Holiday Gift Guide 2024 – Drinks

Hello Someday Syrah

Jim and Jaime Love fell in love with the world of wine when they were on their honeymoon in the Okanagan Valley. They talked about starting a winery but didn’t have the budgHi Hi Bt to create what they envisioned. They didn’t give up, however, and instead created Hello Someday Wine, a label that works with a custom crush operation in the Okanagan Valley to create wines to the Loves’ specifications. Despite a challenging couple of years with the weather in the Okanagan, the results have been excellent so far; since bottling their first wine in 2020, they’ve sold more than 5,000 bottles and won myriad awards.

The 2020 Hello Someday Syrah is full-bodied, deep garnet in colour and peppery, with smooth tannins and plenty of plummy, raspberry fruit notes. A 2024 Stampede Cellar Showdown Silver Medal winner, this wine pairs with Spolumbo’s mild Italian sausages or aged cheddar.

Hello Someday 2020 Syrah | $35 at wine shops around the city | hellosomedaywine.com

Crema di Limoncello

When life hands you lemons (and a great recipe), find a way to make limoncello.

Elena Golemme and her sister Franca Flaviano (co-owner of Franca’s Ristorante) knew Elena’s limoncello was special, so they decided to bottle it. With the help of Burwood Distillery, Elena now makes the delicious stuff commercially, based on a secret cream-based recipe that’s very different from the average (not creamy) limoncello you find in liquor stores.

Flaviano now sells it at her eponymous restaurant, where it’s especially popular as an after-dinner elixir. Because it’s made with a dairy product, it has to be stored in the freezer, but because it is high in alcohol, it doesn’t freeze. It is, instead, a creamy, cold, lemony flavour bomb that begs for another sip.

Crema di Limoncello by Elena | $75 | Franca’s Ristorante and Il Centro Pizzeria

To ‘ a Tea Half  & Half

You know you’re meant to be friends with someone when the universe just keeps sticking you together. Chad Labelle and Bobby Zinkan grew up in the same neighbourhood in Calgary. Then they both played hockey in the WHL (different teams, mind you.) Then they both studied at the University of Prince Edward Island.

Now they’re co-owners of To’ a Tea, after Labelle turned a business class assignment into the real deal in the form of, a line of ready-to-drink cocktails.

To’ a Tea offers gin-based cocktails made with real tea and natural juices. It has three flavours so far: Pineapple Green Tea, Peach Hibiscus and the Half & Half, a blend of tea and lemonade. Low in sugar yet full of flavour, these drinks are all made with ingredients you can pronounce  and don’t need to Google. They would be a nice addition to a grown-up Christmas stocking.

To’ a Tea Half & Half | $13.99 for a four-pack widely available | drinktoatea.com

Fiesta Margarita Cocktails

It took close to 10 years for the team behind Fiesta Brands (Fiesta Margarita) to complete all the permissions necessary to use the word tequila on its label. Now it can make its drinks here in Calgary, with real Mexican tequila and fruit juices sourced from Arizona and Florida.

Three kinds are currently available: the Fiesta Margarita Original (seven per cent alcohol), plus two zero-proof options, Fiesta Margarita Peach and the Original non-alcoholic.

All Fiesta Margarita canned cocktails are non-carbonated and gluten-free, and they’re made with no added sugar or sweeteners.

And that tequila? It’s El Tequileno Blanco from the El Tequileno Distillery, which is owned by Calgarian Wayne Henuset. The former owner of Willow Park Wines and Spirits, he bought El Tequileno in 2019.

Fiesta Margarita Original | $14.99 for a four-pack – widely available | fiestamargarita.ca

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, renowned for its exceptional wines, has unveiled a new addition to its potable offerings: the Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Cookbook – Recipes for a Good Life. Authored by celebrated food and wine writer Jennifer Schell Lirag, this cookbook is a culinary journey through the Okanagan. Featuring 50 delicious and easy-to-make recipes, it’s the ideal gift for wine and food enthusiasts. Inspired by the Wyse family’s passion for hospitality and their commitment to green living, the recipes are meant to pair perfectly with Burrowing Owl wines. From appetizers to main courses and desserts, everyone will find something they enjoy. In addition to the mouthwatering recipes, the cookbook includes tips on wine pairing, a guide to seasonal ingredients and fascinating insights into the winery’s namesake, the burrowing owl. Available online or through Indigo stores.

Burrowing Owl Cookbook | Burrowing Owl Estate Winery | $39-$45 | burrowingowlwine.ca

Smooth Talker Bur-bon Whisky

Earlier this year, the Burwood Distillery team launched its Smooth Talker Bur-bon Whisky, the newest in the local distillery’s impressive lineup. While Burwood can’t call its new creation bourbon because it’s made in Canada, not the U.S., the flavour profile is certainly similar because it’s made with corn and it’s inspired by the famous beverage to the south.

The Burwood team gives their creation a twist, however, by adding some signature Burwood Honey Eau de Vie, made with honey from its own hives. Then distillers let the spirit rest in rye whisky casks, which add delicate spice flavours and aromas. The result is a warm, smooth, approachable spirit that will take away some of winter’s chill.

Looking ahead to 2025, the Burwood team is hopeful the distillery’s impressive Stampede music festival will return for year two. Music lovers, keep your fingers crossed.

Smooth Talker Bur-bon Whisky by Burwood Distillery $47.49 | burwooddistillery.ca