Wine 101
What’s on your table today? Tell us what you’re eating and we’ll recommend a selection of great wines for every taste and budget. Food and wine pairings are a snap with our Wine Pairing 101 tool.
Beer 101
Move over, wine! In recent years, beer has made its way to the table as a perfect complement to a great meal. Match it up with your favourite foods to enjoy beer in a whole new way. Our Beer 101 tool will help you crack open a winner every time!
Recipes
Open Can Cherry Sour
No glass is required for this tart and sweet cherry soda served in a can, which pairs perfectly with barbecue parties.
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz vodka (45 mL)
¾ oz fresh lemon juice (22 mL)
1 oz peach juice (30 mL)
1 oz cherry juice (30 mL)
1 egg white
½ oz maple syrup (15 mL)
1 can cherry sparkling water
3 cocktail cherries
Method:
Step 1 - Chill the cherry sparkling water to fridge temperature.
Step 2 - Pour sparkling water into a measuring cup, saving both the can and the water.
Step 3 - Shake together vodka, lemon juice, peach juice, cherry juice, maple syrup and the egg white over ice in a cocktail tin for about 60 seconds until it’s nice and frothy.
Step 4 - Carefully strain all of the cocktail into the open can.
Step 5- Slowly fill with about 200 mL of the chilled cherry sparkling water until the foam starts to come out of the can to make a frothy top.
Step 6 - Garnish with three cherries on a cocktail pick.
Lemonade Iced Tea Sangria
This fresh take on sangria brings together all the best things of summer—fresh, in-season fruit, lemonade, iced tea and sparkling rosé wine.
Ingredients:
4 oz iced tea Half & Half Lemonade & Iced Tea (120 mL)
½ oz fresh orange juice(15 mL)
4 oz sparkling rosé wine (120 mL)
5 fresh blueberries
3 fresh strawberries, cut into small pieces
10 small cubes of watermelon
1 slice of watermelon (for garnish)
Method:
Step 1 - In an ice-filled oversized wine glass, add Half & Half Lemonade & Iced Tea and fresh orange juice.
Step 2 - Add fruit and then top with sparkling pink wine.
Step 3 - Garnish with a large watermelon slice or chunk on the rim of the glass.
Mint Chocolate After Dinner Cocktail
Satisfy all your guests with this after dinner cocktail that combines dessert and a post-meal coffee. Inspired by After 8.
Ingredients:
1 scoop mint chocolate chip ice cream 47 mL
1½ oz vodka 45 mL
2 oz espresso (chilled) 60 mL
2 oz whipped cream 60 mL
1 tbsp white chocolate chips
3 drops water-based green food colouring
½ teaspoon cocoa powder (for garnish) 2.5 mL
1 sprig of fresh mint (for garnish)
Method:
Step 1 - In advance, make espresso and chill it down to fridge temperature. When chilled, combine it with vodka in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake for 20 seconds.
Step 2 - Melt the white chocolate and add a couple of drops of green food colouring. Dip the glass coffee cup in the dyed white chocolate.
Step 3 - Next, put a scoop of chocolate mint ice cream in a glass coffee cup and gently pour the vodka-coffee mix around the ice cream.
Step 4 - Top with whipped cream and garnish with a sprig of mint and some cocoa powder.
Zero-Proof It: Use chilled hot chocolate instead of vodka
Bah Humbug Sour
Try a holiday rum sour recipe at your holiday gatherings. A well balanced cocktail, it is made with pomegranate juice, rum, pumpkin spice and simple syrup.
Ingredients:
1½ oz dark rum 45 mL
¾ oz fresh lemon juice 22 mL
½ oz pomegranate juice 15 mL
¾ oz simple syrup 22 mL
½ teaspoon pumpkin spice 2.5 mL
1 raw egg white (optional) 30 mL
3 foil-wrapped chocolate balls (for garnish)
Method:
Step 1 - Shake rum, lemon juice, pomegranate juice, simple syrup, pumpkin spice and egg white in an ice-filled cocktail shaker.
Step 2 - Strain into chilled martini glass and garnish with three chocolate balls on a skewer.
