Monthly Archives: September 2022

Ontario – Raymond Massey

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Each month, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel Canada, discovering the best each province has to offer in a variety of subjects. We will also feature a drink the area is known for. Today, we journey to Ontario, which likes to think of itself as the center of the universe. Does that theory hold up? Let’s find out:

Motto: “Loyal she began, loyal she remains” – This has some abusive vibes to it…

Food: While popular across the country – and even internationally – Tim Hortons is an institution in Ontario. It was founded in Hamilton in 1964 by hockey star Tim Horton. The company’s headquarters are now in Toronto. As of 2022, there were 1,713 Tim Hortons locations in Ontario, accounting for 48 per cent of all the chain’s locations in Canada. I can attest, Tim Hortons donut holes, called Timbits, are quite addictive.

Drink: The Labatt Brewing Company was founded by John Labatt in 1847 in London, back when the area was known as Canada West, rather than Ontario. The company is headquartered in Toronto, but is now owned by the Anheuser-Busch InBev conglomerate. Labatt is the largest brewery in Canada, with brands including Labatt Blue (lager) and Labatt 50 (ale).

Tim Hortons

Site to See: Niagara Falls, on the border of Ontario and New York State, is the top tourist attraction in the province. Most fascinating to me is the number of daredevils who have tried to survive going over the falls. Sadly, many did not live to tell the tale, including those who used the falls to commit suicide. An estimated 5,000 bodies have been found in the waters below the falls between 1850 and 2011.

Street: Yonge Street in Toronto was, for a time, called the longest street in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. Although this was a mistake, one title that has remained is ‘Main Street Ontario’. Notable sites along the route include the Eaton Centre shopping mall and Dundas Square, where a number of eating, entertainment and shopping options can be found.

TV Show: I’ve enjoyed a number of series set in Ontario, chief among them Letterkenny. The show highlights the lives of those living in the country community, based on star Jared Keeso’s hometown of Listowel. The townsfolk are broken up between being hicks, jocks, skids and natives. The quick dialogue has created many popular catchphrases and added numerous idioms to the lexicon.

Movie: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, starring Michael Cera, is about a young man pursuing the girl of his dreams, only to find out he has to defeat her seven evil exes to be with her. The film, based on the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series, uses many video game references. It’s set in Toronto, featuring landmarks such as Casa Loma, St. Michael’s College School and a Toronto Public Library location.

Niagara Falls

Book/Author: Margaret Atwood, born in Ottawa, is a Canadian literary icon. Atwood has published numerous works, including 18 novels, 18 books of poetry, eight children’s books and two graphic novels. Perhaps her most notable work is The Handmaid’s Tale, which was adapted into a 2017 TV series. Among her many accolades, Atwood received the Order of Canada in 1981 and Order of Ontario in 1990.

Fictional Character: A few other characters/shows deserving of mention include Mr. Kim (Kim’s Convenience), William Murdoch (Murdoch Mysteries), Red Green (The Red Green Show), Hobo the Dog (The Littlest Hobo), and Bob and Doug McKenzie (SCTV). Combined, the characters/shows give a good representation of Ontario from the late 19th century – the setting of Murdoch Mysteries – to present day.

Fictional City: Since Letterkenny was already mentioned above, I’ll use this category to feature Schitt’s Creek, both the show and the invented locale. When video store mogul Johnny Rose loses his entire fortune, he and his peculiar family are forced to move to the one property they still own, the rural town of Schitt’s Creek. Here, they interact with the eclectic citizens, while trying to rebuild their lives.

Actor/Actress: There are too many folks that fit this category, so I’ll just list them: Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Ryan Gosling, Jay Baruchel, Rachel McAdams, Keanu Reeves, Michael Cera, Will Arnett, Dan Aykroyd, Phil Hartman, Matthew Perry, John Candy, Neve Campbell, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Catherine O’Hara, Sandra Oh, Martin Short… did I miss anyone?

