News & Recipes

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Fords Gin celebrates 10 years!

Were you at the huge 10-year celebration at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans? Coming off the heels of their 10th Anniversary party, Fords is now the 2nd fastest…

Important Product Details: Addressing global supply chain issue

Dear friends and colleagues, As much as we share in your excitement and anticipation about post-Covid re-opening, we would be remiss not to give you all some critical shipping updates,…

Spirited Sessions – Past Events

Just because we have to practice social distancing doesn’t mean we can’t stay social. Videos and details of past Virtual Spirited Sessions. ABOUT SPIRITED SESSIONS: Meant for community and professional development, Spirited Sessions is a bartending and drinks enthusiast seminar series. The goal; achieve higher growth and education amongst Canadian bartenders while having a great time. Spirited Sessions has always been about fostering community growth, coming together, sharing dialogue, sharing stories, staying educated, and keeping sharp.

Smooth Ambler: Special Bottles For A Special Cause

For each bottle sold, Sovereign Canada will be donating $5.00 to the @bartendersbenevolentfund AND the @_cpba_ to help hospitality professionals who are out of work due to the pandemic

Atlantic Canada: Bitters Are Now Just A Click Away

Hey Atlantic Canada, it’s time to rejoice, you now have a bitters supply store of your very own! Our Territory Manager, Evan McNeil, is now open for business at bigwheelsbar.com, an online store dedicated to selling bitters to the Atlantic provinces offering free delivery to those residing in the Halifax area. Brands include, Scrappy’s Bitters, Apothecary Bitters, Bittermens, and Peychaud’s.

New product release! (2020)

We’ve been hard at work over the last few months to get some great new spirits onto the shelves across the country. Here’s a list of what’s new and exciting province by province this Fall. Check them out!

Spirited Sessions: A Conduit for Change

Spirited Sessions began three years ago as a platform for community growth, engagement and education and it’s been nothing short of amazing to watch it grow into its own. Over the last 6 months we managed to pivot the in-person seminar series to a Zoom-hosted platform where we’ve brought together people from all over the world. Navigating a world pandemic and huge upheaval of the hospitality industry we knew that we had to lend a helping hand to all those in need and to those that have helped us so much through the years. And so began our #tipsforfam initiative.

Tequila Ocho, Fords Gin, Koch Mezcal & Worthy Park All Win Big In 2020 Awards

A massive congratulations are due to Tequila Ocho, Fords Gin, Koch Mezcal & Worthy Park as they all won big in 2020 Awards.
Congratulations to everyone; well deserved!

The Year The World and Even Cocktail Festivals Went Online

We’d like to give praise to all the organizations and individuals that have brought us quality, thoughtful, and relevant online content over the spring and summer months. Cheers to you all!

Victoria’s Wind Cries Mary Re-Opens For Charity

As the province of BC reopened this summer, one Victoria restaurant, Wind Cries Mary, decided to step up and give back to the community as they kicked off their reopening on June 29th with a Charitable Fundraiser for the BC Black History Awareness Society (BCBHAS) and the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS).

Behind the bar with Andrew Keyes

Hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, you will find our Sovereign feature, Andrew Keyes, formerly of Lot Six Bar. Recently taking a step back from full time bartending to explore other positions within the industry, Andrew has been a key (no pun intended) component to the fantastic people responsible for making the cocktail culture as outstanding as it is on the East Coast of Canada.

Keyes joined the industry with a “how you got started in the ‘biz’” story just about as great as we’ve ever heard. A young Keyes was a busboy at Datsun Restaurant in Ottawa, when a fellow bartender cut his hand during service, allowing him to rise to the occasion and take over for the rest of the shift. Immediately hooked on hospitality, Andrew dropped out of school the next day and became a full-time bartender.

