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‘Tis the season for your tastebuds

By Monika Sofrenovic
Marketing Specialist

We hope you brought your appetite, because we’re setting the table for our biggest .CA holiday feast yet! What’s on the menu, you ask? Oh, you know…just the finest Canadian-made snacks and chocolates, small-batch spirits, and coffee. That’s only the first course. Now, let’s dig in and indulge! 

Sweet and savoury

Milleetunenoix

1001noix.ca

Spread the holiday loveliterallywith some of the most creamy-delicious, nut butters around! Sherbrook, Quebec’s Mille et une Noixor 1,001 nutscreates peanut, almond and hazelnut butters, along with their chocolate hazelnut spread, using simple, organic and natural ingredients. Go aheadjust skip the bread and dig in with a spoon. We won’t tell.

Price range: $

avanaa.ca

Using an old-school, painstaking process, Montreal-based Avanaa crafts award-winning dark chocolate that’s bursting with unique flavours. They use only the finest, hand-picked organic ingredients and source everything via direct trade with cacao producers and cooperatives. It’s true “bean-to-bar” chocolate! 

Price range: $$

chandlerhoney.ca

Chandler Honey, from small town Scandia, Alberta, has been in the beekeeping business for generations. So, you might say they’re experts on all things buzzy and sweet. They infuse their signature white, creamy honey with several mouth-watering flavours—like real vanilla bean, apples and orange zest. The end results? Decadent, rich…and unforgettable.

Price range: $-$$$

superdips.ca

There’s an ancient proverb that says, “Big flavour comes in small sachets.” Which just so happens to describe Super Dips. These spice blends are made with all-natural ingredientsand without salt and sugar, so you can indulge in delicious dipping sauces, marinades, rubs and soups. Now you have the tools to elevate even the most plain-Jane veggie platter at your next holiday party.

Price range: $ – $$ 

nanisachar.ca

If you’ve dabbled with kimchi or are passionate about pickled veggies…then achar is a must-try. For the uninitiated, achar is a South Asian pickled food, made from a medley of fruits and veggies along with aromatic spices. Nani’s Achar hand crafts all their achars, using farm-fresh ingredients and traditional techniques. But the most important ingredient of all? Nani’s (grandma’s) love. An excellent stocking stuffer for the flavour-obsessed.

Price range: $

cornpopper.ca

Ah, movie theatre popcorn. Often imitated, but never quite replicated in all its salty, buttery glory. Until now, that is! Ditch the second-rate microwave stuff and get on the gourmet popcorn train with Corn Popper. This family-owned business supplies the killer kernels, seasonings and—yup—REAL movie theatre popcorn oil to help anyone achieve popped perfection. Perfect for all those holiday movie marathons.

Price range: $-$$

theorganichouse.ca

The mother-daughter duo behind the Organic House creates artisanal gluten/dairy free, vegan chocolates that deliver all the same silky smoothness and richly satisfying flavour as conventional chocolate. Everything is hand crafted in small batches to ensure maximum, painstaking attention to quality, while all their cacao beans are ethically sourced, organic and fully traceable.

Price range: $$

palmbites.ca 

Palm Bites is where you go for the tastiest chocolate covered dates around. They’re healthy, light, super-tasty and made from all-vegan ingredients. What’s not to like? Pick up a gourmet variety pack as a stocking stuffer for your special someone!  

Price range: $  

Ravenrising.ca

ravenrising.ca

Located in Sudbury, Ontario, Raven Rising makes and sells chocolates and pastries with a focus on traditional, fair-trade ingredients sourced—whenever possible—from Indigenous people and businesses in Canada and throughout the world. They offer a variety of assorted chocolate boxes as well as three or six-month chocolate memberships for a truly decadent treat!  

Price range: $  

maplebluff.ca

Relive those childhood field trips to the sugar shack with treats from Maple Bluff Farms. Based in Huntsville, Ontario, they produce high quality maple syrup and sweets, along with maple-infused BBQ sauces, mustards and spice blends.

Price range: $

huckleberryhives.ca

The path from hive-to-plate doesn’t get any more direct than this! Huckleberry Hives produces raw, unfiltered small batch honey products from their 50 hives in Perth, Ontario.

Price range: $ – $$

rousseauchocolatier.ca

Rousseau Chocolatier is what happens when you elevate chocolate to an art form. Delicious artisan bars, stunning gift boxes and even chocolatey advent calendars are just a few delights you can expect to see. All chocolate is skillfully handcrafted by master chocolatier Julian Rousseau with sustainable, wholesome ingredients.

Price range: $ – $$

madebybees.ca

With these stunning beeswax food wraps from Brockville, Ontario’s Made by Bees, you can finally cleanse your kitchen of single use food films. Not only do beeswax wraps keep your leftovers fresher, longer—they’re a completely natural and sustainable solution.

