As Canada Day approaches, here’s a mouth-watering menu to help you celebrate our birthday.
First, there are aperitifs to stimulate your appetite. The French, cofounders of Canada, created the Kir, a drink made with Crème de Cassis, a black currant liqueur. To prepare a Kir, pour an ounce of cassis into five ounces of a dry white wine, usually Aligoté from Burgundy. If it’s made with champagne, it’s Kir Royale.
To be really patriotic, use B.C.’s Sumac Ridge Stellar’s Jay sparkler; it’s called a Royal Canadian Kir. And Gayle Morris and Mike Curran of Richmond’s Lulu Island Winery recommend you pour some of their Blueberry Wine with Prosecco, or make a Lulu of a Martini with Lulu Island Blueberry Wine and Vanilla Vodka.
Harold Rose at Sip Wines recommends pouring a tall, cool rye and ginger if you want to be nostalgic and relive the 1960’s when July 1st was known as Dominion Day. Harold prefers Seagram’s Crown Royal with Canada Dry Ginger Ale. My daughter, Robyn, adds a splash of maple syrup to the cocktail.
Barbecued burgers and cool brews are always popular on Canada Day. Grant Bryan of O’Hare’s Gastropub recommends their Natcho Burger with Four Winds Pale Ale from Delta. If you’re into grazing, O’Hare’s Cobb Salad is delicious with Postmark Pilsner from East Van. Wine lovers would enjoy a Pinot Blanc from the Okanagan’s Blue Mountain Winery to go with their greens.
Canada Day and barbecued salmon are synonymous in Steveston, especially with the Salmon Festival going on. When it comes to matching a sockeye with wine, Pinot Noir is stellar. It’s a medium light red that doesn’t overpower the salmon as many reds would. B.C.’s Stoneboat Winery offers both a delicious Pinot Noir as well as a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinotage called Duet.
Steveston is also famous for fish and chips. If you are enjoying some, Colin Cruikshank of Blue Canoe thinks that Driftwood Fat Tug IPA from Victoria is a darling companion. And from their wine list, he recommends a glass of Joie Noble Blend, an aromatic blend of six grapes including Gewurztraminer and Riesling.
You can salute Steveston’s Japanese heritage with some saké and sushi. Enjoy Osake Junmai Nama, a local saké that is complex and delicious when chilled, with your maki and tuna cones. It’s brewed on Granville Island by Masa Shiroki, the first Canadian sakémaker.
My daughter, Erin, honours Canada Day by grabbing a cold one from one of East Van’s many fabulous micro-breweries. She loves 33 Acres’ “33 Acres of Sunshine” ale. It’s a white ale with refreshing citrus and coriander notes — a perfect match for some heavenly pulled pork sandwiches on a hot summer afternoon.
If you feel ambitious, you can make a Canadian flag cake with local strawberries and cream. Go to www.kraftcanada.com/recipes.
Or you can keep the holiday simple by pouring Lulu Island Blueberry wine over ice cream with a Richmond blueberry on top. Happy 148th birthday, Canada!
Eric Hanson is a retired teacher and wine educator.
