Wine & Spirits
Sensational summer wine and cocktails
Sensational summer wine and cocktails
Wine & Spirits
Sensational summer wine and cocktails
Whatever your beverage of choice, we've got all you need to know for sensational summer sipping!
Winning wines
The authors of Have a Glass debunk some wine myths and help simplify your selection at the liquor store.
Fear. Agony. Indecision. Those are just some words that may describe your state upon entering a liquor store. But according to the authors of a new book on wine appreciation, selecting the right wine for your holiday entertaining is as simple as popping the cork.
Canada's favourite wines
Find out which wines have shaped the Canadian palate in the past 10 years.
The wine consumer can be awfully fickle. Witness the sudden change in drinking patterns that occurred after a widely viewed episode of 60 Minutes, broadcast in November 1991, suggested that despite a richer, fattier diet, French wine drinkers had fewer heart attacks because they consumed red wine. Within days, retailers began to notice more purchases of red wine.
Wine expert Konrad Ejbich fills us in on Canada's best sparkling wines.
The world is full of snobs who think only the French can make a decent sparkling wine. There's no question that champagne is remarkable, but so is its price. For those of us who adore a glass of fizz before serious dining and drinking but are financially challenged in these subprime/post-bailout days, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate the quality of locally produced bubblies.
Revival of rosé
Thanks to changing tastes, rosés are enjoying a revival.
Who said pink wines must be reserved for summer? Whoever you are, know this: we’ve stopped listening. Wine aficionados all over the world are rejecting a number of old notions about rosés. The result? Growing sales, and wines showing up in restaurants and wine shops.
Riesling rapture
Ripe Riesling smells fruity and sweet but tastes refreshingly crisp and dry.
At my table, German Riesling rivals lemonade as the perfect summer drink. With its vibrant fruity bouquet, fresh, tart flavours and comfortably low alcohol level, Riesling is suited to sipping on sunny days.
Tweaking a classic lemonade recipe turns this summer fave into a sophisticated, adult-only drink.
Lemonade is summer's all-purpose thirst-quencher, appealing to all ages, classes and cultures. When it’s hot outside, there's no quicker way to cool down inside than with an icy glassful of the classic drink. But with a tweak or two to the standard recipe, it's easy to transform that "olde-tyme" refreshment into a sophisticated, adult-only libation.
Si, si sangria!
Stir up some excitement with sangria, a refreshing summer hit. We've got easy recipes for you to try at home.
The word sangria usually conjures up cheap red wine punch served in a sweaty jug beside Tex-Mex food. If that's your primary image, it's time to switch lenses. Sangria (its name is derived from the Spanish word for "bleeding") has gone through many incarnations since it appeared in North America at the 1964 World's Fair.
Konrad Ejbich's favourite margarita recipe
This margarita recipe will transport your guests to the tropics with the taste of this salty-sour elixir.
Most margarita recipes appeal to me, except those made with "insta-mix." Generally, I prefer chilled over frozen, shaken over blended, and classic over flavoured. However, I'm open to frozen, blended, naturally fruity incarnations, such as strawberry and, my new fave, mango margaritas. Here's the recipe I use. It's as easy as 1-2-3.
You'll love these cute and useful summer cocktail recipe cards. It's easy to download and print these free cocktail recipe cards. They'll turn you into the very best backyard bartender in no time!
What's a summer get-together without a cool, delicious cocktail? Use our printer-friendly summer cocktail recipe cards to help you whip up six sensational summertime favourites, including Strawberry Lemon Crush, Cava Sangria, Slushy Limoncello Watermelon Lemonade, Strawberry Rum Punch, Negroni Sprizter and Frosty Peach Daiquiris. They're a breeze to make and a delight to sip!
Watermelon cooler
Make this slushy drink to cool down on a hot summer day.
This is the dreamiest drink i’ve had in ages. So agree the friends I most recently shared it with. They, like me, love how it’s naturally sweetened with honey. It’s a lot of fun to serve in chilled jelly glasses.
Berry cool cocktails
Sweeten summer entertaining with these delicious fruity cocktails.
Absolutely nothing says summer better than a handful of fresh-picked berries. They wake up our taste receptors with their vibrant colours, intense flavours and natural textures. I salivate instinctively at the ripe, sweet smell of strawberries, the popping crunch of wild blueberries, and that first juicy squirt of tart raspberries crushed on my tongue.
Lead image courtesy of Pottery Barn.