Margaret Atwood

Song: A Place to Stand, A Place to Grow is the unofficial anthem of Ontario. It was written by Dolores Claman, best known for writing The Hockey Theme, which is viewed as a secondary national anthem in Canada. The song was used at the Ontario pavilion at the Expo 67 World’s Fair in Montreal, Quebec. It was also featured in the short film A Place to Stand, which won a 1967 Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.

Band/Musician: Once again, there are many options for this category. If I had to narrow it down to one, I think I’d select Justin Bieber. Just kidding, I’d probably go with Rush, but others deserving of mention include Alanis Morissette, The Tragically Hip, Drake, Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne, Neil Young, The Weeknd, Shania Twain, Paul Anka, Blue Rodeo, Alessia Cara, deadmau5, Gordon Lightfoot, Our Lady Peace, Sum 41, etc.

People: Another tough category to narrow down, so I’ll split it between two long-time media personalities, one universally beloved and the other incredibly controversial. First, Alex Trebek, born in Sudbury, hosted TV game show Jeopardy! for 37 years before his death in 2020. On the other end of the spectrum, hockey pundit Don Cherry was a fixture of Hockey Night in Canada for 33 years before being unceremoniously fired in 2019.

Animal: A few giant pandas have had notable stays at the Toronto Zoo. First, Qing Qing and Quan Quan appeared at the zoo in 1985, shattering all attendance records over the zoo’s history. Decades later, Er Shun and Da Mao arrived in Toronto and in 2015, Er Shun gave birth to twin cubs, the first birth of giant pandas to occur in Canada. The cubs were named Jia Panpan (Canadian Hope) and Jia Yueyue (Canadian Joy).

Alex Trebek

Invention: Insulin, co-discovered by Sir Frederick Banting (born in Alliston) has to take this spot, thanks to the hormone’s ability to save the lives of those with diabetes or at least allow them to enjoy a safer, more comfortable existence. For his discovery, Banting was awarded the 1923 Nobel Prize in Medicine, at the age of 32, making him the youngest winner in that field to this day.

Crime: In the early 1990s, Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, known as the Ken and Barbie Killers, raped and murdered three teenagers, including Homolka’s own sister. On his own, Bernardo was a prolific serial rapist, given the nicknames Scarborough Rapist and Schoolgirl Killer. The pair were convicted of their crimes, but while Bernardo was sentenced to life imprisonment, Homolka cut a controversial plea deal and only served 12 years.

Sports Team: Ontario is home to the most sports franchises in the country. Toronto has the Maple Leafs (NHL), Raptors (NBA), Blue Jays (MLB) and Argos (CFL), while Ottawa offers the Senators (NHL) and Redblacks (CFL). There’s also the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger Cats. The province also has the Ontario Hockey League, with 17 of the circuit’s 20 junior teams located within Ontario.

Athlete: Among other options, this category has to go to Wayne Gretzky. Born in Brantford, ‘The Great One’ owns countless NHL records and is generally regarded as the greatest hockey player the game has ever seen. Gretzky won four Stanley Cups, to go along with many individual awards, over his 20-year career. When Gretzky retired, he was immediately enshrined into the Hockey Hall of Fame and his #99 jersey was retired league-wide.

Wayne Gretzky

Famous Home: While the Canadian Prime Minister’s residence seems like an obvious choice, I’ll go in a different direction, highlighting McCrae House in Guelph. It is the childhood home of Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, who wrote the poem In Flanders Field during World War I. Sadly, McCrae died of pneumonia before the war concluded. The home was named a National Historic Site in 1966.

Urban Legend: The Baldoon Mystery is a curious tale. Taking place in the community of Wallaceburg, the story states the family farm of John T. McDonald experienced many paranormal encounters, said to result from a witch’s curse. McDonald was advised to shoot a black-headed goose with a silver bullet, which would wound the witch as well. Upon shooting a goose in its wing, McDonald came across an old woman with a broken arm and the hauntings ceased.

Museum: The Hockey Hall of Fame was established in Toronto in 1943. With the 2021 induction ceremony, a total of 417 players, builders and officials have been enshrined in the Hall. The museum also allows visitors to get close to the Stanley Cup, which reminds me of the joke that the Hall of Fame was placed in Toronto, as that’s the closest folks living there would ever get to the championship!

