Introducing the Spirit of Toronto 2023 Holiday Edition

Never say never: it was difficult to imagine yet another slate of virtual tastings after our last one in the fall of 2022, given the logistics of producing such a comprehensive series of at-home masterclasses.

While we appreciate the convenience it offered, the time and effort involved was immense, and coordinating so many schedules across different time zones was challenging. Nevertheless, we thoroughly enjoyed connecting with whiskymakers and whisky fans beyond the live show, so we went back to the drawing board to find a new way for people to bring Spirit of Toronto home.

I believe we’ve succeeded, but ultimately you’ll be the judge:

Our workaround for 2023 has been to double the number of samples on offer while making half as many tasting kits, and then pre-recording the tutored tastings between our team and the participating distillers and blenders who generously made time to talk and taste with us. We had fun filming these sessions, and somehow managed to fit in a cocktail, a blind tasting, and a food pairing for the epicureans among you.

These will be archived on our website for the next 365 days, giving tasters a chance to sit in on an exchange between our team of whisky lovers and the people who make the whiskies that make us smile.

Packaged in a gorgeous, handmade wooden giftbox, the result is the Spirit of Toronto Holiday Edition, which we’ve lovingly nicknamed “Spirit-of-Toronto-in-a-box” – our at-home version of Canada’s premiere whisky show, boasting an impressive selection of whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, India, USA and Canada. Each 20ml sample features a QR code linked to its respective tasting ‘conversation’, so that the opportunity to taste and learn from whiskymakers is kept intact.

In short, our hope is that these whiskies and tastings mimic a similar vibe to attending Spirit of Toronto in person — put out a cheeseboard with jazz in the background and you might even come close!

The Spirit of Toronto Holiday Edition goes on sale Friday November 24 at 10:00am ET, and will begin shipping across Canada the week of December 11. If you’re subscribed to this list then expect an automatic notification on Friday morning.

And… because we love a Black Friday deal as much as anyone, we’ll be offering shipping at no charge until Sunday November 26 at 11:59pm ET.

In the best of spirits,

Johanna Ngoh
Founder and Executive Producer