Summer wine selections
Summer sipping
Light, crisp, juicy wines, perfect for sipping on a hot summer day.
Winning wines
The authors of Have a Glass debunk some wine myths and help simplify your selection at the liquor store.
Fear. Agony. Indecision. Those are just some words that may describe your state upon entering a liquor store. But according to the authors of a new book on wine appreciation, selecting the right wine for your holiday entertaining is as simple as popping the cork.
Canada's favourite wines
Find out which wines have shaped the Canadian palate in the past 10 years.
The wine consumer can be awfully fickle. Witness the sudden change in drinking patterns that occurred after a widely viewed episode of 60 Minutes, broadcast in November 1991, suggested that despite a richer, fattier diet, French wine drinkers had fewer heart attacks because they consumed red wine. Within days, retailers began to notice more purchases of red wine.
Specific summer wine ideas
Canadian sparkling wineWine expert Konrad Ejbich fills us in on Canada's best sparkling wines.
The world is full of snobs who think only the French can make a decent sparkling wine. There's no question that champagne is remarkable, but so is its price. For those of us who adore a glass of fizz before serious dining and drinking but are financially challenged in these subprime/post-bailout days, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate the quality of locally produced bubblies.
Revival of rosé
Thanks to changing tastes, rosés are enjoying a revival.
Who said pink wines must be reserved for summer? Whoever you are, know this: we’ve stopped listening. Wine aficionados all over the world are rejecting a number of old notions about rosés. The result? Growing sales, and wines showing up in restaurants and wine shops.
Riesling rapture
Ripe Riesling smells fruity and sweet but tastes refreshingly crisp and dry.
At my table, German Riesling rivals lemonade as the perfect summer drink. With its vibrant fruity bouquet, fresh, tart flavours and comfortably low alcohol level, Riesling is suited to sipping on sunny days.
Traditional summer cocktail drinks
Lemon aidTweaking a classic lemonade recipe turns this summer fave into a sophisticated, adult-only drink.
Lemonade is summer's all-purpose thirst-quencher, appealing to all ages, classes and cultures. When it’s hot outside, there's no quicker way to cool down inside than with an icy glassful of the classic drink. But with a tweak or two to the standard recipe, it's easy to transform that "olde-tyme" refreshment into a sophisticated, adult-only libation.
Si, si sangria!
Stir up some excitement with sangria, a refreshing summer hit. We've got easy recipes for you to try at home.
The word sangria usually conjures up cheap red wine punch served in a sweaty jug beside Tex-Mex food. If that's your primary image, it's time to switch lenses. Sangria (its name is derived from the Spanish word for "bleeding") has gone through many incarnations since it appeared in North America at the 1964 World's Fair.
Konrad Ejbich's favourite margarita recipe
This margarita recipe will transport your guests to the tropics with the taste of this salty-sour elixir.
Most margarita recipes appeal to me, except those made with "insta-mix." Generally, I prefer chilled over frozen, shaken over blended, and classic over flavoured. However, I'm open to frozen, blended, naturally fruity incarnations, such as strawberry and, my new fave, mango margaritas. Here's the recipe I use. It's as easy as 1-2-3.
Summer cocktail recipes
Summer cocktailsYou'll love these cute and useful summer cocktail recipe cards. It's easy to download and print these free cocktail recipe cards. They'll turn you into the very best backyard bartender in no time!
What's a summer get-together without a cool, delicious cocktail? Use our printer-friendly summer cocktail recipe cards to help you whip up six sensational summertime favourites, including Strawberry Lemon Crush, Cava Sangria, Slushy Limoncello Watermelon Lemonade, Strawberry Rum Punch, Negroni Sprizter and Frosty Peach Daiquiris. They're a breeze to make and a delight to sip!
Watermelon cooler
Make this slushy drink to cool down on a hot summer day.
This is the dreamiest drink i’ve had in ages. So agree the friends I most recently shared it with. They, like me, love how it’s naturally sweetened with honey. It’s a lot of fun to serve in chilled jelly glasses.
Berry cool cocktails
Sweeten summer entertaining with these delicious fruity cocktails.
Absolutely nothing says summer better than a handful of fresh-picked berries. They wake up our taste receptors with their vibrant colours, intense flavours and natural textures. I salivate instinctively at the ripe, sweet smell of strawberries, the popping crunch of wild blueberries, and that first juicy squirt of tart raspberries crushed on my tongue.
Lead image courtesy of Pottery Barn.
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