Zero-Proof It: Use iced lemon tea instead of rum.
Chocolate old fashioned
Indulge in a Chocolate Old Fashioned recipe this holiday season. Made with Canadian whiskey, impress your guests with a spin on a classic cocktail.
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Canadian rye whisky 45 mL
¾ oz simple syrup 22 mL
5 dashes chocolate bitters 5mL
1 small orange wedge
1 orange wheel (for garnish)
1 chocolate orange wedge (for garnish)
Chocolate Syrup (for garnish)
Method:
Step 1 - In an Old Fashioned glass put in chocolate syrup at the bottom of the glass, using a hand frother to spread streaks of chocolate across the glass.
Step 2 - Add whisky, syrup and bitters to an Old Fashioned glass. Add one large cube and stir for 30 seconds.
Step 3 - Squeeze the juice from the orange wedge into the glass.
Step 4 - Garnish with the orange wheel and chocolate orange on a cocktail skewer.
Zero-Proof It: Use espresso instead of whisky.
Ho-Ho Cosmo
Give a classic cocktail a holiday spin with this cosmo recipe. Made with gin, cherry-cranberry juice, and blood orange sod it is topped with a festive garnish.
Ingredients:
1½ oz gin 45 mL
2 oz cherry-cranberry juice 60 mL
4 oz blood orange soda 120 mL
1 tablespoon glittery red sugar (for the rim) 15 mL
1 strawberry Santa hat (for garnish)
1 mini marshmallow (for garnish)
1 sprig rosemary
Method:
Step 1 - Make a strawberry Santa hat by cutting the base off a strawberry—including all the greens—and dipping the flat end in whipped cream. Then add a small dollop of the cream to the strawberry top.
Step 2 - Next, rim a spritzer glass with red sugar and fill with ice. Add gin, cherry-cranberry juice and blood orange soda.
Step 3 - Using a toothpick add Santa hat and mini marshmallow to top. Place toothpick in glass with a sprig of fresh rosemary.
Zero-Proof It: Use a chilled hibiscus tea instead of gin.
Mandarita
Try this simple margarita recipe with a twist of orange flavour. It is made with blanco tequila, and a splash of fresh mandarin juice for a hit of citrus.
Ingredients:
1½ oz blanco tequila 45 mL
¾ oz fresh lemon juice 22 mL
2 oz fresh mandarin orange juice (clementine works as well) 60 mL
¾ oz agave syrup 22 mL
3 candied lemon slices (for garnish)
3 candied mandarin slices (for garnish)
1 tablespoon Tajin (or other spicy-sweet salt for rimming the glass) 14 mL
Method:
Step 1 - Rim a glass with spicy salt and fill it with ice.
Step 2 - Combine tequila, both juices and agave syrup in an ice-filled shaker and shake for 45 seconds.
Step 3 - Strain into glass and garnish with candied lemon and mandarin on a cocktail skewer.
Zero-Proof It: Use chilled chamomile tea instead of tequila
Pickle Margarita
This pickle margarita is the bright, punchy and slightly salty flavour bomb you didn’t know you needed to make the summer complete.
Ingredients:
1½ oz blanco tequila (45 mL)
1 oz fresh lime juice (30 mL)
½ oz agave syrup (15 mL)
¼ oz dill pickle brine, ideally with a few seeds (8 mL)
1 pickle spear (for garnish)
1 tb rock salt (for rimming glass) (15 mL)
Method:
Step 1 - Rim a martini glass with rock salt and fill with ice cubes to chill.
Step 2 - Shake tequila, lime juice and agave syrup over ice for 60 seconds or until it’s well-chilled and combined.
Step 3 - Strain cocktail into a chilled martini glass and add pickle brine to the top of the drink as a float.
Step 4 - Garnish with a pickle spear.
Open Can Cherry Sour
No glass is required for this tart and sweet cherry soda served in a can, which pairs perfectly with barbecue parties.
