Articles & Round-Ups
The Bitter Battle Manhattan vs. Boulevardier
Few cocktail debates are as quietly divisive as Manhattan versus Boulevardier. Both are spirit-forward. Both lean bitter-sweet. Both have devoted followers who insist their choice is the only correct one. At the heart of it, this is not really a battle of recipes, but a question of preference, mood, and occasion.
The Old Fashioned Framework [& 9 Variations on the Classic]
The Old Fashioned is often treated as a fixed recipe, but it is better understood as a framework. At its core, it is simply spirit, sugar, bitters, and intention. Change one element and the entire drink shifts, which is exactly why it remains one of the most enduring cocktails ever created. This guide is built to help you think beyond a single formula and start building Old Fashioneds with confidence.
The Art of Entertaining: 9 Freezer Martinis To Make At Home
The freezer martini is equal parts practicality and quiet flex. It is the ultimate host move, designed to keep drinks cold, consistent, and ready the moment guests arrive. No shaking. No scrambling. Just a perfectly diluted, spirit-forward pour every single time. This entertaining guide is built for anyone who loves martinis but also loves actually spending time with their guests.
Bubbles for Every Budget Gift Guide (2025 Edition)
Sparkling wine is not just for milestones and midnight toasts. It is a mood, a ritual, and one of the most versatile bottles you can give. Crisp or creamy, bone dry or gently fruit-led, serious or playful, bubbles have a way of fitting in wherever they land. This guide looks beyond the idea that sparkling wine is only about Champagne.
R(h)um Gift Guide (2025 Edition)
Rum is one of the most expressive spirits on the shelf, yet it is still wildly misunderstood. Too often it gets boxed into a single style, when in reality it spans fresh and grassy, rich and molasses-driven, elegant and oak-aged, and downright funky. If agave is about place, rum is about process, climate, and tradition colliding in the glass.
Agave Gift Guide (2025 Edition)
Agave spirits have a way of turning a good gift into a great conversation. They are rooted in place, shaped by patience, and full of personality long before they ever hit a glass. From bright, mineral-driven blancos to mature añejos, smoky mezcals and a few wildcards that bend the rules, agave offers something for nearly every kind of drinker.
Gin Gift Guide (2025 Edition)
Gin is the ultimate shape-shifter on the spirits shelf. Crisp or wild, classic or quietly experimental, it has a way of meeting people exactly where they are and nudging them somewhere new. This gift guide is built around that idea.
Vodka Gift Guide (2025 Edition)
People love to say vodka is flavorless. We respectfully disagree.
This year’s lineup features eight standout bottles that prove vodka has range. From creamy Polish rye to soft white BC wheat, to peaches rescued from going to waste, to 20,000-year-old iceberg water hauled off the coast of Newfoundland. These vodkas aren’t just mixers, they’re memorable gifts with stories worth sharing.
Smoky Spirits Gift Guide (2025 Edition)
Smoke is one of the most polarizing flavors in the spirits world. Some people chase it obsessively, others run in the opposite direction. That tension is exactly what makes smoky spirits such compelling gifts.
Spirits From Japan Gift Guide (2025 Edition)
Japanese spirits inspire obsession, debate, and devotion. This guide focuses on flavor, craft, and character across multiple Japanese styles, because what matters most is what’s in the glass.
Scotch Gift Guide (2025 Edition)
Whether you’re shopping for the collector who must have the newest limited drop, the friend who always brings a bottle to share, or someone just stepping into the world of single malt, we’ve curated the perfect picks. Each bottle in this guide is chosen based on who it suits and why it makes an unforgettable connection gift.
Canadian Whisky Gift Guide (2025 Edition)
Canadian whisky is having a moment and this gift guide proves exactly why. From grain-to-glass single malts on the West Coast to bold ryes from Ontario and flavour-driven blends from coast to coast, we’ve curated bottles for every type of drinker: the Adventurous Explorer, the Bourbon Lover, the Casual Cocktailer and more.
