Exciting options for enjoying wine, beer, and spirits at home
As to-your-door becomes the way of life, we look at one young couple’s crafted cocktail delivery service, plus other inspirational ways local businesses have improved our access to exciting imbibing options
For Greg and Sarah O’Brien, ingenuity stemmed from their daily ritual of sitting down together — cellphones away — and savouring a treat and a drink. “We would use it as an opportunity to turn off the news and reconnect,” says Greg. Living down the street from Whalesbone’s Kent Street shop made oysters a regular option, and the drinks were inspired by Greg’s experience tending bar at Beckta — so these were no regular G&Ts. With Sarah’s job in the financial sector also in doubt, they started to muse about new directions. Sarah started posting photos of the drinks on Instagram, and the universe responded: Do you deliver?
They looked into licenses and saw that, even pre-pandemic the rules would allow them to deliver ingredients for fabulous cocktails. Similar to services like Dial-A-Bottle, they don’t keep booze stocked but rather purchase it for specific orders. They found the kind of mini bottles used for airplane service, launched a Shopify page, and reached out to their Beckta regulars. After a busy first month, they hired Isa Norton to help with photography and social media. Greg’s mom, Patricia Kerrigan, helps organize delivery of the boxes, which contain everything needed for spectacular “speakeasystyle” cocktails: alcohol, mix, ice, garnishes, and shaker tools. Even vintage glassware can be purchased as an add-on. The couple say they send out over 40 cocktail kits every week, with many being sent as gifts. (Branded gift cards with personalized notes can be added for gifts.) While at first they delivered only on Fridays, the team can now handle same-day delivery.
Every kit also includes a personal note. “It’s a nice touch, so people know that is coming from a small company,” says Sarah.
How it works: Visit their website and pick out a kit; the most popular are the four-drink Date Night boxes, but there are also Social kits, which make 14 drinks (great for camping or work parties).
Find it: barfromafar.com
A Better Beer Store
Bar Lupulus
When the province tweaked its liquor laws to allow restaurants to sell beer and wine, Bar Lupulus was among the first to sell hard-to-find bottles as the main attraction (offered with a side of chips or charcuterie to appease the province). The move was natural for the Wellington West restaurant: Lupulus was known to carry over 200 beers. “Beer is something we have the edge on,” says owner Anthony Spagnolo.
Since mid-May, Lupulus has been selling those bottles through an online bottle shop, where you can shop the world of beer — and there are plenty of interesting ales to explore. Lambic ales, for example, are those that are fermented in an open-batch method, which means you can get some wild, funky flavours. “These are extremely unique,” says Spagnolo, noting that the term lambic can be used only for ales made in Belgium, specifically in the Zenne Valley.
How it works: Scroll through the online shop, which is divided into brew type (lambic, farmhouse, etc.). Pay online and choose a pickup date; same-day pickup is available, and delivery is coming soon.
Find it: barlupulus.ca
The Boutique Wine Shop
Byward Wine Market
Out of adversity comes ingenuity. When the pandemic hit, two linked businesses in the Market took a big hit. La Bottega had to shut its popular café and cancel its cooking and wine classes, while LOLLO, the café next door, went from having a lunch clientele of 200 per day to a few dozen. “Needless to say, we had some extra wine to sell,” says La Bottega manager and LOLLO co-owner Larissa Beznaczuk-Smyrnew.
She brainstormed with wine distributor Andrew Rastapkevicius, and by August, Byward Wine Market was born. Modelled after the cute wine and provisions shops ubiquitous in Paris, Spain, and Italy, the shop is located within the LOLLO space. Oenophiles can stop by to browse 100-plus curated wines from around the world, and plans are in the works to offer taste-and-buy wines by the glass, education sessions, and wine-friendly provisions to go (think Cerignola olives marinated with lemon and herbs, Provençal goat cheese in extra virgin olive oil, and sweet and salty popcorns, as well as grocery items). Since the wine is to-go, the markups are very small — Beznaczuk-Smyrnew says the owners want people to be able to afford to drink good wine on a regular basis as they do in Europe. “From everyday wines to specialoccasion bottles, we truly want to be a wine shop for all and show people it is possible to drink great wine at various price points,” she explains.
Find it: 60 George St., bywardwinemarket.com
Curated Cases
Beckta
The Beckta name has always been synonymous with a lengthy, exciting wine list. So when the fine-dining establishment closed its doors in March and the province allowed restaurants to deliver alcohol, Curated By Beckta was born. These carefully selected boxes of wine, delivered with tasting notes, food pairing suggestions, charcuterie, and a smile, became an instant hit.
Since launching Curated By Beckta in May, the restaurant has entered the delivery-and-takeaway arena, sending out over 200 meal kits every week. But they’re also keeping the wine delivery program — in fact, owner Stephen Beckta testified in front of the Ontario Legislature Finance Committee this summer to ask them to allow permanent off-site sales of alcohol by restaurants. (It’s currently set to expire on Dec. 31.)
How it works: Customers can select red, white, a mix of both, all rose and sparkling, or “surprise me.” Costs for a case of 12 bottles range from $325 to $1,000.
Find it: curatedbybeckta.com