Page 47 - Beverage MasterAug Sept 2020_Rev

International News

products to bring along to the beach or a picnic at the future evolution of hybrid RTD cocktails that could
park, the concept of the cooler started to evolve, and cross over into health elixirs and probiotics.
the idea of a sophisticated, more adult RTD cocktail
was born. While British Columbia distillers create health-con-
scious canned cocktails, in Alberta, Canada, they are
In 2016, a new, more refined canned cocktail arrived crafting a spirit that is unique to the province. Eau
on the scene in Ontario. That year Georgian Bay Claire Distillery in Turner Valley created Alberta’s first
Spirit Co., located in Northern Ontario, released the line of craft cocktails. They instill a “field-to-glass”
Georgian Bay Gin Smash, made with their award-win- attitude in their small-batch craft cocktails, using
ning, handcrafted London style dry gin. The Gin local ingredients like spruce and handcrafted tech-
Smash, flavoured with lemon, lime, tangerine and a niques, including hand-harvesting and hand-sealing.
hint of mint, was an instant hit, earning rave reviews Master distiller, Caitlin Quinn, has created a unique
from The Toronto Star that called it “easily the best spirit made with prickly pears that are indigenous to
pre-mixed cocktail to have hit the shelves of the LCBO Southern Alberta. She uses the Prickly Pear Equineox,
(Liquor Control Board of Ontario).” They could not a sweet, barley-based alternative to gin or vodka, in
keep it on the shelves, doubling their sales in 2017. the Eau Claire Equineox Mule. The spirit is naturally
sweet, intensely fruity and has hints of watermelon
The Gin Smash appeals to a more mature audience. and bubble gum. The Equineox Mule combines this
The gin is made using wild juniper berries handpicked unusual spirit with a ginger beer made by local brew-
along the shores of Georgian Bay. It’s light, complex ery, Annex Ale Project, and is a great option for cock-
and refreshing while still having some sweetness. tail lovers interested in Alberta’s local flavours.
Since the remarkable reception of the original Gin
Smash, Georgian Bay Distillers has released seven The emphasis on local flavours
variations of RTD canned cocktails, including a doesn’t stop in the west. The prai-
Smashed Tea that combines the original Gin Smash ries of Canada are also serving up
recipe with black and Darjeeling tea. Following the a variety of RTD cocktails. Prairie
Gin Smash’s enormous success, many breweries and Cherry and Prairie Pear are the
distilleries across the country added ready-to-drink results of a collaboration between
cocktails to their lineup. Manitoba’s Fort Garry Brewing
Company and Capital K Distillery.
No longer are these RTD beverages marketed explic- These RTD cocktails are produced
itly to young adults. Many companies are opting for a in Winnipeg using small-batch gin
dry and often sugar-free alternative to the everyday made from Manitoba grains and
canned cocktail using natural flavours and sweeten- are released seasonally, selling
ers. On the west coast, Vancouver company Ocean out each summer in liquor stores
Blu has created a vodka-based beverage sweetened across the province. Fort Garry
with stevia, a natural alternative to refined sugar. Brewing Co. general manager,
With zero grams of sugar and 100 calories per serv- Scott Shupeniuk, says the duo of
ing, these drinks are perfect for the health-conscious gin beverages has been a huge
consumer and a far cry from the limited offerings of success. They plan to continue releasing these types
the early 2000s. True to its name, Ocean Blu is also of beverages despite being predominantly focused on
dedicated to the environment, using eco-friendly beer most of the year. Many breweries and distilleries
packaging and donating 25 cents from the sale of are choosing to release variations of their usual offer-
every six-pack to ocean shoreline clean-up initiatives ings to please consumers looking for new drinks to sip
and marine wildlife conservation, pivotal to the west on this summer.
coast’s ecosystem.
Canada’s signature summer drink, The Bloody
Further inland in Kelowna, British Columbia, Orchard Caesar, has also evolved with the RTD movement.
City Distilling has created their own conscious cocktail, Four variations of the original cocktail are now avail-
Zen Kombucha, which combines vodka with kom- able at liquor stores across the country, including
bucha and other organic herbs and botanicals in a Pickled Bean, Lime and The Works. Made with Mott’s
convenient can. The health tonic/alcoholic beverage is Clamato juice, vodka, tabasco and Worcestershire,
the first of its kind in Canada and hints at a potential the Caesar is just one example of a classic cocktail that

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