LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2017

GIFTING  MAKE IT CLEAR

Spirits can be enjoyed in anything from a single shot glass to a snifter the size of baby’s head, from an ornately gilded eastern European liqueur glass no bigger than a thimble to a hipster bar’s Mason jar. The trick, however, is to maximize the delivery of aromatics from the drink to your nose. Professional whisky blenders use a simple, tulip-shaped ISO tasting glass when they are nosing a blend—but one of those would make a dull gift. Specialty bar accessory stores like BYOB Cocktail Emporium in Toronto or Ma Cuisine in Ottawa have far more glamorous ideas to offer. spirits

BOTTLES TO GIVE

ARMAGNAC DE MONTAL VSOP LCBO 618496, $53.35 Light on its feet but with a long finish like a peacock’s tail, this is a splendid VSOP Arma­ gnac with fresh plum and anise leavening aromas of prune and vanilla oak. A most contemplative brandy. fishing town of Wick. There’s a trace of sea air in the aroma of this medium-bodied single malt, and a deliciously complex taste of apples and vanilla cake with an added wisp of smoke. The Old Pulteney distillery is the most northerly on Scotland’s mainland, established in 1826, in the old herring- OLD PULTENEY 12 YEAR OLD HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH LCBO 515346, $79.95

SNIFTER Okay, it’s old-school, but there’s some­ thing about the way a big balloon of a brandy snifter sits in the palm of your hand that still satisfies. Give it a swirl— the spirit coats the inside of the glass and the greater surface area releases more aromas. Meanwhile, your hand warms the brandy and the alcohol molecules rise, laden with layers of perfumed treasure. (Riedel Vinum Brandy glass, $33.95, williamashley.com)

MARTINI No one knows who invented the clas- sic conical Martini glass but its shape says “cocktail” in every language on the planet. That long stem stops the heat of your hand from disrupting the spirit’s chill; the straight sides help a skewer of olives stay put. Turn it into an iconic gift with a bottle of bitters or vermouth, a jar of olives and a mickey of your favourite gin. (Riedel Martini glasses, set of 2, $75, cocktailemporium.ca)

RIEDEL VINUM SINGLE MALTWHISKY George Riedel won Decanter magazine’s Man of the Year award for designing this elongated thistle single malt whisky glass in Riedel’s Vinum collection. The out-turned lip directs the spirit onto the tip of the tongue where sweetness is perceived. The narrow shape lets you nose the bouquet, not the alcohol. (set of 2, $65, cocktailemporium.ca)

210  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2017