By Louisa Cohen

In my parents’ refrigerator there is a big bottle of primo champagne. The label is flaking, and the bottle hasn’t been touched in about fifteen years – it isn’t the type of booze I would have jacked from my parents in grade nine.

This specific bottle is set to pop when my mom was to receive her first ‘real’ acting role, or when the first grandchild arrives. Though our lovely mother is a starlet in all of our eyes, and I am sure our family will expand… eventually…the bubbly ain’t being cracked anytime soon. It stays put in the fridge as a symbol of wonderful things to come and celebrations to be had.

Of course, our younger generation is a little more flamboyant, flippant, and laissez-faire about these symbolic gestures… and champagne showers as my man Drake says, happen every 24 hours…in some places, at least.

Friday night I had the privilege of being invited to a private party at Toronto’s newest boutique champagne lounge called FOMO, set to open its doors officially May 20th, 2010. This little hideaway is right in the middle of club land, at 270 Adelaide Street W. – but you’d barely know it’s there, and believe me, they are fine with that. With a self-proclaimed ‘zero douche policy’ at the door and the name of the bar standing for (you guessed it!) Fear Of Missing Out, exclusivity is their modus operandi.

My date and I strolled in at around 11, we noticed immediately it was not the typical club land vibe at all – the space is very cool, think black lights and décor that looked like a space age graffiti artist had his way with the room. Oh, and the entire venue was about the size of my first Queen Street bachelor apartment, save for a stairwell up to the washrooms and dj booth. The crowd was a bit of a grab bag of all types… but truly no douche bags. Good-looking people with unique style, pretty faces, and friendly smiles. Come on, who gets grumpy drinking champagne? I even got to chat with the exotically beautiful Pastel Supernova, the lady of the former Fritz Helder and the Phantoms (shed a tear).

According to FOMO’s publicist Michael Ianni, they are hoping to cater to the Much Music and CTV crowd, as they are just a skip around the corner. The gentleman I brought with me inquired with Michael about what the ‘zero douche policy’ was all about (for he himself joked that his entire wardrobe was douche bag-chic).

Michael simply laughed, looked at him and said, “Well, you know the types… just the kind of ass holes who wouldn’t be cool with seeing dudes wearing heels drinking champagne.”

“Fair enough,” we replied. (We were also relieved he had made the cut).

I think champagne will always stand for high-times and celebrations…maybe just a little more on the regular. Whether you want to drink and dance your face off to Fritz, be the dude who struts in Manolos, or a twosome looking to sneak away to sip on the sweet stuff and talk – FOMO may be your spot.