LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2023

CANADIAN WHISKY GIFT GUIDE

Canadian Craft It’s not always easy to be the little guy on the scene, but being nimble and light on your feet comes with some advantages over legacy producers, namely, the freedom to experiment with new styles and methods. The creativity and innovation shown by small craft distillers has not only put them on the Canadian whisky map, but has also inspired many larger distilleries to experiment with fresh ideas. Hail to the craft!

FOR ADVENTUROUS SPIRITS Made in Alliston, Beattie’s Distillers Poitín ( LCBO 512616, $37.9 5) pays homage to full-bodied, malty and often lightly sweet Poitín (pronounced pot-cheen), a traditional spirit made on Irish farms. STOCKING STUFFER Remarkably smooth and sweet, Moondance Clear Corn Spirit ( LCBO 520494, 375 mL, $20 ) is a moonshine-inspired spirit from Elmira that can be used in cocktails or enjoyed neat. FOR THE WHISKY NOVICE Award-winning Georgian Bay Canadian Whisky ( LCBO 13909, $39.95 ) is an exceptionally approachable blend with a little sweet corn, spicy rye and a hint of smoke from freshly charred American oak. SHINE ON When they first opened and were waiting three years for their Canadian whisky to mature, many craft distilleries stayed afloat by selling unaged spirits. What many discovered was that, done properly, moonshine-style young whisky can be pretty great in its own right.

Canadian Single Malt is an idea whose time is now, thanks to pioneering artisan producers, such as Ontario’s Magnotta, which has recently released the outstanding Magnotta 271 Canadian Single Malt Whisky ( LCBO 36307, $39.95 ), a delicately peated refined dram that tastes of honey and stone fruit.

The jewel in the crown at Guelph’s Spring Mill Distillery is the cooperage room, where the barrels do their magic, turning new-make (unaged) spirit into whiskies like this rich and creamy, bourbon-inspired Spring Mill John Sleeman & Sons Traditional Straight Whisky ( LCBO 27998, $54.95 ).

LOCAL ACCOMPANIMENTS Artisan Cheese

You can’t go wrong adding a wedge of artisan cheese to your gift. Cheese makes for a wonderful whisky companion because its fatty, creamy flavours help smooth out the intensity of each sip. Smoky whiskies do well with sharp, aged cheeses like cheddar or Iron Horse Cheese, a Scottish-style cheese made by Glengarry Fine Cheese in Lancaster. Sweeter whisky, on the other hand, is best paired with mild, nutty cheeses. Thunder Oak Cheese Farm in Thunder Bay makes creamy Gouda cheeses that fit the bill. glengarryfinecheese.com; cheesefarm.ca –JH

208 FOOD & DRINK HOLIDAY 2023