Canada may not have invented Thanksgiving, but we certainly got there early and can claim a head-start on the tradition.
Before the Pilgrims sat down at Plymouth, Mass., an English explorer was already giving thanks on Canadian soil. In 1578, Martin Frobisher arrived in the Canadian Arctic, survived the voyage and promptly celebrated with a Thanksgiving ceremony—a full 43 years before Plymouth had its Thanksgiving feast. And while nobody today needs to cross the Atlantic in a wooden ship to earn a celebratory drink, the spirit of the occasion remains. Let us gather around the table, eat and drink well and give thanks for all that we have.
Let’s drink a toast to the warm and comforting flavours of Ontario and its splendid production of Apples, Maple Syrup and Gibsons Whisky--which is distilled and bottled in Ontario. Maple is an iconic flavour for Canadians, as is the finest Canadian whisky.
Ingredients:
2oz Gibson’s Finest Rare
1oz Pure Apple Cider
½ oz Maple Syrup
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Pinch of Apple Pie Spice
Garnish: 2 Apple Slices
Mix all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir well. Strain over ice into a rocks glass and garnish with apple slices.
Ingredients:
2 oz Gibson’s Finest Bold
1 ½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1oz Maple Syrup
Garnish: Cinnamon stick
Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
GRANT’S APPLE CARAMEL
Inspired by the Canadian fall, this cocktail by Grant's channels the flavours of a classic Thanksgiving dessert, making it an ideal choice to complement the convivial and relaxing moments with friends post-dinner.
Ingredients:
2oz Grant’s Triple Wood
½ oz Caramel Syrup
½ oz Apple Juice
½ oz Lime Juice
Soda
Garnish: Green Apple Slices
Pour Grant's Triple Wood, caramel Syrup, apple juice and lime juice over ice in a highball glass. Top with soda and stir. Garnish with green apple slices.
A sparkling Sunday Funday Apple Mimosa is an easy-going cocktail to offer guests in that precious, pre-dinner getting-together hour. A blend of real apple cider with crisp bubbles and a subtly spiced finish. It’s ready to chill, crack and serve. More fun-facts, it’s Gluten Free, Canadian -made and woman-owned.
Every family has someone who keeps everyone gathered around the table long after dessert. This is the time to bring out the Glenfiddich. Reliable, warm, and full of character, the 15-Year-Old offers rich notes of warm spice, sherry oak, and marzipan. It is the perfect dram for those who enjoy tradition with a thoughtful twist, right after that last slice of pumpkin pie and continue into well into the evening.
Classic Whisky Sour Cocktail
2oz Glenfiddich 15-Year-Old
¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
¾ oz Simple Syrup
Egg White
Garnish with orange zest and amaretto cherry
Add ingredients in a shaker and shake without ice to activate egg white. Add ice and shake again until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with a king cube and garnish with orange zest and amaretto cherry.
Cazadores Pineapple is much more than a “one-trick pony.” It can be glazed over the holiday ham, folded into stuffing or shaken into a margarita. Pineapple makes a perfect pairing with traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Cazadores Pineapple Serranita
1½ OZ CAZADORES® Pineapple Infused Tequila
¾ OZ Simple Syrup
¾ OZ Lime Juice
3 OZ Pineapple Juice
1 Slice Serrano Chili Pepper
Prepare in a cocktail shaker with ice. Combine all ingredients. Shake and serve over the rock in a glass with a Tajín® rim. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and lime wedge.
Move over Prosecco. Something huge is happening in Niagara wine right now. Ontario's top winemakers are joining forces to launch Fracette, a fresh, modern VQA sparkling wine built for everyday celebrations, not just rare special occasions.
What makes it so special? Fracette uses a clever twist on traditional winemaking. The result isn't sweet, it’s vibrantly dry, crisp, and bursting with complex flavor. Major industry names including Arterra, Andrew Peller, and Henry of Pelham have teamed up to drop six incredible bottles available now. Fracette (rhymes with “cassette”) is a combination of words inspired by the frozen (fr-) grapes from Canadian Icewine and facette (-acette) which represents the layers of complexities in this completely new style of bubbly. You taste layers of citrus and orchard fruit, a subtle richness, and a fine mineral thread that carries the finish.
Inniskillin Fracette Rosé
Peller Estates Private Reserve Fracette Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine
Henry of Pelham Fracette Sparkling Rosé
Thirty Bench Fracette Brut
Saintly Fracette
Kew Vineyards Fracette
Dinner closes with a really good cup of coffee. Both OptiBrew and OptiBrew Pro can brew everything from a single cup to a full 12-cup carafe, with options for hot coffee, coffee over ice and cold brew in minutes. OptiBrew Pro adds a concentrated Coffee Shot option and an integrated frother for hot or cold milk, making it easy to prepare latte, and cappuccino-style drinks. And here is the good part: Choose from seven sizes, from a single 236 ml cup to a full 12-cup carafe, with options for classic hot coffee, coffee over ice and cold brew, all using ground coffee with no pods required.
I’ll have an Americano please.