Tis the season for spreading the spirit of good holiday cheer. Tis also the season for pouring festive cocktails at friendly gatherings, pairing the perfect wines with your holiday feasts and choosing an exceptional single malt for the scotch lover on your Christmas gift list.
If you’ve already got a lot on your plate, don’t worry. BC Liquor stores can help make your holiday entertaining and shopping seem effortless.
Just visit your local BC Liquor Stores location and get some seasonally-savvy tips from one of the friendly in-store experts to help everyone get into the holiday spirit(s).
For instance, if you – and your guests – are getting tired of the traditional-yet-predictable rum eggnog cocktails you serve every year during your Christmas open house, maybe it’s time to shake things up with a Tequila Manhattan.
Tequila Manhattan cocktail recipe
2 oz (60ml) Cazadores Anejo Tequila
1 oz (30ml) sweet vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters
Orange twist, for garnish
In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine tequila, sweet vermouth and orange bitters. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with an orange twist.
Or maybe you’d prefer to pay homage to that dreamy, picture-perfect white Christmas with an Amarula White Russian cocktail.
Amarula White Russian cocktail recipe
1oz (30ml) Amarula Cream Liquor
1oz (30ml) vodka
1 oz (30ml heavy cream
In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine Amarula and vodka. Stir and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Top with heavy cream.
Which wines pair well with turkey? What about Christmas brunch and New Year’s Eve?
There are wines for all holiday times. So, to prepare you for this season of good cheer, BC Liquor Stores has put together a cheat sheet of wines for every holiday commitment and also has suggested some food pairings, like, for instance:
Nk’Mip Dreamcatcher is the perfect pairing with Turkey Dinner
This beautiful off-dry white blend complements many meal choices with sweet apple, ripe peach, hints of spice and bright acidity that all cumulate in a refreshing finish.
Gunsight Rock Cabernet Sauvignon pairs nicely with chocolate dessert
Expect ripe tannin, dark cherry, vanilla and blueberry along with some licorice spice in this full-bodied wine that is ready to rock your next social gathering,
Looking for the perfect gift? BC Liquor Stores is well stocked with a variety of products specially selected by expert category managers with the 2019 holiday season in mind. From extra-premium spirits for that someone special to Champagne to toast in the New Year, there is something for everyone on your list, including that scotch-loving Game of Thrones fan who will savour this pair of special edition Johnnie Walker offerings:
Johnnie Walker – A Song of Ice
Representing the frozen north, this blue and white bottle features malt from Clynelish, one of Scotland's most northern distilleries.
Johnnie Walker – A Song of Fire
The red and orange bottle represents dragon's fire and the whisky features some rich and smoky malt from the Caol Ila Distillery on Islay.
Want to surprise a whisky connoisseur with a new flavour profile? Japanese distilleries are the talk of the whisky world this season. On December 12, 2019, BC Liquor Stores is hosting an exclusive Japanese whisky collectible launch at its 39th & Cambie and Richmond Brighouse locations. Here’s one gift idea to get you started:
Initially, this whisky has caramel and vanilla notes quickly followed by cereal grain and dark soy sauce with a little smoke element appearing near the finish.
If you have a wine lover on your Christmas list, who has a cellar, here’s a great gift idea that will only get better with time. If they don’t have a cellar, don’t worry: It’s already deliciously drinkable.
Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2015
This well-structured Bordeaux blend from BC has lots of earthy dark fruit, leather, spice and tobacco flavours. It will age very well.
For that hard-to-shop-for name on your list, BC Liquor Stores also has gift cards. Visit your local BC Liquor Store and get friendly advice from one of the in-store experts or visit bcliquorstores.com for information on products, events and more.
Also, be sure to pick up a free copy of the special holiday edition of TASTE Magazine, which is bursting with more gift giving and holiday entertaining ideas. TASTE is available at any BC Liquor Stores location and online at bcliquorstores.com.
