LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2022

SEASONAL SENSATIONS

The Newcomers WILLIBALD FARM DISTILLERY & BREWERY, AYR

Friends Cameron Formica and brothers Jordan and Nolan van der Heyden loved whisky so much they decided to open their own distillery back in 2013. There weren’t many small, local craft distillers, and they saw an opportunity to fill the void. Undeterred by their lack of experience, they felt confident they could learn as they went. They did much of the construction onWillibald (the van der Heydens’ grandfather’s middle name) themselves and opened it in 2017 on 100acres of century-old farmland in their hometown, Ayr.

MEET THE MAKERS

Early on, Formica (right) came to see that creating great spirits, like gin, wasn’t enough. “We realized some people didn’t know how to make cocktails,” he says. “They were looking for convenience. Canned cocktails bridge the gap between consumer knowledge and consumption.” Having added a brewery, they had canning equipment on-site and were already distilling an award-winning vodka. Using it to make hard seltzers was a logical next step.

[ SUMMER PAIRINGS ]

WillibaldWatermelon Seltzer (LCBO 24402, 355 mL, $2.95) launched in 2021 after much tinkering and tasting by the three partners. When you crack open a can, you get a fruity waft of fresh watermelon, then a hint of cucumber at first sip. It’s a pleasing refresher on

a hot summer day. Use it instead of soda water in cocktails, or substitute it for Champagne in a French 75. For food pairings, highlight those ripe, vegetal notes with a Fruit and Greens Salad (recipe at lcbo.com/fdsummer22) featuring fresh berries and cucumber.

INSET PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON WYNIA

70 FOOD & DRINK SUMMER 2022