LIBATIONS Whisky à Gogo

We may not be able to savour a wee dram in Scotland just yet but, to celebrate the coming of summer and Canada Day, mix up a few cocktails with spirits made right here at home

In our recent reality of revisiting and also binge watching some of our favourite shows, say Boardwalk Empire or Mad Men, the scandalous images of bootlegging in times of strict prohibition and day-drinking in the still-conservative, pre-swinging early 1960s loom large. In both of these shows, Canadian Club is the spirit of choice – in fact, it was the No. 1 smuggled whisky in the world during the 1920s in the U.S. – a nod to the quality of rye (a key ingredient in most Canadian whisky blends) that’s grown in our Great White North. And, like the North, there’s still a bit of myth and mystery around the spirit. One of these myths is that whisky is only sipped neat or on the rocks. Well, there is some merit to that thought for purists but also a bit of bunk, according to mixologists and distillers alike. The whisky cocktail is an easier drinking way to shake things up a bit. May we suggest trying one or all of these recipes at home, using Canadian booze, of course.