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Patrón, perfected

June 18, 2021 No Comments

Competition is a celebration of tequila

Cocktail competitions are not just about the winning drinks. They are about community, creativity and exploration, discovering new flavours and learning new techniques. Only a handful worldwide truly raise the bar for the industry. Among those, there is Patrón Perfectionists, the world’s premier tequila competition.

After the challenges of the past year, Patrón felt it was important to make the competition as inclusive as possible. So it has opened the competition to all bartenders across Canada, regardless of where (or if) they are working.

Recipes, Sponsored

It Takes a Valley

June 17, 2021 No Comments

Jared Schmidt’s Patrón Perfectionists competition-winning cocktail is inspired by the Okanagan Valley.

• 1.5 oz Patrón Silver

• 0.5 oz B.C. apple-infused Bénédictine (see note)

• 0.25 oz 1:1 simple syrup

• 1 oz B.C. organic white verjus

• 0.75 oz dry B.C. apple cider

• Garnish: grapefruit peel

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Summer of spritz

June 8, 2021 No Comments

Aperol is the bright, bittersweet taste of the season

The vibrant orange hue of an Aperol Spritz is as cheerful as a sunny day, its refreshing flavour as uplifting as happy hour itself.

The spritz combines effervescent Prosecco with bittersweet Aperol, an aperitif that is low in alcohol (only 11% ABV), but high in flavour. A subtler version of its cousin Campari, Aperol’s flavour derives from gentian, rhubarb, cinchona and other botanicals that whet the appetite and quench the thirst.

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Aperol Spritz

June 7, 2021 No Comments

The 3-2-1 formula for this summer classic couldn’t be easier.

• 3 oz Prosecco

• 2 oz Aperol

• 1 oz soda

• Garnish: orange slice

Edmonton’s James Grant named Bartender of the Year 2021

May 28, 2021 No Comments

Diageo World Class is back with a thrilling competition and big new plans

Former World Class Canada winners welcome the newest champion, Edmonton bartender
James Grant, to the group. From left: Shane Mulvany, Kaitlyn Stewart, Jeff Savage, James Grant, Grant Sceney and Chris Enns. Photos courtesy of World Class Canada

Michael Armistead thought organizing the 2019 World Class Canada finals in Whistler—where he had to transport all the bars, people and gear to the top of a mountain—was the hardest thing he’d ever do. Then along came COVID-19 and the 2021 finals in Toronto.

“Having done it, I know we can do anything now,” says Armistead, who oversees the Diageo World Class Canada Bartending Competition as National On Premise, Reserve and Sponsorship Manager. “With all of the external factors, this was the most complex event I have ever put together.”

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DEVINE Distillery’s Glen Saanich

February 8, 2021 No Comments

Ken Winchester’s single-malt legacy

The fifth and largest-ever release of DEVINE Distillery & Winery’s coveted Glen Saanich Single Malt Whisky (1,016 bottles) quickly sold out this fall. “Ken [Winchester] and Kevin [Titcomb] put that beautiful whisky into the barrel in 2017,” says general manager Kirsten Titcomb of the ultra-local Saanich Peninsula bottling. Winchester, a trained winemaker and master distiller who founded the Island’s first craft distillery and created Victoria Gin, is a legendary name in B.C. distilling. Although he plans to step down by the end of 2020 at DEVINE, his legacy will endure.

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Spice up winter with Fever-Tree ginger

January 4, 2021 No Comments

Ale or beer, spiced or smoky, it’s what we’re thirsty for right now

Warm, bright and pleasantly spicy—when the weather turns cool, we crave the flavour of ginger. Luckily, Fever-Tree has our holiday-spice cravings covered with a range of ginger mixers.

“People love it,” says Alexis Green, the national brand engagement manager for Fever-Tree. “People are slowly starting to discover the ginger ale range and they really love it. People are going crazy for the smoky and the spicy.”

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Spirited Gift Guide

December 16, 2020 No Comments

These gift ideas will warm the hearts and glasses of every cocktail lover on your list

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Mixing it up

April 29, 2020 No Comments

Fever-Tree lifts mixers to premium levels, adds a new Refreshingly Light Cucumber Tonic Water to its artisanal collection

Whether you like to sip on a classic cocktail like a Manhattan or prefer to experiment with new, unconventional concoctions, the spirits world has never been more sophisticated or exciting. Yet for the longest time, mixers were overlooked, an afterthought rather than being considered a crucial ingredient in an extraordinary drink.

Diageo World Class: More than a competition

March 13, 2020 No Comments

How the esteemed bartending contest is shaking up the cocktail world

Competitors and previous winners celebrate at the Diageo World Class Canada final 2019 in Whistler. Leila Kwok photo

Diageo World Class is more than just the biggest, most prestigious cocktail competition on the planet. It is also a major source of education for bartenders.

“We’re really trying to play our part in driving the industry forward, focusing on educating and giving bartenders the tools they need to achieve their goals, at home and around the globe,” says Michael Armistead, who oversees the Diageo World Class Canada Bartending Competition as National On-premise, Reserve and Sponsorship Manager.