Carole Nelson BrownWhether you are lucky enough to have a cottage to usher out the end of summer or are planning a socially distanced deck fete, there is no need to wind up feeling like death warmed over by Tuesday anymore. There are so many Canadian made alternatives to alcohol that won’t leave you feeling left out of the fun. From no alcohol, distilled alternatives to low alcohol distilled liquors and THC infusions, you have lots of fun ways to enjoy a pretty cocktail or three this summer.
You can order this Gin 0 Tonic Kit directly from their website
If you want to keep 100% sober, there is Canada’s first distilled non alcoholic “spirit”, Sobrii. This non alcoholic Gin is distilled using the requisite botanicals as well as Canadian grown ginseng and will give the illusion of alcohol in your G&T but keep your head on your shoulders the whole weekend.
Strawberry Jalapeno O-Mule
Ingredients:
2 oz Sobrii
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
2 oz Good Ginger Beer
2 Strawberries
2 jalapenos
Grab a copper mug and muddle the strawberries and jalapeno. Add Sobrii, simple syrup, fill mug with crushed ice and top with ginger beer.
18.8 offers an lower alcohol alternative to all the Gin and Vodka lovers out there
If you would like a bit of alcohol but the opportunity to sip more than two drinks before you start doing the Macarena in your underwear, there is another great Canadian company making a reduced alcohol Gin and Vodka. Called 18.8 because their spirits contain precisely 18.8% alcohol as well as offering less calories for those who care about such things. This award winning, innovative brand hand crafts their distilled spirits in the Niagara Region. The Vodka, in particular, is incredibly smooth and clean enough to enjoy over ice with a twist of lime and has fast become one of our favourite summer sippers.
You can also hop over to the Stackt market’s south lawn until September 27th to enjoy a tasty selection of cocktails featuring 18.8 if you don’t feel like buying yourself a bottle at the LCBO. Mixologist, Robin Wynne has created a cocktail menu that was designed to pair with the food menu by Stackt’s resident chef, Trevor Lui.
18.8 Light Caesar
1 1/4 oz 18.8 Vodka
4-6 oz clam & tomato juice
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes hot sauce
Celery salt, salt & pepper to taste
Celery stalk
Lime wedge
Add 18.8 Vodka, clam & tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, celery salt, salt & pepper to taste. Shake it up with ice or stir together, pour into a glass. Garnish with celery and lime, and cheers!
I am a TGOD fan and am a regular user of their Ripple, dissolvable THC sachets and their fruity THC infused herbal tea. I have used tinctures in the past, but for a lightweight like me, I found them difficult to dose accurately and, more often than not, I ended up with a way more potent drink than I intended and they also often have a very bitter aftertaste. Ripple comes in variations of THC strengths, starting at 5mg and maxing out at 10mg of THC per pouch. It looks like a little pixie stick but instead of sugar powder inside, it’s a flavourless, odourless THC powder that has an onset time of 15 minutes with 4.5X the absorption of cannabis oil.
My favourite summer refresher has been a fizzy iced tea using the Happy Hibiscus Mate but if that’s not your tea taste, they also have a Zen Green Sencha as well as a Chamomile. For $12, you get a pack of two bags, each one containing 5mg of THC. The best part about this stuff is that, like the Ripple, it has a 15 minute onset so you aren’t left sitting there, waiting to feel the effects for 45 minutes or more like you would with most, traditional edibles. You can also buy it in a four pack with each tea bag containing 2.5mg of THC for a micro dose for $18, if you prefer.
I brew the tea and let it steep for five minutes, add some honey and then let it sit until it cools to room temperature. Add some ice and top with San Pellagrino Tangerine and Wild Strawberry Sparkling Mineral Water