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Drink

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Drink

Pretty (and Delicious) In Pink

I LOVE gin, it is my typical go-to light cocktail spirit. Some say you are either a gin drinker or a vodka drinker and I say there really is no comparison. What I love about gin is that each distiller creates a beverage that is incredibly unique with a very distinct flavour profiles. Gin is elegant and subtle, just like a beautiful perfume. An interesting fact I learned about gin from Beefeater’s Master Distiller Desmond Payne during our lunch and learn hosted by the Deck Agency was one of the signature elements of gin is orris root which is also a key ingredient in the beloved Chanel perfumes. Beefeater London Gin had debuted their Beefeater Pink a strawberry flavoured gin this month that is now available in limited quantity but is certainly worth seeking out to add to your collection. With botanical tasting notes of juniper, angelica root, lemon peel and…

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Happy National Caesar Day!

The classic Canadian cocktail has taken on a whole new look courtesy the Thompson Diner! Here are three suped-up caesar cocktails that will change your impression of this traditional cocktail forever. This is not your typical Clamato juice and Tabasco sauce, these are entire meals in a glass. Here are the recipes for you to try to make these delicious cocktails on your own or add your own twist! left: Mac & Cheese Caesar centre: Chicken & Waffles Caesar right: Thompson Burger Caesar Mac & Cheese Caesar 1.5oz Gin4oz Clamato Juice0.5oz Lemon Juice2 dashes Salt & Pepper3 dashes Tabasco sauce1tsp HorseradishLemon Pepper RimmerGarnish with Mac & Cheese Chicken & Waffles Caesar 1oz Gin3oz Clamato Juice2 dashes Sale & Pepper3 dashes Tabasco Sauce2 dashes WorcestershireTraditional RimmerGarnish with Chicken & Waffles Thompson Burger Caesar 1.5oz Tequilla4oz Clamato Juice2 dashes Salt & Pepper3 dashes Tabasco Sauce2 dashes Worcestershire SauceSteak Spice Rimmer3 Slices JalapenosGarnish…

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Samuel Adams – The Disruptors

Let an entrepreneur tell it, they will often say they started their first business in their basement, garage, bedroom or at their kitchen table. It takes a special person to start a business, to take a look at what’s out there, see what’s missing and create something new. At its core Samuel Adams, an American craft beer company keeps that entrepreneurial spirit alive. “At our Boston Brewery, we’re still trying new things every day; some good, and, well, some not-so-good. We learn from the process, and never give up on the journey towards the next tasty beer. It’s our commitment to you that keeps us innovative, inspired, and striving to become better every single day.” Samuel Adams, an award-winning beer selected four Canadian start-ups to be a part of a four-day-long pop-up shop in Toronto called The Disruptors, Presented by Samuel Adams featured companies Loch Eyewear: Birthed from the vision…

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Balvenie & Pie Please!

Autumn fast approaching and with the cooler weather comes delectable knit layers, rich coloured leaves, pumpkin spice overload and Thanksgiving! In Canada we fortunately get to celebrate this indulgent holiday early in the season which means more time to eat pie (not that you ever need a special season to enjoy pie). I will be absent for the round the block line ups at cafes across North America filled with pumpkin spice latte fanatics as I am simply not a fan. To be honest, I’ve alway thought is a bit basic. However, if there is one thing that can get me to try the thing some wait all year for, is pairing it with a delicious whisky; because, let’s just be honest, everything is better with whisky. Whisky expert, Jamie Johnson’s hand picked pairings of sweet and savoury pies with The Balvenie Distillery Baffshire Single Malt Scotch Whisky is really…

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Get On Board With Steam Whistle Beer

I’ve been writing a lot about beer lately and I blame it on this awesome weather (summertime in Toronto is heavenly). It’s interesting because the beer was probably my first introduction to alcoholic beverages and yet I know so little. Fortunately, we are in the midst of a sudz-y renaissance in Canada so it’s a great time to explore. Craft beers, mirco-brewers, indie beers whatever you want to call them, you can literally find them everywhere; at your local pub on tap, at The Beer Store or if you are lucky there is a producer in your neighbourhood. Ontario has introduced over 50 new brewers in just the last 12 months and growth in the beer industry nationwide shows no signs of slowing. Beer production is arguably the easiest and least costly of alcoholic beverages. On average it takes about 28 days to produce a batch of been whereas wine…

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Jacob’s Creek Moscato – Too Sweet To Miss

Beyond its honourable mentions in hip hop songs, over the past five years this humble table wine has become a top seller for wine retailers around the country. Although new to many, Moscato is suspected to be one of the oldest wine varietals in the world, possibly because the sweet wine grape can be grown almost anywhere. If you are an avid or casual wine drinker chances are you have encountered Moscato in one of its many forms especially considering the Muscat family of grapes includes over 200 varieties. However we are more commonly familiar with two: Muscat of Alexandria/ Orange Muscat used to make delicious Sherry and Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains the more popular of the bunch used to make Muscato d’Asti. Muscato is rated a favourite among new or occasional wine drinkers. With roughly 5-7% alcohol and it 30-65g of residual sugar per litre it tastes to…

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7 Tips To Surviving Toronto Festival of Beer

One thing 2017 Toronto Festival of Beer made very clear to me: I need to up my game as a festival-er. Should you add TFOB to your list this summer (they have both a Spring and Summer edition), I have compiled a set of tips to make the best of your experience at Toronto Festival of Beers. Tip 1: Dress for the Occasion. Don’t be like me. Do not fall victim to fashion over common sense. Those who know me well know that I am rarely without my height enhancers (shout out to all the short people in the room). But for goodness sakes, this is a festival… in the park… on grass! So as cute as my blush pink strappy four-inch stiletto heels were as the perfect compliment to my distressed jeans and duster length cardigan, Garrison Park was NOT the place for this particular fashion statement. You will…

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A SIP OF CANADIAN HISTORY WITH ‘THE WHISKY DOCTOR’ DR. DON LIVERMORE

I am a lady that loves her whisky; more specifically I am a Canadian that loves whisky. But until I connected with Dr. Don Livermore, Master Blender, I didn’t realize how little I knew about one of our nation’s historic pillars. Canada has been producing whisky (without the ‘e’) before it was its own country. Whisky is just as much a part of the Canadian identity as the maple leaf, the beaver, even hockey (with an ‘e’ of course). Gooderham, Corby, Seagram, Walker, and Wiser are names any whisky drinker would recognize, but did you know for the first fifty years of Canada’s independence, the only tax revenue was generated from the distillers. I guess one may call them founding fathers of sorts. Believe it or not, Canadians started off trying our hand at rum (and have been moderately successful in the Atlantic provinces). As the settlers moved further…

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