LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2025

GIFTING

Scotch & Shortbread

Buttery shortbread cookies and golden Scotch whisky are perfect for pairing and gifting—especially over the winter and holiday seasons.

BY CHARLENE ROOKE PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB FIOCCA

Fruity, Golden Scotch + Orange Flower Shortbreads

WHY IT WORKS Floral and fruity notes of citrus and orchard fruit are a hallmark of classic blended and single-malt Scotches like these. They pair beautifully with cookies that carry a wisp of delicate orange-flower water. You may wish to replace the gin in the icing with a 50/50 mix of water and lemon juice for pairing with whisky. Wolfie’s Blended Scotch Whisky by Sir Rod LCBO 39828, 700 mL, $59.95 Musician Sir Rod Stewart honoured his Scottish her itage and love of a smooth dram with this blended Scotch, rich with apple pie, cinnamon bun and buttery toast notes. The Glen Grant Exploration Series No.1 LCBO 45587, $149.95 Finishing the oak-maturation period of this single-malt Scotch in casks that pre viously held rum gives it decadent tropical-fruit and brown-sugar flair.

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

Hundreds of years ago, Scottish shortbread was a twice-baked hard biscuit, something akin to an Italian biscotti. The introduction of butter made it a luxuriously rich treat that was served at special occasions and on holidays, such as Scottish Hogmanay, on the eve of the New Year. Traditional shortbread has just three ingredients: butter, flour and sugar. The classic cookie is meant to be slightly crumbly or, in baker’s terms, “short,” so the buttery crumbs melt in the mouth. Shortbread has been reinvented in countless tasty variations, and here we’ve paired a handful of our Food & Drink favourites with Scotch whiskies—ideal for gifting with a batch of home-baked cookies. Many of the products featured in this story are seasonal offerings with limited inventory, so get them while you can!

Find all the cookie recipes featured in this story at LCBO.com/fdholiday25.

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HOLIDAY 2025 ————————