“Canadian Whisky Writer Inducted into Hall of Fame and Other Spirits News”
Canadian Whisky Writer Inducted into Whisky Hall of Fame
On March 20, Canadian whisky writer Davin de Kergommeaux became just the second Canadian to be inducted into the Whisky Magazine Awards’ Whisky Hall of Fame. The 2024 ceremony in London saw de Kergommeaux among three spirits personalities inducted into the hall. The first Canadian inductee was John K. Hall, founder of and former distiller at Forty Creek, who was inducted in 2017.
Canadian Whisky: The Essential Portable Expert (3rd ed.)
The updated and expanded third edition of de Kergommeaux’s seminal book Canadian Whisky: The Essential Portable Expert, was published on March 12 on Appetite by Random House. This book is a must-have for anyone who is a fan of, or curious about, Canadian whisky.
World Whiskies Awards’ Top Drams Announced
The World Whiskies Awards’ top drams were also announced, with distillers in Ireland, Scotland and the United States nabbing most of the prizes. The winner of the world’s best Canadian blended whisky category was Gibson’s Finest Venerable Whisky, which is available in Manitoba from Liquor Marts for $99.99. For a complete list of winners in the whisky categories, including many other Canadian distillers who took home medals, including Winnipeg’s Patent 5 Distillery, which won a silver medal for its single barrel release No. 3, see here.
Patent 5 Distillery Celebrates Fifth Anniversary
Speaking of Patent 5, the distillery, located at 108 Alexander Ave., turns five this weekend with a fifth-anniversary whisky being released at the East Exchange District producer’s facility as well as online at patent5.ca on Monday. For those who can’t make it in person, some bottles of the limited-release whisky will also be available for purchase at the distillery on April 5 as part of a First Fridays speakeasy event, where a whole bunch of Prohibition-era whisky-based cocktails will also be featured in Patent 5’s barrel room.
Local Winery/Drinks Manufacturer Shrugging Doctor Beverage Co. Gives Away 100 Bottles of Wine
If your wine rack’s looking a little barren these days, local winery/drinks manufacturer Shrugging Doctor Beverage Co. has just the contest for you. The producer, which just moved to its new space at 483 Berry St. in February, is giving away 100 bottles of its wine — well, technically a gift card worth the equivalent of 100 bottles of wine. For more info on the contest, visit its social media pages (@shrugdoc) to see how you can enter, how to get bonus entries, etc. before end of day Sunday when the contest closes.
Chardonnay for a Cause at Jones & Company Wine Merchants
Today and Sunday are the last days to pick up some Chardonnay from Jones & Company Wine Merchants (1616 St. Mary’s Rd.) and help out a great cause in the process. Every March, Jones & Co. runs a month-long Chardonnay promotion in honour of Rebecca Lechman, a former employee (and Chardonnay lover) who died in 2020. Five dollars from the purchase of every bottle of non-listed Chardonnay purchased in March will go into an education fund for Lechman’s niece Aneska.
Wines of the Week
Check out the S de la Sablette 2021 Rosé, Beronia 2021 Tempranillo, and Claude Val 2020 rouge for some of the top picks this week. These wines offer a range of flavors from peach and strawberry to blackberry and plum, making them perfect for any occasion.
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