Holy smokes! Peated Island whisky named best in Canada

Macaloney’s Island Distillery takes top honours at 15th annual Canadian Whisky Awards

Macaloney’s Island Distillery Peat Project Moscatel Barrique single malt is the Canadian Whisky of the Year. Macaloney’s Island Distillery photo

A peated whisky from Vancouver Island — Macaloney’s Island Distillery Peat Project Moscatel Barrique single malt — has just been named the Canadian Whisky of the Year and upended all our perceptions of what Canadian whisky can be.

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The happiest of times

Afternoon, brunch, late night— why it seems like every hour is happy hour

It’s happy hour somewhere! Getty Images/E+/SolStock photo

It’s happy hour somewhere? These days, it feels a lot more like happy hour is everywhere, especially in Vancouver.

Hard to believe that, just a little over a decade ago, discounted day-drinking was still illegal in British Columbia, the only province in Canada that still maintained seemingly arcane regulations that banned these happiest of times. That changed in the summer of 2014, when B.C.’s liquor laws were revised to loosen up or eliminate a number of restrictions that prohibited things like alcohol sales at farmer’s markets and, of course, bars and restaurants offering time-specific drink specials.

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Chili-Infused Tequila

Add a kick to your classic cocktails with chili-infused tequila. iStock/Getty Images Plus/MikeVasilyev photo

Add a lively lick of heat to a Paloma or Margarita by replacing regular tequila with this chili-infused variation.

INGREDIENTS:

1 (750 mL) bottle blanco tequila, preferably good quality but not too expensive

3 medium-sized fresh chili peppers, washed, seeded and sliced (see note)

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Insights from inside

A very personal look at what it takes to open a successful bar

The room is designed to be bright, cheerful and very personal. Jessica Blaine Smith photos

Opening a bar in Toronto, where every corner of the city seems to be filled with vibrant and eclectic spots, can be as challenging, intimidating and thrilling. It poses even more challenges when you are a self-funded solo entrepreneur, especially when you are known not for your business acumen, your operational skills or your taste in food and wine, but for something as specific as cocktails. In a city celebrated for its diverse culinary and drinkscape, making a mark requires more than just good food and drinks. It demands a vision.

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Make it umami

Compton Ave’s Umami Old Fashioned. Instagram.com/barcomptonave photo

The Dirty Martini is just the start. These days we love our savoury cocktails and the unexpected ingredients that add those rich umami flavours. Here are just five we’ve sampled recently in Toronto bars.

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Breathtaking Banff

Not just a pretty place, the mountain town is also a cocktail haven

Visit the majestic Rundle Bar for the quintessential Banff experience. Photo courtesy of Rundle Bar

Banff is world renowned for its majestic mountains, glacier-fed lakes and natural splendour. The town’s food and drink scene has long been trapped by those tall shadows—until recently. From cozy izakayas to groovy karaoke bars, Canada’s most-visited national park boasts a cool cocktail scene that’s on the rise.

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Lake Days

Lake Days is reminiscent of spending summer days at Banff’s many beautiful lakes. Photo courtesy of Fairmont Banff Springs

Sam Clark, the creative director of beverage at the Fairmont Banff Springs, named this Rundle Bar favourite Lake Days because it is “reminiscent of spending summer days at Banff’s many beautiful lakes, with a tropical touch from acid-adjusted pineapple juice, whilst keeping Albertan ingredients in the frame with the gentle heat of ginger liqueur … and of course, our signature Rundle Bar Gin, made with local botanicals and coloured with butterfly pea flower tea.”

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A tasteful journey with Nikka Whisky

Savouring nine decades of history

Celebrating 90 years of craftsmanship, Nikka Whisky offers a diverse range of whiskies. Gather your friends, raise a glass and enjoy the unexpected journey of taste and discovery that awaits.

I spent 25 years in the hospitality business and during this time, I had the opportunity to taste thousands of wines from many different countries. Tasting so many styles and varieties allowed me to decipher nuances of quality in every type of wine. It was those years of tasting experience that worked in my favour when I was introduced to Japanese whisky for the very first time.

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Sunny sips for rainy days

The Cinque Terre from Ombré Restaurant in Tofino is a richer, cold weather twist on a classic spritz, thanks to the autumnal orange and rosemary syrup. Kyler Vos photo

At the new Ombré Restaurant in Tofino, the vibe is sunny Mediterranean, but that doesn’t mean the team doesn’t know how to deal with rainy days. After all, this charming village on Vancouver Island’s west coast sees over 300 centimetres of rain each year even without an atmospheric river.

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Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre. Kyler Vos photo

This recipe from Ombré Restaurant in Tofino is a richer, cold weather twist on a classic spritz, thanks to the autumnal orange and rosemary syrup.

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