Firsts: For a league that has only one Canadian team, it’s amazing the first-ever National Basketball Association game was played on November 1, 1946, in Toronto. The contest, played at Maple Leaf Gardens, was between the Toronto Huskies and the New York Knickerbockers, with the Knicks winning 68-66. The Huskies only lasted one season before folding and Toronto would be without a team until the Raptors were founded in 1995.

Hockey Hall of Fame

Company: As department stores go the way of the dodo, they were once major shopping institutions. All of the biggest Canadian department stores were headquartered in Ontario, including The Bay, Eaton’s and Sears. Of these, only The Bay, in existence in various forms since 1670, still exists, but they have struggled in recent years, due to discount stores and online shopping.

Events: The War of 1812, fought between the United States and the United Kingdom, featured a number of battles in Upper Canada (what is now Ontario). The war is credited for helping to create a sense of national identity in Canada. For Canadians, the war is perhaps best remembered for the burning of Washington, which included setting the White House, then known as the Presidential Mansion, and Capitol building ablaze.

Miscellaneous: The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is one of the largest film festivals in the world, highlighted by the premieres of star-studded movies and creating buzz for films leading up to the award season. The festival was founded in 1976 and today lasts 11 days in mid-September. Some notable movies to debut at TIFF, include American Beauty, Ray, Slumdog Millionaire, Precious, and The King’s Speech.

Ontario: Raymond Massey

  • 2 oz Canadian Whiskey
  • Dash of Ginger Syrup
  • Top with Bubbly
  • Garnish with a Lemon Twist

This cocktail is named after actor Raymond Massey, who was born in Toronto, where the drink enjoys its popularity. It is a variation of the classic French 75 beverage, subbing in the Canadian Whiskey and Ginger Syrup, in favour of Gin and Lemon Juice.

Sip Trips #213: Colonial Corruptions

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August was a fun month, highlighted by a trip to Boston, Massachusetts, where Mrs. Sip and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. There were other shenanigans before and after our getaway, so let’s see what the Family Sip got up to:

With Mrs. Sip and the Sipplings back from their vacation to Italy, Mrs. Sip and I were able to do a late night date night one evening, using the rest of a gift card we had for Piva Modern Italian. My meal consisted of the Dinner Burger with Caesar Salad and Fries – I love it when restaurants give you both and don’t make you decide between the two side dishes – and an IPA from Another Beer Company.

Caesar Salad

Friends from London were visiting that weekend and brought along a very kind gift for me. It was a set of spirits from the East London Liquor Co., which we had all visited years ago. The mini bottles included a gin, rum and vodka, which I look forward to enjoying soon.

As part of that weekend’s festivities, Mrs. Sip and I finally got to visit the new Russell Brewing tasting room. I’ve been wishing for a tasting room from this brewery for many years and it finally happened after six years of efforts on Russell’s behalf. While there, I enjoyed a Raspberry White Chocolate IPA and Mrs. Sip and I shared their Taco Duo of Carnitas and Carne Mezclada. They have an interesting menu item we’ll have to try in the future, called a Table Flight, where you get a taster of each beer they have on tap, served in a hubcap.

The next week, after taking care of some errands, Mrs. Sip and I rushed to attend some trivia at the Paddlewheeler Pub. We missed most of the first half, so didn’t fare to well score wise, but still had fun. For food, I had my usual Crispy Chicken Burger, paired with a Hop Valley Bubble Stash Mountain IPA and Spiced Rum and Coke on late night happy hour pricing.

Trivia

The main event of the month was our trek to Boston, which we picked travel roulette style. While Mrs. Sip generally takes the lead on vacation planning, this journey was left completely in the Sip Advisor’s hands, except for flight and hotel bookings. Upon arriving, we walked around our downtown hotel area and had dinner at the Hub Pub. I had a tasty Country Fried Chicken Club with a pair of Shipyard Monkey Fist IPAs, while Mrs. Sip had her first of many Lobster Rolls, joined by two Blue Moons.

