LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2026

TRENDS

Retro Refresh

Long-lost cocktails are enjoying a second act as imbibers discover treasures from days gone by. Here, these recipes have been tweaked, redesigned and refreshed. Some are smoky, others are swicy, and many are infused with flavours of the season. Yet they all still taste like sweet nostalgia.

BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAYA VISNYEI

GRAPEFRUIT 

RICKEY P. 106 Vibrant pink citrus and a few drops of hot maple syrup give the classic Gin Rickey a timely hit of modern energy.

 WHITE LADY FIZZ P. 106 Even a seemingly perfect

drink like the White Lady can benefit from fresh inspiration, especially when it involves tequila and punchy ginger beer.

Flutes aren’t just for sparkling wine these days. They’re also a fun and fancy way to serve up refreshed retro cocktails. Flute Glasses, LCBO 46560, set of 2, $9.95

Ahead By a Century Sometimes it turns out the hot new drink is actually decades old, thanks to clever bartenders, back in the day, who knew how to build cocktails with good bones. Both of these timeless classics are more than 100 years old and still feel fresh and contemporary.

The Gin Rickey was a hot property in the 1920s, even making an appearance in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic The Great Gatsby .

Invented in a hotel bar in London in 1919, the light and punchy White Lady is always in style.

FOOD STYLING BY CHRISTOPHER ST.ONGE; PROP STYLING BY ANDREA McCRINDLE

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SPRING 2026 ————————