Canada Day falls mid-week this year, which changes the shape of it — less of a weekend-long affair, more of a single big afternoon and evening. It also means the shops are busy on the 30th and quieter on the 2nd, and that people who’d normally drink through a long weekend are pacing for a Thursday morning.
Here’s what’s worth pouring, and the small amount of planning that keeps it easy.
Buy on the 30th
The single most useful thing in this article. The day before a mid-week holiday is busy but manageable; the morning of is not. Store hours shift on statutory holidays, suburban locations more than downtown ones, and everything selling alcohol in Ontario stops at 11 p.m. regardless of the date.
If you’re hosting, work out your list on the Monday and buy Tuesday. It takes twenty minutes and removes the entire problem.
Canadian whisky, obviously
It’s the one day of the year the category makes itself the obvious choice, and it happens to mix better than almost anything else in the cupboard.
Rye and ginger. Canadian whisky, ginger ale, ice, a wedge of lime. Completely unpretentious, endlessly drinkable on a hot afternoon, and the drink most of the country is genuinely having.
Maple old fashioned. Two ounces of Canadian whisky, a bar spoon of maple syrup in place of sugar, two dashes of bitters, stirred over ice with an orange twist. The maple isn’t a gimmick — it’s less cloying than sugar syrup and it suits the softer profile of Canadian whisky better than bourbon.
Whisky sour. Two parts whisky, one part fresh lemon, three-quarters part sugar syrup, shaken hard. Scales well into a jug if you’re feeding a crowd.
More on what separates Canadian whisky from bourbon and Scotch in our whisky selection.
The Caesar, made properly
Canada’s national cocktail, invented in Calgary in 1969, and almost always made badly. The difference between a decent one and a great one is entirely in the details.
- Rim first, and dry the glass. Lime wedge round the rim, then celery salt on a plate. Wet glass means the salt slides off into the drink.
- Clamato, not tomato juice. This is the whole point. Tomato juice makes a Bloody Mary, which is a different drink.
- 1.5 oz vodka, and build it in the glass. Ice first, vodka, then Clamato to top.
- Three dashes Worcestershire, three of hot sauce. Adjust up, never down.
- Fresh lime, squeezed in. Not a garnish. It cuts the salt.
- Stir gently. Roll it with a bar spoon rather than shaking, or it goes frothy.
Garnish is a matter of local pride and there’s no wrong answer. Celery stalk and a lime wedge is the classic. Pickled bean is better.
Ontario wine deserves the day
If you’re pouring wine on Canada Day, this is the obvious occasion for something local. Niagara and Prince Edward County both make Riesling worth drinking, and Ontario Riesling in particular handles a hot afternoon and a barbecue better than most whites — the acidity holds up against anything off a grill.
For red, a chilled Gamay is the smarter summer choice than something heavy. Twenty minutes in the fridge before serving. Cold red wine is not a mistake, it’s what the Loire has been doing for centuries.
Look for the VQA designation if you want a guarantee the grapes were actually grown in Ontario — plenty of “Cellared in Canada” bottles are blended from imported juice.
Beer, which is most of what gets drunk
Ontario’s independent brewing scene is deep enough that buying local requires no effort at all. A crisp lager or a lighter session ale does more work on a hot day than anything hoppy and high-strength — heat and high ABV are a poor pairing, and a 7% IPA at two in the afternoon ends the party early.
Cans if you’re going anywhere. Most public spaces have rules about glass, and cans chill faster.
For the people not drinking
Canada Day means fireworks, which means people driving afterwards. Have something decent that isn’t alcoholic — a virgin Caesar made with the same care as the real one is genuinely good, and it means nobody’s holding a glass of tap water while everyone else has a drink in hand.
If you’re out watching fireworks and you’ve been drinking, leave the car. The TTC and GO both run extra service on the holiday, and rideshare covers the GTA.
A quick shopping list
- Canadian whisky, one bottle
- Vodka and Clamato for Caesars, plus celery salt, Worcestershire and hot sauce
- A case of local lager, cans
- Two bottles of Ontario white, one light red
- Limes and lemons, more than you think
- Ice — about half a kilo per person if you’re building drinks
- Something non-alcoholic that isn’t water
If you’re caught short on the day
Statutory holiday hours vary by store — check the LCBO locator — and the 11 p.m. cutoff applies as always. A licensed convenience or grocery store can sell you beer, wine, cider or ready-to-drink cans, but not spirits. A licensed delivery service can bring the full range to the door.
Notice before eleven and it’s a non-event.
Have a good first
Buy on the 30th, keep the beer light, make the Caesars properly, chill the red. It’s a Wednesday, so the people who pace themselves will have a better Thursday than the ones who don’t.
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