Are you still in lockdown? Stuck at home? Ready to party? Don’t worry, we’ve got our ear to the ground on the latest trends to bring the cocktail bar to you, wherever you are.
To-go cocktails
While you might not be able to visit your favourite neighbourhood bartender for a tasty libation right now, some of the best bars in Canada have been working tirelessly to bring their signature cocktails into the homes of their fans. Toronto institution Civil Liberties from was among the first to adapt their entire business model to set up for take-home cocktails, with summer-ready options like their Coconut Milk Punch just waiting to be picked up for your next socially distanced gathering.
Seltzer madness
You get a seltzer, you get a seltzer, we all get seltzers! From White Claw, to Nutrl, to Bud Light, it seems like everybody’s getting into the hard soda game -- and that trend looks like it’s here to stay. Look for companies like Tromba to continue betting heavy on this beverage category’s expansion with their bubbly tequila-laced sodas offering a latin-american spin on the fizzness in 2021. What do you mean, ‘fizzness is not a word’?
Virtual Cocktail Workshops
Isn’t there an old saying about learning how to fish being better than having someone just give you one? Displaced cocktail professionals around the world are here to help future home bartenders get the basics on lock, with virtual cocktail workshops and experiences that offer a jumping-off point for learning how to make world-class tipples at home. We're obviously a little biased in writing this, but we're here to help grow the trend of home mixology with Happy Hour Academy, and don't plan on running away anytime soon.
Tropical all-the-things
Chili, mango, matcha, pineapple, more chili, let’s go.
As the pandemic ground the world to a screeching halt, wild and exotic combinations were already starting to have their moment. And then Starbucks came out of nowhere with their epic Iced Matcha Pineapple drink while most of us were bored-in-the-house.
Whether or not you’re in a place that allows for international travel, the rise of the tropical bar will be one of the great cocktail takeaways from the pandemic. This summer, rack up some travel points on your credit card at your local tropical institution with cocktails that smash up the heat of exotic chili and spices with quality caribbean rums, asian mango, pear, pineapple, watermelon, guava, tamarind, and more.
The Infinity Bottle
What if we told you that you could blend your own completely unique, tailored-to-you spirit, without having any knowledge of fermentation, distillation, and aging of booze? Infinity bottles make this all possible, and all you need to make one is a desire to try new spirits!
So, wait, what is an infinity bottle?
So glad you asked! An infinity bottle is a glass decanter or bottle that slowly becomes filled with the final 5-10% of that whiskey, rum, tequila, gin (or whatever else you can think of). Repeat this over time, and eventually, you’ve built up a spirit that’s inimitable -- and more often than not, outstanding. If you’re like a lot of us with a huge liquor cabinet with tons of nearly-empty items, give this a shot and let us know what you came up with.
Oh, also, best practices call for keeping the type of spirit in one infinity bottle (maybe don’t put gin in your bourbon bottle, for example).
Infinity bottles have been an IYKYK thing in the spirits world for a few years now, but it took the pandemic for the trend to start hitting mainstream.