Price range: $ – $$

cheesemaker.ca

Bring the art of cheesemaking straight to your loved one’s kitchen. Cheesemaker’s DIY kits make it fun and easy to create gourmet cheese—from cheese curds to mozzarella and ricotta.

Price range: $$

Coffee and tea

vaniteablends.ca

Make every steaming mug a magical experience for the loose-leaf lover on your list. VaniTEA hand-picks the boldest, most flavourful blends from tea estates around the world. For all the holiday feels, try their best-selling Belgian Chocolate Rooibos blend that combines cocoa truffle with smooth, fruity notes.  

Price range: $ – $$

 

northroast.ca

Hailing from picturesque Prince George, BC, North Roast Coffee has found a way to make the coffee buying experience that much fresher. How? By cutting out the middleman. There are no warehouses to be found here, and certainly no mystery beans. All their coffee is roasted to order – so you’re guaranteed nothing but the freshest, boldest blends! 

Price range: $-$$

goldentrianglecoffee.ca

For the coffee lover in your life that’s craving a new twist on their daily cup of joe. Golden Triangle Coffee serves up several of the most unique and beautiful flavours from Southeast Asia. For instance, their super aromatic Thai “Nak” coffee gives off hints of caramel, orange and tangerine. Golden Triangle Coffee works directly with cooperatives to import fresh beans, then locally roasts them in Montreal.

Price range: $

borealheartland.ca

You’ve never sipped a cuppa quite like this! Boreal Heartland harvests their herbal teas right from the boreal forest of Northern Saskatchewanand creates sustainable income for local Indigenous communities in the process. Check out their Energization tea, which blends notes of sarsaparilla root, rosehip, bearberry and birch leaf for a savoury, uplifting flavour experience.

Price range: $ – $$

eightouncecoffee.ca

Eight Ounce Coffee is Canada’s largest specialty coffee equipment distributor, which makes them a great source for everything you need to grind, brew and serve that perfect cup. They also offer a range of small-batch, fair-trade coffees from roasters across the globe.

Price range: $ – $$$

premiumteas.ca

For the past 40 years, Premium Teas has been finding the finest flavours from around the world, then bringing them from tea garden to mug. Want to warm hearts this season? Go with their Harney & Sons Holiday Tea, which takes black tea and spices it with citrus, almond, clove and cinnamon. 100% Santa-approved.  

Price range: $ – $$

roguewavecoffee.ca

Edmonton’s Rogue Wave Coffee not only roasts delicious, fresh and ethically sourced coffee, but they also supply all the gear needed (like, grinders, scales, etc.) to brew that perfect cuppa joe. You can also treat your coffee loving companion to one of Rogue Wave’s excellent monthly coffee subscriptions. 

Price range: $-$$

genuinetea.ca

Founders David O’Connor and Sarah Wilcox visited dozens of plantations across Asia and steeped themselves (pun intended) in the rich culture of artisan tea making. With that wealth of knowledge, they started Genuine Tea and now bring delicious, traditional flavourslike oolong, lemongrass, and jasmine greento your mug. The best part? Every leaf of tea is directly traded, so you’re supporting farmers with every sip!  

Price range: $ – $$$

transcendcoffee.ca

Edmonton-based Transcend Coffee is all about making it easy to get a great-tasting cup o’ Joe. And they do so with bold, flavourful beans and by building sustainable relationships with coffee producers around the world. Check out their coffee subscriptions to have their fresh-roasted goodness delivered to your special someone’s door!

Price range: $ – $$

floem.ca

Floem’s (think “flora” and “poem,”) team of pickers scour Quebec and Labrador’s boreal forests to hand-harvest precious herbs for their bold, complex tea infusions. For an excellent introduction pick up Floem’s Discovery Set, which serves up flavour blends like spicy apple and meadowsweet and aronia and alder.  

Price range: $ – $$$

neighbourhoodcoffee.ca

Toronto-based Neighbourhood Coffee roasts small batches of their 100% arabica coffee beans in the pursuit of the perfect cup. They also offer a range of gift sets featuring their special blends and other local artisan products from around the Greater Toronto Area.

Price range: $ – $$

teaonthe45th.ca

Named for their latitude on the map—Bracebridge, Ontario’s Tea on the 45th boasts a carefully curated assortment of 100 blends, along with a line of sleek, modern tea ware.

Price range: $ – $$

lvcoffee.ca

This small, independent, Ottawa-based roaster is all about igniting people’s passion for coffee. Little Victories ethically source their beans and focus on creating complex, balanced roasts for all to enjoy. Have their coffee creations delivered directly to your doorstep via their monthly or pay-as-you-go subscriptions.

