LCBO Food & Drink Early Summer 2022

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AMP UP YOUR MIXOLOGY GAMEWITH THESE COCKTAILS ANDMIXERS

1. PALOMINO PUNCH Mellow and light Tio Pepe Extra Dry Fino (LCBO 231829, $18.95) mixes well with pineapple, fresh citrus and extra spicy Grace Famous Island Soda Ginger Beer (at most grocery stores) for a food-friendly punch that’s sure to win over the crowd at every backyard barbecue this summer. Fino sherry also mixes well with tonic or sparkling 2. NOLITA COCKTAIL The secret to this non-alcoholic cocktail’s success is mixing Søbrii Ø-Tequila (0.5% ABV), a smoky “spirit” with a dash of heat, with Niasca Festivo Portofino Bitter Tonic , a bittersweet mixer (at amazon.ca and Italian grocery stores). The delicious Italian bitter is also great on its own—served over ice with a spiral orange twist, it could pass for a full strength cocktail. Find Søbrii Ø at cocktailemporium.com, $36. 3. NOVA SPRITZ Made with Novara Non- Alcoholic Bitter Aperitivo, Fentiman’s Victorian Lemonade (a lightly sweet pop; at grocery stores and amazon.ca) and what may be the best non-alcoholic bubbly on the planet, Bottega 0 Rosé (LCBO 22500, $9.95), this zero- proof spritzer is poised to be the “it” drink of patio season. Canadian-made Novara is available at cocktailemporium.com, $45.95. lemonade—making for easy, lower-alcohol long drinks.

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FUN FACT Upside-Down Cocktails

Although Julia Child was famously pro-butter and championed fatty indulgences, when it came to alcohol, her mantra was restraint. Her favourite cocktail was what she called an “Upside-Down Martini,” which simply reversed the standard recipe, so that the drink was five parts vermouth to one part gin instead of the other way around. It’s easy to flip the script with several other classic cocktails, too, notably the Manhattan, Boulevardier and Vesper, all of which can be turned upside down by upping the modifier (usually an aperitif wine) and cutting back the spirit.

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