Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve
Over two centuries ago, Grimsby, Ont. was the site of one of Canada’s most notable conflicts from the pre-confederation era – the War of 1812. Nowadays, activity is much tamer in the region, save for the work of a reputable whisky distiller called Forty Creek. Their Confederation Oak Reserve whisky was first made to celebrate the birth of our nation. It’s been repackaged for Canada's 150th in a fancy special edition box featuring patriotic artwork commissioned by Alberta artist Sheila Schaetzle. The whisky itself is definitely worth sipping slowly as it features complex aromas of maple, raisin and fig progressing to a full-bodied vanilla and peppery spice flavour and a long lingering finish.
$70.45 for 750mL, LCBO.com
Red Racer Across the Nation Collaboration
The country is chock full of excellent craft breweries and one of our favourites from the West, Vancouver’s Red Racer, has put together an impressive series of 12 collaborations with brewers in provinces and territories from coast to coast. Each bottle showcases the unique ingredients and characteristics of its locale, like the Bière d’ici Honey Ale from PEI Brewing Company which features local P.E.I. honey and hops from the Maritimes and the Miner’s Refresh Grissette from NWT Brewing Company. The grissette style originates from Belgian mines and this rendition pays tribute to the Northwest Territories’ mining heritage. While the collaboration was initially released in B.C. as a 12-pack, it’s presented at the LCBO in two separate six packs representing the East and West.
$14.95 for six 330mL East coast bottles, LCBO.com
$14.95 for six 330mL West coast bottles, LCBO.com
Sandbanks Canada 150 Wines
While Canadian wines might be slightly more under-the-radar than our whiskies and beers, we’ve got a few notable wine regions that are certainly worth celebrating. One of the leading wineries in Prince Edward County is Sandbanks Winery and they’ve created a few limited releases for our 150th. Their classic Shoreline red – a medium-bodied cabernet-merlot blend – and their crisp and fruity Shoreline white, which blends unoaked chardonnay with pinot grigio, have been released with commemorative Canada 150 labels and both are currently on the shelves of the LCBO. They’ve also got two special releases just for the sesquicentennial – the 150 Red Merlot Shiraz with raspberry and cherry aromas and a spicy finish and the 150 White Riesling Reserve which blends Riesling and Late Harvest Vidal grapes for tropical fruit notes. All the celebratory wines are 2016 vintages which delivered some excellent grapes thanks to hot and dry growing conditions.
$14.95 to $24.95, LCBO.com and SandbanksWinery.com
Innis & Gunn Maple & Thistle Ale
Breweries beyond our borders are joining in on our sesquicentennial celebrations with special releases. Scotland’s Innis & Gunn has brewed up a unique red ale incorporating elements from both nations. The beer features Canadian malted rye with Goldings and Cascade hops and was aged in 150 oak barrels for 150 days to help the flavours develop and add buttery, caramel notes. Then, Scottish thistle was added to give the brew a resinous, herbal aroma while Canadian maple syrup lends a touch of sweetness. The result is a rich and bold beer with toffee and vanilla aromas as well as a ripe fruity character and a creamy finish.
$9.95 for 500mL, LCBO.com
JP Wiser’s One Fifty Whisky
There are few distilleries that can attest to being around way back when our country first came into existence but JP Wiser’s is one of them. Celebrating 7,827 weeks in Canada’s 150 years since confederation, the Windsor, Ont.-based distiller has released 7,827 bottles of a commemorative whisky aptly titled One Fifty. The whisky’s base combines Canadian corn and rye for spice and sweetness and has aged in both Canadian whisky barrels and virgin white oak casks for 16 years. The aroma is rich and oaky with a touch of vanilla and toffee imparted from the barrels and spiciness that you’ll also taste on the palate. Enjoy it neat or on the rocks to best experience the flavours of this celebratory dram.
$49.95 for750 mL, LCBO.com
Moosehead Anniversary Ale
One of Canada’s most iconic beer brands (it does have "moose" in the name, after all) happens to share its 150th birthday with the country. Moosehead Breweries first launched in 1867 and to celebrate both sesquicentennials, the brewery has come up with a special anniversary ale that’s made with all Canadian ingredients sourced from coast-to-coast: hops from Thompson Okanagan, B.C., Sainte-Anne-de-Prescott, Ont. and Moose Mountain, N.B. as well as barley malt from Neustadt, Ont. and the Canadian Prairies. The ale is both late-hopped and dry hopped so it’s refreshingly piney and spicy with a touch of grapefruit citrus sweetness to balance.
$2.75 for 473mL, LCBO.com