Price range: $ – $$$

Beer and cider

somethingbrewing.ca

Toronto-based Something in the Water Brewery prides itself on putting new, interesting twists on staple beers. Take, for instance, their Lee Valley Blackberry Vanilla sour beer, which beautifully balances tartness and creaminess. Don’t miss their limitedrun seasonal beers, either! Read more about how Something in the Water went from a  side-hustle to a full-fledged endeavour 

Price range: $ – $$

btpshop.ca

Being a beer connoisseur doesn’t need to be a deadly serious pursuit. Ottawa’s Beyond the Pale Brewing Company brings serious fun and tons of unique flavour to their lineup of lovingly crafted beers. Lead off with Clean Cut, their German-inspired, filtered Kolsch, for something that’s crisp, refreshing and oh-so-shareable!  

Price range: $ – $$

beaus.ca

Since 2006, Beau’s has been brewing their collection of complex, tasty beers—like their flagship Lug Treat Lagered Ale—with simple, natural ingredients and local spring water.

Price range: $ – $$

perthbrewery.ca

Perth Brewery may be one of Canada’s original microbreweries, but there’s absolutely nothing stuck-in-the-past when it comes to their collection of eccentric, adventurous flavours. Try out their Calypso IPA, which brings together intense tropical aromas and citrus in an easy, breezy refreshing beer.  

Price range: $

brothersbrewingcompany.ca

Founded by twin brothers Colton and Asa Proveau, Brothers Brewing Company is a brewery, bottle shop and community hub in the middle of downtown Guelph, Ontario. Be sure to browse their 12 house-brewed creations that include oatmeal stouts, fruity sour wheat beers and Belgian blonde ales.

Price range: $

dominioncity.ca

Dominion City Brewing Company’s beer reflects the local people and land that made it possible. They hand-select quality ingredients from local producers—and even forage their own wild yeast—to bring you unforgettable brews.

Price range: $

flyingmonkeys.ca

From the looks of their funky, colourful cans and off-the-wall names, you know you’re in for a weird, wonderful and unforgettable beer experience with Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery. They flip the script on traditional beers with bold, eccentric flavour combinations. See, for example, their pineapple-infused Grand Terrestrial Rhapsody Pineapple Double IPA.

Price range: $

drinkpropeller.ca

In the beginning of Halifax’s craft beer scene, there was Propeller! Find out what’s kept Nova Scotians coming back for more brews all this time. Go with their classic Extra-Special Bitter, an English-style ale with a complex blend of caramel, toasted biscuit and orange citrus flavours 

Price range: $ – $$ 

leftfieldbrewery.ca

Batter up! Toronto’s Left Field Brewery produces baseball-inspired, unique, full-flavoured beers. Get started with their Moon Shot double IPA that features notes of white peach and cantaloupe.

Price range: $

quidividibrewery.ca

Named for their home village in St. John’s Newfoundland, Quidi Vidi Brewing Company produces 25 unique craft brews, including their Iceberg Beer made with 20,000-year-old water harvested from icebergs off the Newfoundland coast.

Price range: $

revelcider.ca

From Guelph, Ontario, Revel Cider combines farm-grown and foraged fruits with native yeast fermentations to produce small-batch ciders that are lively, distinctive and refreshing—with zero added sugar.

Price range: $

lostcraft.ca

Think of Toronto’s Lost Craft as the specialists in small-batch session beers. They’ve sourced beer styles from around the world to deliver smooth, balanced, refreshing flavours that pair with just about anything. Want to really spoil your beer loving bestie? Go for a monthly beer subscription that delivers Lost Craft goodness right to their door.  

Price range: $ – $$$ 

whitewaterbeer.ca

Located on the banks of the Ottawa River, Whitewater Brewing Co. sources all natural ingredients from the surrounding Ottawa Valley in creating their unique, hand-crafted beers. Speaking of which, Whitewater Beers produces four river and paddling-inspired brews, along with more “out-there”, limited edition seasonals you won’t want to miss.

Price range: $

Wine and spirits

covertfarms.ca

Every drop of this delectable Okanagan-valley wine is made using regenerative viticulture practices and certified organic grapes. To help your loved ones beat the winter blues, choose from one of Covert Farms’ beautifully curated gift boxes. They come packed with everything you need for the ideal evening in: two top-notch wine selections and plenty of other savoury goodies, like umami curried maple dipping sauce and smoked olives! Get more of the story behind Covert Farms.  

Price range: $ – $$$ 

triuswines.ca

For the sommeliers in your life, you can’t go wrong with a bottle of Trius. They’re one of the most iconic Niagara wineries, winning accolades and awards the world over for their refined, flavourful reds and whites. Pro tip: if you’re in the market for a more indulgent experience, splurge on a Trius ice wine!  

