LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2022

LIFT YOUR SPIRITS

These bloomy-rind cheeses are renowned for their creamy consistency and high butterfat content. Additional cream is added during production, which elevates the cheese’s velvety texture and richness. Brigid’s Brie from Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese in Woodstock, Ont., is an example. Its creamy centre and warm lactic notes make it a perfect backdrop for fruit- and flower-forward spirits: that’s a pairing combo that exudes holiday decadence. More to try: Riopelle de L’Isle from Quebec, Camembert or Le Delices de Bourgogne from France. Double- and Triple-Cream › Chambord Royale LCBO 111443, $44.05 Fruit and cream go hand-in- hand, including in this decadent pairing for buttery, rich cream cheeses that could easily take the end-of-meal place of a dessert course. Chambord is made in France’s Loire Valley using fresh blackberries, raspberries and blackcurrants plus Cognac, Madagascan vanilla, Moroccan citrus peel and delicate honey. Spritz it with sparkling wine or water and a dash of pomegranate juice; a rosemary sprig garnish perks up the pairing. › Dillon’s Rose Gin Liqueur LCBO 22452, $49.95 Delight gin fans with a surprise pairing! The luxurious nature of this cheese style makes for a perfect match with the intoxicating scent of roses and the silky texture of this decadent Niagara liqueur. Its junipery PAIR WITH FLORAL AND FRUITY LIQUEURS

base is infused with rose hips and petals, then lightly sweetened with organic cane sugar. Try adding a splash to a flute glass with some sparkling rosé for a quick and pretty cocktail. › St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur LCBO 180695, $50.00 The exotic blossom fragrance of this lighter-style aperitif liqueur makes a bright appetizer

pairing when spritzed with soda over ice, served with bloomy-rind double-cream cheese. Made with fresh, hand-picked elderflower blossoms (1,000 blossoms per bottle!), this liqueur has tropical fruit, citrus and pear flavours with a hint of honeysuckle sweetness, all perfectly suited to the cheese style. Try a squeeze of citrus in the drink to further enhance this pairing.

HOSTESS GIFT HACK

GIFT A BOTTLE OF YOUR FAVOURITE SPIRIT AND WELL-PAIRED CHEESE. AND IF YOU’RE FEELING ESPECIALLY GENEROUS, ADD A SET OF CHEESE KNIVES OR A CHARCUTERIE BOARD ALONGWITH THEM.

ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID SPARSHOTT

80 FOOD & DRINK HOLIDAY 2022