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Our bar cart is a little bit like our wardrobe — in desperate need of some updates and a fresh new look and feel for the upcoming season. We’re blowing away the cobwebs by bringing out some fresh spring and summer tipples to help us feel all shiny and new come those lazy, hazy days of sunshine.
We’ve rounded up our favourite summer sippers — from a crisp white wine to a zesty rosé bursting with fruity flavours — so your wine fridge (or cooler) will be given the seasonal update you’ve been longing for. If you’re looking for a stronger drink, we’ve got a wild botanical gin that’ll whisk you away to the bucolic Emerald Isles, and tequila, made from agave in Jalisco, that’s begging to be transformed into a salt-rimmed margarita.
Find these stunning sippers at some of Toronto’s best bars or take a trip to the LCBO or your local bottle shop and stock up your bar cabinet and fridges for the season. Three cheers to savouring this summer.
8 fresh spring drinks to update your bar cart
Chile is fast becoming a popular wine-producing region, thanks to its rich and diverse topography, its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, a handful of deserts and the Andes mountain ranges. Sauvignon blanc is one of its most favoured varieties, and the coastal vineyards in Chile offer the very best of the grape. Sample this crisp and citrusy expression with notes of herb and bell pepper, and made with organic and sustainable farming practices. Pair it with grilled veggies (it’s vegan, after all), or sip solo on the patio.
Australians are well-known for their barbecuing, but they’re less well known for their cab sauv. Skip the shiraz, and delve into a bottle of Wolf Blass’s Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon, with floral and wild honey notes, plus oaky, smoky, coffee and plum flavours jumping out of your glass. Wolf Blass has grown from a humble tin shed to one of the world’s most successful and recognized wineries. Enjoy yet another pairable expression that’s full of character with roast lamb and rosemary.
Sherry is a surprisingly refreshing tipple when served over ice or in a cocktail — but that’s not to say this fortified wine isn’t just as enjoyable sipped neat. Made and bottled in Jerez, Spain, Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry is a soft, floral blend of fino, amontillado and oloroso sherries with Pedro Ximénez added for sweetness. If you’re looking for a summer cooler, try mixing it up with lemonade for an Andalusian-inspired rebujito.
Just because it’s summer, that doesn’t mean we’re changing all of our drinking habits. This ripe cabernet from the Paso Robles part of California is so delicious, we’re declaring it our go-to summer red — because all of that barbecued meat needs a bold number to tango with. Black cherry, mocha and vanilla notes dance on the palate, while its velvety tannins allow you to sip this long into the evening. Grab a blanket, pour another glass and spin one more yarn — we’ve got nowhere else to be.
Just looking at this bottle puts us in a happier, more relaxed frame of mind — and tasting that first sip is a full-body transition into summer time. This fruity infusion, with flavours of freshly squeezed lemonade and ripe, straight-off-the vine strawberries, is only 6.5 per cent, meaning you can open up a bottle without completely railroading your afternoon. It’s gluten-free with only natural flavours, making this a pretty virtuous drink, as well as a delicious one.
If you’re looking for exceptionally smooth and classic vodka, look no further than Stolichnaya, produced and bottled for over 65 years at the historic Latvijas Balzams distillery in Riga, Latvia. Aretha Franklin is smooth, but Stoli vodka — blended with artisanal spring water, then quadruple filtered through Russian birch charcoal and quartz sand — is the smoothest of all. Enjoy the citrus and marshmallow notes straight up, or add it to an espresso martini for a silky sipper.
Storms don’t usually bring out the best in us, but Tromba Tequila was named after the intense rainstorms that rejuvenate the rugged highlands of Jalisco, Mexico each year. Master distiller and founder, Marco Cedano wanted to change the way the world perceived tequila, once a party liquor that revelers threw back with abandon, instead of sipping and savouring. Cedano created the first batch from premium 100 per cent agave (unlike the lesser quality “mixto” tequilas, which are made with a blend of sugar cane and agave), launching the premiumization of tequila in the process.
Botanicals are what make gin the special spirit it is, so what happens when you pick wild botanicals like elderflower and sorrel from the Wicklow mountains in Ireland and pop it directly into the still within hours of foraging? You get Glendalough Wild Botanical Irish Gin, an incredibly unique expression made with the spoils of the region of the same name, handpicked by their forager, Geraldine Kavanagh.
Much like our bar cart, Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin has been given a makeover. The gorgeous bottle now features an intricate design which tells the story of Glendalough Irish Gin and where it comes from. It echoes Kavanagh’s wicker basket used to collect her wild botanicals, and nods to local landmarks and monasteries. Celebrate its iconography with a toast to some of the most terroir-driven gin we’ve ever tasted.