Tastemakers Interview: Shawn Soole on the new Proof & Practice Intermediate Cognac Course
Shawn Soole is an Aussie born and Canada based hospitality professional with more than 25 years of experience behind bars, in boardrooms, and on stages sharing what makes this industry tick. His passion for underdog spirits led him deep into the world of Cognac, championing fruit spirits long before they were cool. Through Proof & Practice and Cognac Hunter, his mission is simple. He wants to make Cognac exciting again and show bartenders and drinkers that it is not dusty or distant but one of the most expressive and adaptable spirits on the back bar today.
The Scotch Shortlist: 12 Go-To (Unpeated) Bottles Endorsed by Experts
From under-$60 gems to timeless classics and Speyside’s more indulgent malts, this shortlist brings together expert-endorsed favourites you’ll be glad to keep on your shelf. Whether you’re just discovering Scotch or looking to expand your daily rotation, consider this your guide to reliable go-tos that deliver pleasure without pretense.
The Rum Diaries: 46 Cocktails, 20+ Never-Before-Seen Recipes
From timeless icons like the Daiquiri and Mai Tai to bold, barrel-aged sippers and 20+ fresh originals straight from the Flavor Camp Community, this collection of 46 rum cocktails is your passport to the spirit’s full spectrum. Whether you’re a tiki enthusiast, a mojito-at-the-beach loyalist, or a bartender chasing new builds, this list shows just how versatile, funky, and flavor-packed rum can be when it’s given the spotlight. We break them down by general categories. If you’re looking for a quick reference, bookmark the round-up on our Instagram here.
What the Pros Drink: 8 Must-Try Rum Cocktails
Vodka might be one of the most misunderstood spirits behind the bar—often labelled as “neutral,” sometimes dismissed as boring, and frequently overshadowed by its louder, oak-aged siblings. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find that when made well, vodka can be expressive, textured, and—dare we say it—full of character.
Rum Round-Up: Bartenders Share Their Go-To Pours, Sips, and Cocktails
Rum is one of the most versatile spirits behind the bar, carrying a spectrum of flavours that can swing from grassy and bright to funky, rich, and bold. To explore what makes this category so dynamic, we asked bartenders and rum enthusiasts across Canada to share their well rums, favourite sipping choices, and go-to cocktails. From carefully crafted house blends to tried-and-true classics, their answers reveal not just what bottles they reach for, but why these rums matter to their craft. Whether you’re a casual drinker or a die-hard rum fan, this round-up highlights the bottles and serves that keep shaping how rum is enjoyed today.
Tastemakers Interview: Natasha Motsi and Karl Mudzamba (77 Spirits Inc.)
In a landscape where many brands still echo the same stories, 77 Spirits Inc. stands apart with a voice that’s bold, unapologetic, and rooted in heritage. Founded by Natasha Motsi and Karl Mudzamba, the Black-owned importer and distributor takes its name from both the “exceptional spirits” it champions and the year of Karl’s birth—1977—a nod to legacy and beginnings. Their mission goes beyond the bottle: curating unique blends, celebrating culture, and reimagining tradition for modern tastes. With every release, Natasha and Karl are not just bringing new flavors to the table—they’re reshaping the conversation around inclusion, creativity, and what it means to raise a glass in today’s world.
50 Vodka Cocktails That Prove “Neutral” Doesn’t Mean Boring
Vodka might be one of the most misunderstood spirits behind the bar—often labelled as “neutral,” sometimes dismissed as boring, and frequently overshadowed by its louder, oak-aged siblings. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find that when made well, vodka can be expressive, textured, and—dare we say it—full of character.
Flavor Camp Taste Challenge
Running since 2022, the Flavor Camp Taste Challenges are in-person, flavour-focused masterclasses meets experiments—designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and a deeper connection to what’s in your glass.