Ice Cask Whisky will give your loved ones chills this holiday season

The holidays are coming and your gift shopping list continues to grow (sorry). It’s okay, you’ve got it under control. Well, if you don’t, you will after reading this article.

Why waste time walking from store to store at the mall, looking for run-of-the-mill presents, when you can get something incredibly exciting for those on your list? It’s a no-brainer to go for the latter.

Get your favourite people in the holiday spirit this season by gifting them a bottle of distinctively different, small-batch Ice Cask Whisky by Wayne Gretzky Distillery. What on earth is Ice Cask Whisky, you ask?

In short, it’s unlike anything you’ve tasted before. It’s a true Canadian-made classic with a frosty twist.

An elegant, golden-bronze whisky, Ice Cask is ridiculously smooth and robust, with the perfect hint of sweetness. But what really makes it unique is the fact that the whisky is steeped in the Canadian tradition of icewine making.

It’s matured in Wayne Gretzky Estates’ signature Vidal Icewine casks to soak up the glorious residual sweetness of their frozen grapes. Impressive, right? This thoughtful process results in festive top notes of clove, raisin, stone fruit, toffee, and caramelized sugar.

Ice Cask Whisky is perfect for the holiday season because it’s got surprising hints of maple and oak drawn from Wayne Gretzky’s signature Icewine casks. It costs $60 for a 750 ml bottle and is available at the LCBO.

But Ice Cask Whisky isn’t your only gifting option — Wayne Gretzky Distillery’s range has other premium choices like the Red Cask Whisky that has a smooth and refined flavour with notes of marzipan, or the Ninety-Nine-Proof Whisky that’s finished in cabernet sauvignon wine casks for 100 days.

These whiskies, like Ice Cask, make the perfect holiday gifts or the base for festive cocktails on a chilly day. Zachary Kvas, the mixologist at Wayne Gretzky Estates says cocktails should never be limited to what you can get at the liquor store, and we wholeheartedly agree.

When it comes to drinking Ice Cask Whisky, Kvas says it’s best served on the rocks, or you could even pop the bottle in the freezer to get the chill factor going. He says Ice Cask and dessert are a combination that’s like love at ‘frost’ sight.

Before you visit your nearest LCBO or the online store to purchase a bottle of Ice Cask Whisky for gifting or simply to celebrate special holiday moments, here’s a look at the perfect seasonal recipe you’ll be able to try with it.

Winter Tea

Ingredients: 

• 1 oz. Ice Cask Whisky
• 4 oz. Earl Grey tea
• 1 tbsp wildflower honey
• 1 lemon twist
• 2 shakes of Dillon’s Ginger Bitters
• 3 sprigs of lavender

Instructions:

Bring a kettle to a boil and add 4oz. of hot water to a small mug with an Earl Grey tea bag (or loose leaf tea in a steeping vessel). Add a tablespoon of honey, bitters, the Ice Cask Whisky, and one sprig of lavender to the mug and stir. Twist the lemon rind over the cocktail and drop in with the other ingredients. Garnish with two sprigs of lavender bridged over the mug.

The Story: This cocktail is a take on the classic “Blueberry Tea” cocktail, giving it an elegant, whisky twist. One of the best parts about fall is the aromas of dried leaves and flowers that blanket the earth. This cocktail uses dried tea-leaves, and lavender to bring those fragrances to your kitchen, and build a satisfying winter sipper.