Price range: $ – $$$ 

parkdistillery.ca

What comes to mind when you think of Banff, Alberta? Crisp, clean mountain air and sparkling water. Now, picture bottling that up and you have Park Distillery! Their handcrafted spirits are distilled using pure glacier water from high in the Rocky Mountains. A great place to start? Their Flora & Fauna gin, which brings together eight botanicals for a flavour that’s highly aromatic, yet well-balanced 

Price range: $ – $$$ 

eauclairedistillery.ca

Nestled in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies is Eau Claire, a traditional, small-batch distillery that takes “farm to glass” seriously. How seriously? Well, they harvest all their own Alberta-grown barley using antique equipment pulled by a team of Percheron horses. But it’s not all just for show. A few sips of their Batch 006 Single Malt shows you all that manual work is more than worth it 

Price range: $$ – $$$

drinkmoremoonshine.ca

Now, this ain’t your typical, rough n’ ready back-country hooch. No siree! Nova Scotia’s Still Fired Distilleries is mighty proud of their premium, hand-crafted spirits. Check out their flavoured moonshines (apple pie moonshine, anyone?), Thai chili vodka and Fundy gin. Giddy up!

Price range: $$

luckybastard.ca

Fun fact: Lucky Bastard is the first distillery to operate in Saskatoon since the Prohibition days! All their small-batch vodkas are distilled using 100% Saskatchewan-grown wheat and infused with natural flavours, like chai spices and espresso.  

Price range: $ – $$$

labotaniquecocktail.ca

La Botanique Cocktail describes themselves as, “cocktail gastronomy delivered to your door.” Simply put, they supply high-quality, locally-sourced ingredients—coupled with some killer recipes drawn from years of mixology experience—in themed cocktail kit boxes guaranteed to help get the party started.

Price range: $

ginius.ca

Being a mere genius is so passe these days. Especially when you could be a “ginius” instead! Now, you can get your hands on all the tools and hand-picked ingredients you need to create totally unique homemade gin blends. A perfect treat for the budding master distiller or mixologist on your list.

Price range: $ – $$

domaineharrington.ca

Can a refreshing drink transport you to the heart of Northern Quebec’s boreal forest? Well, that’s exactly what Domaine Harrington is going for. They bring delicate, refined woodland flavours—think juniper berries, Nordic vanilla and more—to their line of natural sparkling waters. We’re told they’re brilliant on their own—or for kicking your cocktail game up a notch!

Price range: $ – $$

whiskydrop.ca

Get a world’s worth of whiskey delivered! Whisky Drop’s Whiskey 101 Course sends a different style of whiskeylike a bourbon or American Ryealong with tasting notes and detailed info on the distilling process, ingredients and more. It’s the kind of course every whiskey lover in your life will actually show up for.  

Price range: $$ – $$$ 

oghamcraftspirits.ca

This Ottawa micro-distillery produces artisanal, grain-to-glass spirits—including gin and Canadian whiskey—using all-natural ingredients and a traditional copper pot still.

Price range: $$

dillons.ca

Dillon’s handcrafts its lineup of simple, honest, small-batch spirits and bitters using traditional copper stills and the freshest local ingredients in the Niagara peninsula.

Price range: $ – $$

splittree.ca 

The secret to great-tasting cocktails? Top-notch mixes. Split Tree Cocktail Co. offers a full lineup of mouthwatering cordials, tonics and other mixes made from all-natural ingredients. This season, set the mixologist on your list up with a Split Tree cocktail and soda mix kit.

Price range: $

smooth42.ca

Smooth 42 Craft Distillery set up shop after buying and renovating their town’s derelict curling rink. Today, the Brownlee, Saskatchewan duo handcraft their premium moonshine, liqueur and vodka with locally sourced, raw materials to ensure a smooth flavourful drinking experience.

Price range: $ – $$

kinsip.ca

Rooted in rural Prince Edward County, Kinsip House of Fine Sprits is a farm-based, grain-to-glass distillery. Every one of their spirits are fermented, distilled and aged on-site with care. For a unique flavour experience, check out their Woodland’s Whisper Vodka that’s triple distilled with Ontario wheat and pine needles.

Price range: $ – $$

Now that you’ve gorged on all these tasty .CA treats, it might be time to sleep off the food coma. Kidding! With this many great holiday gift ideas, there’s no time to waste. Explore home and living, clothing and accessoriesand more using our .CA Gift guide!

About the author
Monika Sofrenovic

Monika Sofrenovic is the Marketing Specialist at CIRA. She is a recent graduate of Carleton University with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Marketing.

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