LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2016

DRINK  GIFTING

For the cocktail lover on your list, consider these uniquely flavoured simple syrups—each is designed for a specific spirit, so you can easily amp up your gift by adding a matching bottle. BY MICHELLE P.E.HUNT & LAURA PANTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB FIOCCA Simple Pleasures

Gin derives its flavour from a unique combination of botanicals—herbs, fruits, flowers and roots—with the ever-present juniper balancing out the product. We know that gin drinkers usually have a favourite brand; some prefer lighter-tasting gins with more citrus and less juniper taste, or modern gins utilizing ingredients like cucumber and lemon grass; others a more classic London Dry style. With that in mind, we created a syrup that would complement many dif- ferent gins, with a balance of heady rose- mary, spicy ginger and lemon zest, with a sweet honey finish. No matter the prefer- ence of your gin lover, the characteristics of each gin will evolve with the syrup, and will work in everything from a clas- sic Gin Collins to a Gimlet.

for the gin lover ginger, rosemary, lemon and honey recipe on page 240

Bruichladdich The Botanist Islay Dry Gin LCBO 358192, $50.00 For a unique gift pairing, try this complex and floral gin whose dis­ tinctive citrus-forward botanicals marry with the syrup with surprisingly delicious results.

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