Flying Monkey’s Sparklepuff Triple IPA Dazzles, Even As it Inebriates
I vividly remember the first time I tried a Flying Monkeys beer. It’s hard to forget, really, going from drinking sweet corn lagers to Smashbomb IPA. It really blew me away — it was loud, it was bitter and by god it was STRONG. I…
The Glenlivet Code: A Secretive Scotch for the Discerning Drinker
Having a scotch-drinking mom and a scotch-drinking aunt certainly has its perks. One of those is when a new, cool bottle hits the market, we can split the cost three ways instead of each nuking our wallets for a chance to try it. And few…
Santa Rita Wine Tour: Vineyard Biking and Vino Sipping in Chile
One of my favourite things to do when travelling is find a nearby wine region and explore it a bit. So far my partner Christine and I have been to Sonoma and Napa in California, and Prince Edward County right at home in Ontario. So…
Muddy York’s Gaslight Helles Lager is Hella Tasty
Lagers, bizarrely, are hip. Again, I suppose, if you count decades of domestic dominance as being “hip.” If we follow the beer trends over the last decade, we went from staggeringly bitter, high alcohol IPAs to sippable session ales, to science-experiment sours. It seems that…
Té Bheag Scotch is Decent as a Dram, Heavenly in a Highball
I’m a recovering single malt snob. Like many novice scotch drinkers, I bought hard into the marketing that single malts were the superior whiskies. After decades of dominating the top shelf, this is true often enough. But turning your nose up at affordable blends means…
A Portrait of the Modern Sommelier: An Interview With Kat Woods from Winebox Valparaiso
In February, my partner and I went on the trip of a lifetime to Chile for food, hiking and — of course — wine. While trips to vineyards and many bottles of vino stood out, no wine experience was more profound than our guided tasting…
Boshkung Campfire Rye Ale is “Rye-ly” Good
I’m a rye guy. It’s in my whisky (I favour a bottle of Northern Harvest for my go to), it’s in my bread and you better believe it’s in the beer I love. In addition to loving rye, I also like slick branding and camping,…
Oban Little Bay Scotch is More than a Little Good
There’s very few whiskies produced on this earth that I’ve been in the same town in which they’re produced. In fact, outside of my distillery tours to Talisker and Yamazaki, the closest I’ve ever come was driving through the town of Oban during my trip…
Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene Prosecco: A Beautiful Bubbly
Every New Years Eve I like to treat myself to a nice bottle of sparkling wine. Many years it has taken the form of champagne (delicious when vintage and even when not.) But unfortunately I live in a bizarre reality where my partner Christine DOESN’T…
Sipping With Smoth: Homemade “Irish Cream” With Papa Smith
It’s been a holiday tradition in the Smith household for years — come December, my Dad prepares his famous “Smith Cream.” Very similar to Irish Cream, it eschews the conventional Irish Whiskey for a 100% rye alternative. It is absolutely delicious and a fantastic beverage for…