Chardonnay, an undeniably celebrated wine varietal, has garnered admiration around the globe. With its widespread cultivation, this wine offers many different flavours and styles.
What sets Irish whiskey apart from the others, besides the inclusion of the “e” in the spelling, is a long-standing tradition with unique distillation procedures and a characteristic selection of grains.
Part of our Irish Whiskey Series: Learn about the makings of single pot stilled whiskey!
Irish whiskey has a long history and was one of the earliest drinks to first be distilled in Europe. It is said that Irish monks brought back distilling practices to Ireland from their travels to Southern Europe around 1000 AD but the first official record of Irish whiskey dates back to 1405. This is almost 90 years prior to records found in Scotland.
Affectionately known as 'the Ploughman Poet', Robert Burns is Scotland’s national bard. Although born a few centuries ago in Ayrshire in 1759, his works remain a testament to Scotland’s literary history. Poems and lyrics of his are still being celebrated worldwide today as we rally around the last day of the year to sing Auld Lang Syne.
October is the season of pumpkin. This nutrient rich winter squash is loaded with vitamins and has a strong association with autumn and the holidays. Pumpkin spices embody a sense of nostalgia and offer that warm, cozy feeling.
From the Halloween jack-o-lantern tradition brought over from Irish immigrants to the first broadcast of “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” on October 27 th , 1966, we see pumpkins in every facet of October.
Pumpkin spiced drinks became a thing with Starbucks in 2003, and who doesn’t try at least one pumpkin spiced latte in the Fall. The use of warm winter spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove are now popping up in a variety of beverages. It’s not just about pumpkin pie anymore. It’s lattes, beer, cream liqueurs and even vodka.
The brewing of beer with pumpkin dates back to 1771, pumpkin being a native plant to North America was at times more readily available than malt. The first commercially brewed pumpkin beer originated from Buffalo Bill’s Brewery in the 80’s which partly spurred the pumpkin spiced ale craze with others to follow suit.
We invite you to celebrate the season of the pumpkin, whether it be carving out a scary jack-o-lantern, diving into a pumpkin pie, or indulging in one of these favourite pumpkin inspired beverages.
Howe Sound Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale - $4.49
This strong, amber ale hefting a strength of 8% abv continues to reign supreme over the pumpkin beer patch. Brewed with pumpkin and warming spices of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger & cloves. A truly delicious brew after any jack-o-lanterns heart!
Spud Pumpkin Spiced Vodka - $24.99
A perfect drink for the Fall season. The sweetness of the pumpkin combined with the earthiness of sweet potato make for a totally unique taste. Like all Spud vodkas it is imported from Poland, 100% gluten free and distilled 5 times for a smooth taste with a savoury-sweet palate.
Bailey’s Pumpkin Spiced Liqueur - $29.99
For autumn, try a spiced-up Baileys with a twist of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, every mouthful exploding like a tasty firework on a chilly night. Creamy goodness that makes for that perfect pumpkin spiced latte! Add to your chilly morning coffee, or enjoy on the rocks for a festive treat.
The term India Pale Ale was coined in reference to the style of ales that were being shipped down to the British colonies in India in the late 1700’s. India was too warm to brew beer back then as this goes back years before air conditioning. Casks of pale ales were shipped down from London and it was found that the higher the hop content the better preserved the ales were on arrival.
Harris Gin is crafted using sugar kelp as a key botanical along with 7 other botanicals such as bitter orange, juniper, coriander seed and local herbs. It’s the sugar kelp seaweed though, hand gathered by local diver, Lewis Mackenzie, that contributes such a unique flavour to this gin, giving a hint of sweet and seacoast salinity.
