LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2022

Trendspotting A roundup of what we’re into this season.

Rum for Improvement

Aged rum offers tremendous value at the premium level, costing significantly less than its whisky equivalents. Here are two bottles for the rum aficionado in your life. El Dorado 21-Year-Old Rum LCBO 45450, $122.40 This silky, complex Demerara rum from Guyana offers something new with every sip, from ripe bananas to crème brûlée to baking spices. Ron Zacapa 23 Centenario Rum LCBO 273516, $79.95 A blend of rums ranging from 6 to 23 years old, this

A Butter Way A standout among the new

plant-based butters, the offering from Toronto’s Future of Butter uses coconut oil along with natural ingredients like miso and probiotic cultures to achieve a more robust cultured flavour. The organic “butter” is great for baking, pan-frying or spreading on freshly baked bread. To check for availability near you, visit futureofcheese.com .

Sweet Dreams The prevalence of eggs and dairy in holiday treats leaves out a number of people at dessert time. Fortunately, Clayton Dixon of Chocolate & Company in Aurora ( chocolateandcompany.ca ) has developed a line of plant-based truffles that are just as divine as his non-vegan creations. Of the four delish flavours, raspberry is our fave. Gift a box to vegans or serve them after dinner with a glass of Baileys Almande (LCBO 455428, $31.95) , a dairy-free version of the popular Irish cream.

divine Guatemalan spirit delivers brown

sugar aromas, notes of cocoa and a satiny mouthfeel.

SNAP ON There’s a new pear in town,

On Top As much as we love naturSource Salad Toppers ($11.99/575 g, loblaws.ca) on our salads, the seed, nut and fruit mixes have many uses beyond greens. Try rolling a log of chèvre in one of the blends to upgrade a cheese board. Sprinkle the Smart Life topper on a bowl of hummus for extra texture and flavour. Or serve guests mugs of squash soup garnished with the spicy Sriracha Crunch.

and it was created right here in Ontario. Bred to be high-yielding and blight-resistant, Cold Snap pears also have the advantage of lasting a long time in cold storage, so they can be enjoyed deep into winter. Crisp and sweet like Bartletts, they’re best eaten out of hand or raw in salads.

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