When Douglas and Vania Gray built a wine room and bar for their personal use and to entertain friends in their Victoria Park townhouse, they had no idea the space would become a swanky hub for positive change.
Douglas is a retired IT entrepreneur and cocktail aficionado with a robust (understatement alert!) collection of spirits (300-plus varieties) and wine (600-plus bottles); Vania is a florist and an elegant maker of savoury bites to accompany the bespoke beverages her husband shakes and stirs. A couple of years ago, Douglas elevated his craft by creating a “passport menu” of drink options for their friends to choose from, including a Tennessee-style whiskey sour and a scofflaw à la Harry’s Bar in Paris.
When one delighted friend jokingly posted a Google review of the Grays’ bar — and Douglas subsequently fielded a few calls from strangers looking to stop by for a drink — the couple hatched a plan to leverage their pro happy-hour skills to help others.
A long-time supporter of Inn from the Cold, Douglas created GrayBarYYC as an incentive to encourage Calgarians to give to the charity. “People can book a table in our private space, come over with their friends for a couple of cocktails and charcuterie, and enjoy the speakeasy vibe with us,” he says. The feel-good catch? “Everyone in the group has to make a minimum donation of $250 to the Inn.” Sure, that’s a pricey couple of hours but, says Douglas, “a martini or glass of bubbly is just a bonus for doing something meaningful.”
So far, the Grays have encouraged more than $45,000 in donations (all proceeds go directly to the Inn, which provides tax receipts) by spending $5,000 of their own on food and libations. “It’s a great way to meet cool people,” Douglas adds. And, of course, an ingenious, philanthropic twist on happy hour.
Reserve the private cocktail lounge with your donation at graybaryyc.com.
For more than 25 years, Inn from the Cold has supported families in finding stability during times of crisis. They provide homelessness prevention and diversion, emergency family shelter and supportive housing. They also provide child and youth programming, child care, mental health and well-being support, Indigenous and cultural programming, employment and career counselling, and legal aid. Donations make a significantly positive impact in the lives of children and families.