Just as we switch from a winter fashion wardrobe of warm coats, gloves and cozy scarves to lighter shirts, shorts and sandals when the weather changes, so too do drinks change with the season. We’ve spent the past few months sipping warming single malts, Irish coffee and hot chocolate with a shot of anything, but as spring finally appears, the perfect summer cocktails beckon.
At the top of the list of cool summer drinks is the gin and tonic. This season the LCBO has a number of new gins available to jazz things up. Juniper Green Organic Gin (LCBO 595462 - $29.95/750mL) is the world’s first organic gin and the first certified organic gin in Ontario. It’s heavy on the original juniper element and is great in a cocktail or with tonic.
I particularly like the Martin Miller’s London Dry Gin (LCBO 115949 - $39.95/750mL), a pretty flowery offering with a spicy flavour from cardamom and peppercorn. Distilled in the UK, this gin is finished in Iceland where it is blended with water that has been filtered through the island’s lava.
A Canadian contribution to this spring release is Victoria Gin (LCBO 118737 - $29.95/750mL) made on Vancouver Island. It’s smooth but I actually found it a bit too perfumy and cloying. Lovely apothecary-style bottle though.
Vodka is another spirit that many associate with summer, and there are a number of these included in the Spring spirit release. The most interesting would have to be Camitz Sparkling Vodka (LCBO 115469 - $43.95/750mL) from Sweden. It’s clean and bright, although a bit disconcerting. Pairing recommendations include seafood, especially sushi as well as steak and foie gras. I expect it will mostly get used as a mix, however, as the carbonation will make a nice spritzer when mixed with cranberry or orange juice.
I was less impressed with the Roberto Cavalli Vodka (LCBO 64451 - $99.95/750mL) that seemed to be more about the designer bottle than the product inside, which was harsh to the nose and no better going down. There’s also a trio of flavoured vodkas in this release; Eight Below Luxury Vodka (LCBO 107144 - $44.95/750mL) that includes icewine to tame the finish; Pearl Plum Vodka (LCBO 117887 - $28.95/750mL), which was too sweet and cloying for me; and a Van Gogh Espresso Vodka (LCBO 115998 - $36.95/750mL) that I was ready to hate but which ended up impressing me a great deal, as it offered a real espresso flavour with little burn or sticky sweetness. This would make for some interesting cocktails.
While many people think of dark rum as a winter drink (it’s our eggnog standard), it’s also a great summer drink when mixed with cola. Some of the offerings in this release stand well on their own, however, such as The Havana Club Cuban Barrel Proof Rum (LCBO 113159 - $54.95/700mL). Oak-aged, this rum has a nose of caramel, pecans and spice. Also nicely oaky is the Angostura 1824 Aged 12 Years Rum(LCBO 686147 - $59.95/750mL). Warm and woody, aged in oak bourbon barrels, this offering has flavours of molasses, honey, fruit and spice.
Also on offer is a trio of Olmeca Tequilas, a Canadian grappa from the Okanagan and a Kurokame Honkaku Imo Shochu (LCBO 112839 - $46.50/750mL), distilled from sweet potatoes. Usually served on the rocks, or diluted with hot water or green tea, the shochu is sweet, but not especially memorable, although it could probably be put to good use in a fresh summertime cocktail. I’d probably pair it with some iced green tea.
These premium spirits will be available as of April 20th in 96 stores across Ontario. Many of these items are hand-crafted in small batches from micro-distillers, and although spendy, are worth checking out.
