With the autumn season upon us, we have the perfect opportunity to find creative ways to support local businesses. Now more than ever, it's important to show our community some love.
This fall, the LCBO is coming together for incredible local tastes, local drinks, and local businesses. Pop into your local LCBO or check out their website to support Ontario with delicious Ontario-inspired whisky cocktails.
Whisky is a favourite fall drink. There's just something so warm and cozy about this spirit and the wonderful cocktails it can create.
Celebrating might look a little different this year, but it can still happen. We've compiled a list of favourite cocktails presented by local Ontario bartenders to share with you. Give them a try this season and watch them turn into new favs.
1. Introducing The Twenty-Mile Mule
This lovely cocktail is introduced to us by Toronto Spirit Expert and Toronto Cocktail Week Programming Director, Christina Veira. The Twenty-Mile Mule is made with Alberta Premium Whisky. Ripe Ontario plums also play a big part in this playful drink. Reminiscent of punch, this drink showcases the allspice notes of this premium Canadian rye. Mix up a drink, share the recipe with friends and family, and enjoy it this season in a safe and socially distanced way.
Recipe:
- 2 oz Alberta Premium Whisky
- ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped in-season fruit, such as plums, grapes, apples, peaches and/or berries, preferably a mix
- 1 or 2 sprigs of fresh herbs, such as sage or thyme
- ½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 oz ginger beer
- 1 oz soda
- 3 dashes bitters, such as Bittered Sling Zingiber Crabapple Bitters
Plum slices, for garnish
Add fruit and herbs to a 2-cup (500 mL) mason jar. Pour whisky overtop. Seal and shake. Refrigerate until flavours infuse, 3 to 4 hours. Stir in lemon juice. Top with ginger beer and soda. Add bitters. Stir to mix. Garnish with fanned plum slices.
Makes 1 cocktail.
2. Welcome To The Honey Club
This Honey Club is brought to you by Meghan Krys, a Thunder Bay bartender. Canadian Club whisky is the perfect choice for this special cocktail. Ontario pear juice and a touch of local honey are used to bring out the best of its deep, smooth taste. How could you resist?
Recipe:
- 1½ oz Canadian whisky (such as Canadian Club)
- ½ oz orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier)
- ¼ oz Licor 43
- ½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ oz pear juice1 bar spoon wildflower honey
- An edible wildflower or lemon peel strip (for garnish, of course)
- A pear slice (for an optional garnish)
Pour whisky, orange liqueur, Licor 43, pear and lemon juices, and honey into a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a Nick and Nora or coupe glass. Garnish with wildflower and pear slice.
Substitution tip: If you can’t get your hands on Licor 43, swap for ¼ oz Galliano plus a dash of Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6.
Makes 1 cocktail.
3. Searching For A Lost Passport
Alex Pearce, a Toronto bartender, has recommended his favourite spicy cocktail and it sounds delish. Think Ontario rye gets a boost of spice with local Sumac. Plus, it features a touch of fresh sage that adds a herbal element to the bitter Ontario IPA. Sounds like the perfect combination if you ask us. Follow this recipe closely, as it has a couple of extra steps.
Recipe:
- 1½ oz Lot No. 40 Single Copper Pot Still Canadian Whisky
- 4 oz Ontario IPA beer
- 3 to 4 sage leaves
- ¼ oz sumac syrup (see recipe below)
- ¼ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
Add 1 sage leaf to a tall glass, such as a collins. Gently muddle. Fill a glass with ice. Add rye, syrup and lemon juice. Top with beer. Stir to mix. Garnish with remaining sage leaves.
Sumac syrup:
- 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (250 mL) water 1 tsp
- (5 mL) sumac spice
Stir together sugar, water and sumac in a small pan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Gently simmer, allowing flavours to infuse, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool completely. Fine-strain. Syrup will keep well, stored in a resealable container in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 1 cup (250 ml).
Makes 1 cocktail.
4. Did Someone Say Autumn Sangria?
Nothing says autumn like whisky and Ontario red wine. This fall-inspired sangria is Kingston bartender, Maleeha Ghani's, preferred cocktail of the season. The whisky of choice for this drink is Seagrams V.O. Whisky. This easy-to-follow recipe will have you wanting to make multiple batches this fall. Sounds like the perfect go-to drink for cozy Halloween movie nights.
Recipe:
- 1 oz Seagrams V.O. Whisky
- 4 oz Ontario dry red wine
- 3 oz apple juice
- Ginger ale
- Red and green grapes, for garnish
Pour whisky into an ice-filled wine glass. Add wine and apple juice. Top with ginger ale. Garnish with a skewer of red and green grapes.
Makes 1 cocktail.
And there you have it! Fall is the perfect time to enjoy some new drinks. Be sure to check out the LCBO's collection of Halloween picks. There are wines, pumpkin beers, and black vodka.
If you like to buy local, try new fall-inspired beverages, and enjoy recipes with Ontario ingredients, get to making these delicious cocktails. Don't forget to share these recipes with friends and family!
Until November 7, there's tons of whisky excitement happening in LCBO stores, plus you can even join their virtual events. Tune in to learn how to make some Fall Whisky Cocktails, or learn some basic Whisky 101's. On October 22, follow along with Master Blender Dr. Don Livermore as he takes viewers through a tasting of J.P Wiser's products. With so much selection, you're sure to find a whisky for you.