Behind the bar with Andrew Keyes

Change of Season with Olivia Povarchook

A mainstay on Vancouver’s bar scene, Olivia has made her mark as both an amazing bartender and influencer with her side project, Bitter Queens. She made her move into bartending as a natural progression from her culinary background. Starting at Uva, and moving on to both Juniper and Vij’s, to find a home running the beverage programs for Juke Fried Chicken and Little Juke. Her most recent accolade includes being crowned the Canadian winner of the renowned Giffard West Cup, which landed her a spot in the final competition in Angers, France. We are looking forward to seeing what the next step is for this incredible woman.

Change of Season with Brendan Wooldridge

For our first installment of Change of Season, we’re sitting down with Brendan Wooldridge who mans the bar at renowned establishment, Chambar: a Belgian “by way of Morocco” restaurant in Downtown Vancouver.

Beer & a Shot with Evan McNeil

Born and Raised in Calgary, Summers back at home from University in Nova Scotia gave Evan his first taste of the hospitality industry. Starting off his humble years as a busser and bar-back at Earls and eventually moving on to a bartending gig at an Original Joes. Moving to Halifax after graduating from St. Francis Xavier University, he took a job at The Press Gang Oyster Bar as a support staff.

Meet the Bar – Ancora Waterfront Dining & Patio

Wander down the waterfront in Vancouver en route to Granville Island, and just try to not stop in for a cocktail at the exceptionally beautiful and polished Ancora. This ultra chic restaurant offers exceptional cocktails and dishes, putting a twist on West Coast, to Latin to Japanese. With some of the best patio views in the city, it would be hard to dissuade one from sitting down at a table. Although, the element that shines even brighter than the vibrant interior is the team behind the bar.

Beer & a Shot

With Katie Ingram Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, Katie moved to Vancouver after completing her degree in Theatre. She has been working in the service industry since the ripe young age…

Recipe: New York Distilling – Ragtime Rye

A selection of cocktails made with Ragtime Rye . Distilled from rye proudly grown in New York State, this uncompromising whiskey is aged exclusively in full-size barrels to ensure robust flavor and nuanced finish. If the destiny of nations depends on cultural nourishment then ours may rest, in fulfillment, with Ragtime and Rye.

Merrymaking Manhattan

We’re rounding out our last holiday cocktail feature with a tried and true classic: The Manhattan. With its smooth and rich notes, it’s a perfect sipper for celebrating! Using Old Scout bourbon as our main spirit, it has a palate that reads like a beautiful crackling fire, with hints of vanilla, pipe tobacco and caramel. We blend this with Maidenii Sweet vermouth for subtle sweetness and Dale DeGroff pimento bitters for its delicious spice.

Recipe: Mulling Spice & Scandinave Celebration

One of the most festive ways to keep warm on cool December evenings is a fiery spiced Mulled Wine. It’s a delicious combination of warmed wine, mulling spices and spirits. We’re choosing to include two spirits: Bittermens Akvavit, as it is an important part of Nordic drinking culture during the holidays and Maidenii Sweet Vermouth for its sweet and smooth flavor. Below, you will find a recipe to make a large batch of mulling spices and the measurements to serve a large group of people for any holiday bash.

Firewater Cocoa

For a hot chocolate that takes warming to a whole ‘nother level, whip up our Firewater Cocoa. We start this cocktail by making the base by heating up whole milk or any sort of nut milk) with cinnamon and vanilla on your stove top, making sure to stir constantly until bubbles begin to form on the outside of the pan. At this point, turn off the heat and add in chopped dark chocolate, sugar, bitters and Siete Misterios Mezcal, stirring until smooth. For those wanting a little touch of heat in their cocoa, we’d recommend adding 2 dashes of Scrappy’s Firewater bitters, but 3 dashes for those daring to go the extra level with heat. Enjoy with a marshmallow or orange zest

Ragtime Rye Punch

During the holiday season, with all of its excitement and merriment, any little way to save time is a huge asset. Why be stuck shaking up cocktails in one room when your guests are enjoying themselves in the other?

