Winter Spirits

BY TOM FIRTH AND LINDA GARSON

IT’S LIKELY THAT THE ONLY CERTAINTY FOR THE FIRST TWO MONTHS

of 2022 in Alberta is that we are going to be ringing in the new year with some colder, wintery weather. You don’t need to consult with Punxsutawney Phil to know that (Groundhog Day is February 2nd), but we’ve looked both far and local to find some recommended spirits more than suitable for taking off the chill of a winter day spent on outdoor activities, or a fine day spent indoors watching the snow fly and thinking… “nah, I’ll go out tomorrow”.

The Gnu Normal London Dry Gin Calgary

Possibly the newest (‘Gnu-est’) Alberta distillery, Gnu Normal is a true London Dry Gin: unsweetened, juniper forward, and flavoured by vapour-infused botanicals with nothing added after distillation. It’s clean, fresh, and bright, with notes of grapefruit and mandarin peel - and we’re fans! It’s particularly delicious in a martini, with maybe an orange slice garnish, but the flavour profile also points us to a terrific gimlet and bee’s knees! CSPC +856433 $46-50

Don’t Call Me Sweet Pea, Garden Amaro Alberta

Amari are considered a digestif, generally made from botanicals infused into a neutralbased spirit, and sweetened – and… well, here’s a thing! This amaro is Alberta through and through, distilled from Carstairs field peas (!) with Alberta botanicals such as dandelions, wormwood, chamomile and elderflower – and sweetened with Alberta honey. It’s luscious, mouth filling, and a complex sipper for after any meal, with a huge, local feel-good factor! CSPC +854694 500 mL $32-36

Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye Whisky 2021 Release, Canada

It’s pretty exciting to be a rye drinker these days with newfound interest in special releases, cask strength editions, and limited runs. A hearty cask release at almost 64 percent ABV but still expressive with loads of spice, vanilla tones, and fruit characters. Best with a splash of water to bring out the milder cocoa and cereal notes and let the spirit roll around on the palate. CSPC +857573 $72-80

Still Austin “The Musician” Straight Bourbon Whiskey

While I’m far more likely to use a bourbon in my eggnog than rum, it’s enjoyed neat where bourbon is a rockstar. Nosing the glass, sweet caramel and sponge toffee lead off with honey and cereal in hot pursuit. In the mouth, it manages the fine balance between hotter alcohol notes, but also all those promised flavours the nose gave us. The exact sort of spirit that nearly demands to be enjoyed by a bonfire... or in that eggnog. CSPC +842439 $80-85

Peat’s Beast Single Malt Whisky Scotland

Not for the faint-hearted, this Single Malt is built around a “beastly” amount of peat characters. Rich and oily on the nose and palate with smoke, iodine, and tar leading the way, but also lemons, brine, and a fine leather note on both the nose and on the palate, and a touch of black liquorice on the finish. Certainly, it’s a peat-forward expression, but still balanced and with less peat than some other examples. CSPC +843950 $68-72

The Ileach Islay Single Malt Whisky Islay, Scotland

Nothing beats a nice and smokey Islay whisky when the mercury dips or a little precipitation is in the forecast. Rife with saline and iodine, vinyl, and peat on the nose, the palate shows off a little citrus and honey, but still all that warming earthy peat character too. Manages that fine balance between too much – and not enough peat for that difficult to please Islay enthusiast. CSPC +703776 $50-55

Second Location: This Year in Greenwich

A new year – and we’re delighted to announce new dates, new pairing dinners, and new menus for you to safely enjoy an evening of good food and drink where you don’t have to do the washing up afterwards.

Your safety is still is a priority at our pairing dinners, and we have a clean slate from our dinners last year. Our promise is that we’ll only offer events where it’s completely safe, and you can relax and enjoy the evenings; you’ll only be sitting with the people you booked with. The restaurants we work with not only meet AHS regulations, but try to exceed them.

Check culinairemagazine.ca/events regularly, and email if you’d like to be included in our bi-monthly updates to hear about events before the rest of the city. They do sell out rather quickly! Vine & Dine Pairing Dinners at Vero Bistro Thursday January 13, Wednesday

January 19, and Thursday January 27

We're coming back for our twelfth series of 6-course pairing meals at Vero Bistro in January! We missed two years - our last series was 2019, and as usual here all three nights sold out then.

Vine & Dine Pairing Dinners at Soleil Bistro Friday January 21 and Tuesday

January 25

Soleil Bistro has a new chef, Brenton Edwards, and we're excited for his really delicious 6-course pairing menu using classic and traditional French techniques. We're coming for two nights in January, and we know we're going to be impressed!

One-Off Romantic Italy at Bonterra Trattoria Thursday February 10 Our pairing dinners at Bonterra sell out fast every time, and now we’re coming back for our fifth Romantic Italy at Bonterra! It’s special upstairs in the wine room, savouring this elegant Italian cuisine. Vine & Dine Pairing Dinners at Queens

Friday February 11, Thursday February 17 and Friday February 25

Queens only opens for breakfasts, brunches, and lunches, not in the evenings other than for special events (like us!), so we’re thrilled to be able to offer two Thursdays and a Friday night for our 6-course pairing dinners here in February!

One-Off A celebration of Great Big Nature with Brian Keating! International speaker, Brian Keating, is off on new adventures and will have hilarious new videos and stories that no one else has heard when we join him for a Corks & Talks evening celebrating Great Big Nature with a 6-course pairing meal at Safari Grill in March. Always such a great night!

Menus are added regularly, so check out our paired dinners and email linda@culinairemagazine.ca to reserve yours. We try to cater for all allergies.