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz vodka (45 mL)
¾ oz fresh lemon juice (22 mL)
1 oz peach juice (30 mL)
1 oz cherry juice (30 mL)
1 egg white
½ oz maple syrup (15 mL)
1 can cherry sparkling water
3 cocktail cherries
Method:
Step 1 - Chill the cherry sparkling water to fridge temperature.
Step 2 - Pour sparkling water into a measuring cup, saving both the can and the water.
Step 3 - Shake together vodka, lemon juice, peach juice, cherry juice, maple syrup and the egg white over ice in a cocktail tin for about 60 seconds until it’s nice and frothy.
Step 4 - Carefully strain all of the cocktail into the open can.
Step 5- Slowly fill with about 200 mL of the chilled cherry sparkling water until the foam starts to come out of the can to make a frothy top.
Step 6 - Garnish with three cherries on a cocktail pick.
Lemonade Iced Tea Sangria
This fresh take on sangria brings together all the best things of summer—fresh, in-season fruit, lemonade, iced tea and sparkling rosé wine.
Ingredients:
4 oz iced tea Half & Half Lemonade & Iced Tea (120 mL)
½ oz fresh orange juice(15 mL)
4 oz sparkling rosé wine (120 mL)
5 fresh blueberries
3 fresh strawberries, cut into small pieces
10 small cubes of watermelon
1 slice of watermelon (for garnish)
Method:
Step 1 - In an ice-filled oversized wine glass, add Half & Half Lemonade & Iced Tea and fresh orange juice.
Step 2 - Add fruit and then top with sparkling pink wine.
Step 3 - Garnish with a large watermelon slice or chunk on the rim of the glass.
Guava Popsicle Fizz
Have your popsicle and eat it too with this ultra-refreshing fizzy gin treat with a cheeky spicy note that intensifies as the popsicle melts into the drink.
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz gin (45 mL)
4 oz guava sparkling water (120 mL)
¾ oz fresh lime juice (22 mL)
1 oz hot honey (30 mL)
½ oz guava juice (15 mL)
1 Passionfruit & Guava popsicle (66 mL)
1 teaspoon spicy-sweet salt mix, such as Tajin Habanero (5 mL)
1 sprig of basil
Method:
Step 1 - Combine gin, lime juice, guava juice, and hot honey in an ice-filled cocktail tin and shake for 60 seconds.
Step 2 - Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass.
Step 3 - Sprinkle a spicy salt mix on one side of the popsicle and balance on the rim of the glass so that it’s partly submerged (depending on the shape of the glass, you may need to make a small cut in the popsicle to get it to balance well).
Step 4 - Garnish with a sprig of basil.
Dirty Caesar
A drink with serious "main character energy" if ever there was one, this gin Caesar takes a page out of the Dirty Martini's book for extra savoury flavour.
Ingredients:
11/2 oz Gin (45 mL)
1 oz Olive Brine (30 mL)
1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice (15 mL)
4 oz Tomato Clam Cocktail (120 mL)
Tabasco Sauce (to taste)
Worcestershire Sauce (to taste)
Cajun Seasoning (for rimming the glass)
1 Snow Crab Claw or Lobster Claw (optional)
1 Whole Queen olive (optional)
Method:
Rim the outside of a large tulip glass with cajun seasoning, taking care no seasoning gets into the glass. Fill glass with ice and build by adding gin, brine, lime juice and clam cocktail. Season with Tabasco and Worcestershire. Stir a few times with a long bar spoon. Garnish with your choice of seafood: a snow crab claw clamping an olive, lobster claw or skewered shrimp. Makes one drink.
Canadian Tuxedo
At heart, this is a simple rye-and-ginger, but it's dressed up with a few frills inspired by the 1950s era Mule and traditional champagne cocktails.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Rye Whisky (45 mL)
3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice (22 mL)
1/2 oz Dark Maple Syrup (7 mL)
5 oz Chilled Ginger Beer (150 mL)
1 Cocktail Cherry
1 Sprig of Mint
Method:
Add whisky, lemon juice and maple syrup to an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into chilled champagne flute. Carefully pour in ginger beer. Garnish with cocktail cherry and fresh mint.
Makes one drink.
