Let’s have a drink

Sweet ’n’ spicy

Tequila takes on a lighter, fizzier form in this

refreshing sipper Recipe by CHRISTINE SISMONDO

El Jaibol

Serves 1 Celebrate the return of spring with this sweet riff on a classic highball, made with tequila and ginger instead of the more traditional whisky-soda formula.

1 oz Patrón Silver blanco tequila* 1 oz Giffard Ginger of the Indies liqueur** ½ oz Campari ½ oz lemon juice ¼ oz simple syrup 4 oz soda water 3 dashes Dillon’s Hot Pepper Bitters (or to taste)***

Grapefruit twist, for garnish

1. Chill tequila and highball glass in the freezer, and soda water in the refrigerator, so that everything is nice and frosty. Cold temperatures are key in a long drink. 2. Drop a couple of ice cubes into chilled highball glass. Pour in tequila, ginger liqueur and Campari and gently stir for a few seconds. Add lemon juice, simple syrup and soda water. 3. Top with ice and stir gently again. Add bitters and garnish with grapefruit twist.

*Or another high-quality blanco (clear) tequila. **Giffard isn’t available in every province. Domaine de Canton and The King’s Ginger are both excellent substitutes. ***If Dillon’s is hard to find, Scrappy ’s, Bittermens and Nickel 9 all make bitters from spicy chili peppers.

WHAT A PAIR

Wine pro Vidal Wu and beer sommelier Crystal Luxmore play matchmaker for some of the recipes in this issue. Here are their picks

Big Spruce Kitchen Party Pale Ale + Tofu and Quinoa Rainbow Chard Wraps, p 92

Taste the terroir of Cape Breton Island with this pale ale. Big Spruce Brewing grows some of its own hops and is certified organic. The beer ’ s citrusy bitterness will smooth out the chard’ s bite, while its crisp bubbles will cleanse the tongue. bigspruce.ca.

Little Beasts La Saison d’Été + Rotisserie Chicken Tartines with Pea Pesto, p 96

This female-owned Ontario brewery specializes in Belgian-style beers, and this saison ’ s notes of passion fruit, bubble gum, white pepper and lemon will pair perfectly with this summery dish. littlebeastsbrewing.com.

Southbrook Vidal SkinFermented White + Pan-Fried Mediterranean Sea Bass, p 97

Everyone ’ s least-loved icewine grape, Vidal, gets a makeover in this biodynamic orange. Made without additives, this was Ontario ’ s first skin-fermented wine and remains a benchmark, all pithy grapefruit, apricot and herbal tannins. southbrook.com.

Tawse Quarry Road Pinot Noir + Smoky Chard, Potato and Sausage Soup, p 92

This perfect pinot from the late Paul Pender, a beloved stalwart of Ontario ’ s winemaking scene who died earlier this year, is made for the dinner table. Food-friendly, it amuses every bouche with ripe fruit, balanced acidity and a spicy, earthy finish—ideal for cozy soups. tawsewinery.ca.

Sip and Savour the Sounds of Summer

To master the art of patio living, we pair Frontera’s best-selling wine selection with a feel-good summer soundtrack of Canadian GRAMMY winners.

SONIC SUPERSTARS LIKE Céline Dion and Drake have solidified their place in the Canadian musical canon with anthemic GRAMMY–winning tunes, but it’s Frontera Wines that is hitting all the right notes this summer. As the official wine partner of the GRAMMY Awards, Frontera’s bottles are tastefully crafted with the listening experience in mind. So hit play, tune in, drop the needle—however you choose to groove— and pour a glass of Chile’s finest, because these wines have met their musical match. Enjoy the season with this curation of feelgood tracks from iconic GRAMMY–winning Canadian artists. The only question that remains: what’s your summer vibe?

Celebrate the best of the North with a curation of Canadian classics that cut across genre and time.

Bryan Adams Summer of ’69

Nelly Furtado I’ m Like a Bird

Drake Nice for What

Shania Twain Man! I Feel Like a Woman!

Justin Bieber Peaches (feat. Daniel Caesar & Giveon) The Weeknd Starboy

Céline Dion It’ s All Coming Back to Me Now

Neil Young Heart of Gold

Michael Bublé Haven ’t Met You Yet

Arcade Fire The Suburbs FOR FEISTY SINGALONG SOIRÉES: FRONTERA CABERNET SAUVIGNON AND ALANIS MORISSETTE This ruby red bottle has a slightly spicy kick, making it the perfect sip to wash down with any track from Alanis Morissette’s GRAMMY–winning album Jagged Little Pill. The ’90s may be over, but their rebel spirit is making a comeback. Embrace the revival and rock out at patio nights and backyard barbecues, with the volume up to 11 and glasses full of this juicy Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2020s haven’t exactly been a pleasure cruise thus far, so why not release your inhibitions with Morissette’s cathartic angst pop and a well-deserved bottle of rich Frontera red. FOR THE FLIRTATION FACTOR: FRONTERA MERLOT AND JUSTIN BIEBER Sumptuous and dark-cherry red, Frontera’s full-bodied Merlot should be sipped while listening to “E.T.A. ” , a seductive R&B track from Canada’s most famous bad-boy-gone-good: Justin Bieber. As he croons about “skin sweeter than cinnamon, ” savour the voluptuous notes of cocoa and cherries. If this Merlot could talk, there’s no doubt it would be smooth—just like Bieber’s sweet nothings in this under-the-radar song from his GRAMMY–nominated album Changes. Date night coming up? This romantic pairing is sure to turn up the heat.

FOR SIPPING ON SUNSHINE: FRONTERA SAUVIGNON BLANC AND JONI MITCHELL A classic grape, Sauvignon Blanc is the ideal sip for the classic sound of the ’70s. Cue: Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” . Though this joyous folk tune was never nominated for a gilded gramophone, Mitchell is still a welldecorated GRAMMY–winning artist so we’re taking the liberty to nominate it here. Since the song is a celebration of the natural world, we’re pairing it with this bottle for the same reason. With notes of succulent pear and citrus bursting through like a ray of sunshine, this wine is made for summer picnics or light seafood dinners. Luxuriate in every last golden drop because, as Mitchell sings, FOR GROOVING UNDER STARRY SKIES: FRONTERA TWILIGHT ROSÉ AND KAYTRANADA Featuring Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère grapes picked during the crisp cool of night, Frontera’s blushing Twilight Rosé calls for an equally chill musical pairing.

“10%” by Montreal electronic producer Kaytranada, featuring breezy vocals by fellow GRAMMY–winner Kali Uchis, is up to the task. The slickest dance floor groove this side of the ’70s, it’s a summer hit that calls for a summer wine—and Twilight Rosé answers with its luscious notes of cherries and florals. Indulge alongside a decadent dessert or quench your thirst while dancing under the twinkling night sky.