Gather round

Most often when the holidays roll around, we forget the true meaning of them; to relax, appreciate what we have and sometimes, to even rekindle forgotten friendships. This festive Ford’s and Tonic will make sure you are reclining by the fireplace and perhaps evening having a “treat yourself” moment. With its impressive list of botanicals, ranging from coriander to grapefruit to jasmine, Ford’s Gin is a perfect mixer for a citrus and herbal forward Tonic such as Tassoni. Enjoy this with a rosemary wreath and sugared cranberry for garnish.

Recipe – The Persimmon Mule

When you’ve had your fill of rich and filling Egg Nogs, Brandy Alexanders and the such, have a go at our take on the classic, with the Persimmon Mule!

Recipe: Big Batch Holiday Cheer ( Eggnog and Mulled Wine)

This particular time of the year always brings two of my favorite things together: family and cocktails. During the holidays, what would you say is your favorite Christmas tipple? Perhaps a punch you make for family shenanigans, a midnight Negroni, or simply sharing a beer with dad…

A slightly bittered history

The earliest birth of bitters can be traced back as far as the ancient Egyptians, who through drawings we have uncovered, may have been infusing medicinal herbs into jars of wine. This practice continued and improved even past the Middle Ages. In the early 19th century, the British added herbal bitters as preventive medicine to Canary Wine, in turn, making it quite a popular practice among the American colonies. In 1806, an American publication referenced bitters in the new term cocktail, describing it as a combination of “stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.”

Fords Gin celebrates 10 years!

Were you at the huge 10-year celebration at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans? Coming off the heels of their 10th Anniversary party, Fords is now the 2nd fastest…

Important Product Details: Addressing global supply chain issue

Dear friends and colleagues, As much as we share in your excitement and anticipation about post-Covid re-opening, we would be remiss not to give you all some critical shipping updates,…

Smooth Ambler: Special Bottles For A Special Cause

For each bottle sold, Sovereign Canada will be donating $5.00 to the @bartendersbenevolentfund AND the @_cpba_ to help hospitality professionals who are out of work due to the pandemic

New product release! (2020)

The Georgia Straight: Liquor Nerd article with Jon Smolensky

As a man wearing many hats—mixologist, corporate liaison for the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association, and principal of Sovereign Wine and Spirits—Jon Smolensky knows his liquor. In an interview with the Straight, he suggests that, for the longest time, most of us didn’t know what good tequila was.

“Fifteen years ago, there were not a lot of tequilas in the marketplace, and part of the reason was because there wasn’t the insatiable demand that there is now,” he says. “And the reason there wasn’t an insatiable demand for tequila was because of the kinds of tequila that were in the marketplace. So it was sort of a cyclical problem—like the chicken-and-the-egg thing.”

Tequila Ocho is Back and in Our Portfolio

It is with utmost joy and jubilation that we announce that Tequila Ocho is BACK in Canada baby! Our team at Sovereign Canada is thrilled to work with the Camarena & Estes families to bring such extremely high-quality estate bottlings to thirsty agave lovers in Canada.

Peychaud’s Canadian distribution now by Sovereign Canada

There has never actually been an authorized dealer for Peychaud’s in Canada until now. It is now distributed by Sovereign Canada and we couldn’t be more excited! Inventory is now being warehoused in Canada and the stock is consistent. This took about a year for us to develop, and we are extremely excited to assume this role on behalf of our friends at Sazerac. What this means: The labels have been custom made for Canada so that they are CFIA compliant. You will no longer have to search high and low for your Peychaud’s. Inventory is now being warehoused in Canada and the stock is consistent. Ordering Procedures: If you would like to place an order for anything from our non-alcoholic portfolio or get an account set up with us if you don’t have one already, you can either contact your local portfolio manager or e-mail your order directly to [email protected].

Spirited Sessions – Past Events

Put me in Koch

In January, members of the Sovereign team along with some of our friends and family headed down to Oaxaca, Mexico to immerse themselves in the Mezcal culture. With the guidance of Carlos Moreno, founder of Mezcal Koch, the four-day venture saw the team chopping agave in the wild, roasting it in traditional wood burning pit ovens, and distilling their own Pechuga.

News & Recipes

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