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.
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