LCBO Food & Drink Travel 2025

INSIDE SCOOP

Trails Happy

While experiencing the flavour of regional drink cultures via wine tours and brewpub crawls is de rigueur , we sometimes forget about spirit trails. Here are four famous distillery circuits from around the world, and a few right here at home. —CHARLENE ROOKE

Kentucky Bourbon Trail kybourbontrail.com Choose among 46 dis tilleries grouped into five statewide trails, plus an Urban Bourbon Trail (bourboncountry.com/ urban-bourbon-trail/) in Louisville. Target a favou rite brand to sip through a masterclass, or join a tour to experience several distilleries in one day.

La Ruta del Tequila rutadeltequila.mx Most Mexican tequila is produced in the Jalisco region—Jose Cuervo even runs a train from nearby Guadalajara to the charm ing town of Tequila. Book individual brand tastings and visits, or hop a fun barrel-shaped bus for a day tour of multiple distilleries.

Malt Whisky Trail maltwhiskytrail.com Visit nine notable Speyside single-malt producers “from sea to source” down Scotland’s River Spey. Follow the trail’s recommendations for historic sites, castle and guesthouse accommo dations, and restaurants as you go.

LONDON GIN TRAIL wsta.co.uk/locations londonpass.com London will forever be associated with dry-style gin. Craft a self guided tour of over half a dozen distilleries in and around London using the Wine and Spirit Trade Association’s interactive map or a resource like The London Pass.

Canadian Spirit A coast-to coast roundup of Canadian spirit trails.

VANCOUVER ISLAND CRAFT SPIRITS PATH Indie distilleries are grouped into five highly explorable regions. vancouverisland.travel/ itineraries/craft-spirits

WHISKY IN WINDSOR Two options to explore Windsor’s whisky legacy, including North America’s largest distillery. whiskytown.ca, barrelsbottlesbrews.ca

CRAFT GIN TRAIL Visit seven craft distilleries in South western Ontario that gin-novate in uniquely regional ways. craftgintrail.com

NOVA SCOTIA GOOD CHEER TRAIL In addition to spirits, it includes stops at beer, wine, cider and mead producers. goodcheertrail.com

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF KENTUCKY DISTILLERS’ ASSOCIATION (KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL); DUKES BAR (LONDON GIN TRAIL); ILLUSTRATION BY EMILIE SIMPSON

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———————— TRAVEL 2025