Canada's only magazine dedicated to distillers, spirits and cocktail culture.
The day I stop by Simps Modern Beverage, located in an industrial part of Kelowna, everything is in cheerful chaos. Customers mill around the tiny shop, which is in the process of a makeover; behind the scenes, a small team is furiously packing boxes, answering calls, taking deliveries and sending even more of them out the door, everyone apparently doing at least three things at once.
As the weather shifts from warm to cold and dewy mornings turn frosty, we all look for ways to stay warm and cozy. Sometimes we grab a sweater or fuzzy blanket, but this year why not try hot buttered rum?
I normally gravitate towards drinks in my comfort zone, like a hot toddy, mulled wine or hot apple cider; however, it’s fun to branch out, venture into new territory and explore other options. Often associated with the winter holidays, hot buttered rum can easily be enjoyed throughout the year. Its blend of baking spices, brown sugar, vanilla, hot water, rum and (you guessed it) butter creates a rich, velvety and whimsical cocktail to warm you to the core and bring a smile to your face.
This summer at Cry Baby Gallery, a cocktail bar hidden behind a small art gallery in Toronto’s Little Portugal, the menu took a new direction—from minimalism to maximalism.
Once a sparse and straightforward list with a dozen cocktails, the menu at Cry Baby is now a 22-page nostalgia trip rooted in analog-era Toronto. It borrows its format from the Yellow Pages, an artifact that is described on the menu as sort of a pre-digital influencer. Each drink is tied to a fictional business of days gone by—psychics, martial arts studios, modelling agencies and others—to build out an imagined community and history.
North Vancouver’s vibrant craft spirits scene just received a major gold infusion. Copperpenny Distilling Co. has achieved a remarkable feat by winning an unprecedented triple gold at The Spirits Business Global Gin Masters 2025 in London, England. This prestigious blind-tasting competition, viewed as one of the world’s most highly regarded, recognized the distillery’s deep commitment to innovative, world-class spirits.
On an unassuming corner of East Hastings Street near Victoria Drive sits one of Vancouver’s most exciting and underrated cocktail lists.
It’s here, at the Indian-French restaurant Peya, that award-winning bartender Chris Enns works his singular magic. Peya, which debuted in the base of a brand-new East Vancouver housing development, has been quietly and humbly serving the neighbourhood since it first opened its doors in March. But Vancouverites from other neighbourhoods should take note: This cocktail menu is worth a pilgrimage.
It’s great to see those interprovincial trade barriers being chipped away, especially when that means we get to enjoy delicious things from across the country. Case in point: two exceptional whiskies from Western Canada that are entering the Ontario market.
