LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2024

HIP TO SIP

Sweets and Desserts Bold and richly flavoured, each of these beers performs the party trick of emulating a specific treat or dessert, making them perfect presents for anyone with a sweet tooth.

You can’t go wrong with high-quality coasters for those who love beer but hate water stains on their tables. Based in Aurora, Craft and Antler Co. offers coasters made from full-grain Crazy Horse leather in a variety of hand some colours. They come with optional monogramming in copper, silver or gold foiling. craftandantlerco.ca

Balance out the sweetness of these dessert-like brews with the earthy crunch of roasted nuts. Made in small batches in Toronto, The Roasted Nut’s Naughty Squirrel Mix is a delicious pick that features almonds and cashews. The sweet addition of raisins, cranberries and Belgian dark chocolate makes it a perfect companion for these rich beers. theroastednutcompany.com Sawdust City Mocha Crunch Chocolate Bar Stout (LCBO 40730, 473 mL, $4.50) might remind you of an Ontario origi nal: the Coffee Crisp chocolate bar. With a hint of vanilla wafer alongside milk chocolate, coffee and cream, the only thing it’s missing is the airy snap.

Beau’s Crème Brew-Lee Stout (LCBO 38966, 473 mL, $3.95) trades the crack of a spoon on caramel for the hiss of carbonation. The silky tex ture of crème brûlée comes through with notes of salted caramel, burnt sugar, vanilla and a hint of dark fruit.

Great Lakes Winter Ale (LCBO 28633, 473 mL, $3.95) takes as its inspiration German Christmas Cake, incorporating orange peel, cinnamon and ginger to create explosive aroma and depth of flavour in this winter warmer.

Muskoka Nanaimo Bar Imperial Porter (LCBO 34333, 568 mL, $7.50) is a letter-perfect recreation of the Vancouver Island specialty, encapsulating dark choc olate, toasted nuts, vibrant coconut and a rich vanilla custard in a king-size can.

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———————— HOLIDAY 2024