting on a creamy and sweet edamame puree. 

If that insatiable hunger for something meaty and hearty is still calling, answer it with the Beef Sausage Roll ($9).

Another Australian staple, Casey shares that culturally it's likened to down under's version of a hot dog. It's the go-to grab at a sports game, likely to be quickly heated up and passed around at a family event.

Keeping with tradition at Electric Bill Bar, the flaky roll is served with a chipotle tomato sauce; ketchup isn't something you'll find often in Australia, apparently.

Don't be surprised if you find yourself here every weekend — Casey knows his crowd; "We're new here, but we've been in this community for a long time."

Whether you're familiar with and fond of the southern continent or not, it's likely entering Electric Bill Bar will still feel like a warm homecoming. 

With chatty, bubbly staff, a unique and satisfying snack menu and, of course, an impressive cocktail list that's sure to catch your eye, there's endless reasons Electric Bill will pull you back time and time again. 

Electric Bill Bar is located at 866 Bloor Street West.