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In these hot, sticky summer days, nothing says 'time to relax' like a cocktail. We look at the newest trends, designer barware and tip our hat to the most Canadian of cocktails - the Caesar. So sit back and start thinking about what to order at five o'clock

The ultimate gin and tonic challenge

As the options for gins explode, Stephen Beaumont and Christine Sismondo concoct a flight of G+Ts to crown the winning mix


Three Italian cocktails you need to try this summer

There’s more to Italian cocktails than that summer standard, the Aperol Spritz. Christine Sismondo deciphers what’s new and next in spirits from the Bel Paese


The banana daquiri at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Tavern.

Fruity cocktails, prepared low and slow

Forget liquid nitrogen and canisters of foam; the mixologist’s latest cocktail trick is the sous vide method


Grey Tiger’s Walking Home Alone at Night spirit-forward cocktail is the bar’s most popular unchilled drink.

The end of the ice age? Some tipples are best served tepid

Cocktail bartenders are pointing out that not every drink improves at a frosty temperature


Bartenders experimenting with new ingredients to cater to variety of diets

Ingredients in many classic cocktails don’t always suit today’s diets, leading to a lot of experimenting on the part of bartenders: some of it weird, yet totally delicious

Cheers to Walter Chell who first mixed a Caesar, this popular cocktail, at The Calgary Inn in 1969

Despite its murky origins, the Caesar is undoubtedly a Canadian cocktail

The Bloody Caesar is Canada’s most enduringly patriotic cocktail, its creation in Calgary part of our national story


GARNISH OPTION #1: The Butcher Shop Caesar (One-Eighty Sports Pub, Peterborough, Ont.). Sriracha celery salt for rim; Franz’s Gold Medal thick-cut double smoked bacon and house kielbasa; Franz’s beef jerky and pepperette; old cheddar, jalapeño havarti and triple-cream brie; pickled asparagus, spicy bean, dill pickle and olives.

Hail Caesars: When did Canada’s favourite hangover helper turn from a drink into a meal?

Is more really more when it comes to garnishing a cocktail? Christine Sismondo learns that it’s not so much excess that’s best, but building a drink into an experience



Fully stocked: Shake up your cocktail routine with 6 designer barware finds

In preparation for the holiday season, Anya Georgijevic picks the best barware that mixes mixologist functionality with contemporary looks