keeping it LIGHT!

Have you noticed low-alcohol cocktails, wines and beers popping up on restaurant menus? These lighter options are trending because they offer a pleasing way to start a meal while also matching food seamlessly. Instead of pairing each recipe separately, we’ve rounded up a collection of great low-octane drinks to match this entire light and airy lunch. It’s all about moderation!

STIEGL GRAPEFRUIT RADLER LCBO 334052, 500 mL, $3.00

Try a low alcohol by volume (ABV) radler that has all the brightness and effervescence of the beloved Bavarian lager while showcasing juicy, grapefruit sweetness. Pouring cloudy yellow with a hint of pink blush, it has citrus aromas and tartness that work well with the lavish seafood cakes.

SOCIAL LITE GRAPEFRUIT POMELO LCBO 553214, 4 pk, $10.00

Sparkling with grapefruit essence and not a hint of sweetness, this refreshing bevvy comes across more like a seltzer than a typical cocktail, making it an easy match for food.

DESCENDANTS BEER + BEVERAGE CO. EL BUSCADOR CERVEZA LCBO 476994, 473 mL, $3.25

A Canadian summertime staple, Mexican light lager is a perfectly acceptable beer choice for accompanying a wintertime lunch menu. This pale gold brew has subtle cereal notes and a mild malty flavour that make it versatile for matching with food.

TAWSE QUARRY ROAD ORGANIC RIESLING VQA VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 198853, $24.95

With all of the pleasing sweetness, lush fruit notes (like honeyed, zingy tangerine and grapefruit) and minerality you’d hope for in an Ontario Riesling, this wine is tailormade for opulent lobster dishes like the seafood cakes. Bonus points for being organic and biodynamic and just 10.5% ABV—ticking a few winetrend boxes on the list.

SOGRAPE GAZELA VINHO VERDE LCBO 141432, $9.95

Lightbodied and crisp, subtly sparkly and wonderfully aromatic, this cheerful, budgetfriendly white rings in at only 9 to 10% ABV. It’s a great match for cheese and fruit or seafood.