Canadian Cocktails for the Holiday Season 2024
If these aren’t Canadian, we don’t know what is.
For December 2024 in Canada, several cocktails are gaining popularity, especially with the winter season and holidays in full swing. Canadians are known to eagerly await seasonal flavors like maple syrup, cranberries, and apples, which pair well with whisky and rum for warming, comforting drinks perfect for the cold months ahead.
Canadian Caesar
A beloved Canadian classic, the Caesar is a must-try, particularly with its warming, savory flavors perfect for the cold weather. It's made with vodka, Clamato juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and a spicy rim, offering a tangy and spicy kick.
Source: MyBartender and Nina Out and About
Maple Blueberry Gimlet
This creative twist on the traditional gimlet features blueberries and maple syrup, both quintessential Canadian ingredients. It combines tart lime, sweet maple, and the subtle flavor of blueberries for a deliciously Canadian take on a classic.
Source: Nina Out and About and MyBartender
Angry Canadian
This cocktail, a maple-sweetened version of the Manhattan, is another hit during the winter months. Its combination of rye whiskey, maple syrup, bitters, and a cherry makes it a comforting choice.
Source: Nina Out and About and MyBartender
Raymond Massey
A more festive option, this cocktail features rye whiskey and ginger syrup, topped with champagne, and garnished with a lemon twist. It's a bubbly, warming drink that offers a nice balance of flavors.
Source: Nina Out and About and MyBartender
Maple Old Fashioned
Changing up the traditional Old-Fashioned, this cocktail substitutes maple syrup for simple syrup. Smooth, sweet and a beautiful nose, try it once and it might stick.
Recipes
Canadian Caesar:
Ingredients
1 lime wedge
1 tablespoon celery salt, or as needed
ice cubes, as needed
1 fluid ounce vodka
1 dash Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste
8 fluid ounces tomato and clam juice cocktail (such as Clamato®)
1 celery stick
Instructions
Wet the rim of a cocktail glass with lime wedge; set lime wedge aside for garnish.
Place celery salt in a small dish; press the rim of the glass into salt to coat. Add ice to the glass.
Pour vodka, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce over ice.
Top with tomato-clam juice.
Garnish with lime wedge and celery stick.
Maple Blueberry Gimlet
1/2 cup ice
2 oz Canadian whiskey or bourbon
2 tsp maple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1-2 maraschino cherries
1 slice orange peel expressed
Instructions
Add ice to a tumbler along with the whisky, maple syrup, bitters, maraschino cherries.
Using a potato peeler or sharp knife remove the rind from the orange without the pith and either twist or squeeze the orange rind to express or release the orange oils into the glass.
Stir and serve.
Angry Canadian
Ingredients
1 tsp Maple Syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 Maraschino Cherry
2 Ice Cubes
2oz Canadian Rye Whiskey
Instructions
Pour the maple syrup into the glass. Top with two dashes of bitters and a cherry. Add the ice. Pour in the whiskey. Stir and serve.
Raymond Massey
Ingredients
2oz Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
5oz Champagne or Sparkling White Wine
Ice
Lemon Twist (optional)
Homemade Ginger Syrup:
Makes enough to store. Can be used for hot tea and baking as well.
1 cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 cup Water
1 cup Sliced Fresh Ginger, Peeled
Instructions
In a cocktail shaker with ice, shake the whiskey and ginger syrup.
Strain into an ice-filled tall glass. Top with champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water. Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Add the ginger and continue to heat until the mixture boils.
Canadian Maple Old Fashioned
Ingredients
1/2 cup ice
2 oz Canadian whiskey or bourbon
2 tsp maple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1-2 maraschino cherries
1 slice orange peel expressed
Instructions
Add ice to a tumbler along with the whisky, maple syrup, bitters, maraschino cherries.
Using a sharp knife remove the rind from the orange without the pith and either twist or squeeze the orange rind to express or release the orange oils into the glass.
Stir and serve.