The next morning, I picked up some provisions for our hotel room at the Boston Wine Exchange. For Mrs. Sip, I grabbed a bottle of rose, while for myself, I purchased the Lord Hobo IPA Sampler (Life Session IPA, 617 Hazy IPA, Juice Lord IPA, Boom Sauce Double IPA).

The first stop on my itinerary was the Sam Adams Tap Room. I had to go with the Boston Brick Red, which is only available in Boston, and became my favourite beer of the trip. Mrs. Sip put together a flight, comprised of the Wicked Hazy, Cherry Wheat, House Hazy Session IPA and Light it Up Lager. Prior to leaving, I spotted a t-shirt in their merch store, which had Prost (the German version of “cheers”) on it. Given this is a popular saying for our family and I’ve never seen any item that says it, I had to buy the garment. Sam Adams is big on their Oktoberfest beer, so that probably explains the unique clothing.

Sam Adams

Next up, was Democracy Brewing, where we had a delicious late lunch, sharing the Birria Quesitacos and Sweet Chili Bao Buns. Among many contenders, this may have been my favourite meal of the trip. To drink, Mrs. Sip had a Worker’s Pint Blonde Ale, while I went with the Fighting 54th Saison.

Then, we were off to Fenway Park for a tour of the historic stadium, followed later by a Boston Red Sox game. Between our tour and game, we enjoyed some AC and beers at Cheeky Monkey Brewing. I had the 3 Landsdowne IPA and Harambe’s Ghost Double IPA, while Mrs. Sip tried the Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale (complete with floating blueberries) and Sam Adams Oktoberfest. For a snack, we split an order of Queso Verde.

At the game, I had a tall can of Night Shift Whirlpool Pale Ale, while Mrs. Sip had a Goslings Dark N’ Stormy canned cocktail. We spent a portion of the game exploring parts of the stadium, where I almost satisfied my quest to eat something Fluffernutter (a sandwich the area is known for, made of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff), as their R&D stall was offering Fluffernutter Fries. Sadly, the item had already sold out or was never available that day. Thus, I’m still chasing my white whale. Speaking of seafood, Mrs. Sip had another Lobster Roll, although this one didn’t stack up to the first one or the ones that would follow.

Fluffernutter

Following the game, we went to Yard House for our nightcap. I had servings of the House White Ale and IPA, along with an order of Shiitake Garlic Noodles that were good, but could have used a protein added to the dish.

To begin our anniversary day, I’d scheduled a North End Secret Food Tour. I’d previously tried to book the Classic Bites of Boston Food Tour (Lobster, Chowder, Baked Beans, Boston Cream Pie), but they were only accepting groups of eight or more. I won’t go into too much detail about where we ate, so as to keep the secrets of the tour, but I will discuss the items we ate. We enjoyed generous servings of New England Clam Chowder (with Cornbread), gourmet nuts, Lobster Roll, Salumi Sandwich, Cheese Pizza and Cannoli, while our fantastic guide Gabriel provided us with some of the history of the North End, also known as Little Italy. One place I will mention us eating at was the historic Union Oyster House, where we added a pint of Sam Adams Colonial Ale to our meal, as the beer is exclusive to this restaurant, the oldest in Boston. My only criticism of the tour is the drink add-on is overpriced at $35 per person. Luckily, my beverage knowledge told me we should avoid the package and just get drinks separately, if we wanted any.

Following our tour, we walked to Night Shift Brewing, where I had their Fluffy New England IPA, while Mrs. Sip went with the Pumpkin Piescraper. Fall is coming, my little sippers!

Pumpkin

Prior to our anniversary dinner, we popped into the nearby Trillium Brewing. Here, I had the Jamaica Pond IPA, while Mrs. Sip had the Oenobier, a unique brew made with Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay grapes.

Our fantastic dinner was at Row 34. They provided us with glasses of complimentary bubbly for our anniversary, which we paired with starters of Cornbread with Maple Butter and Salmon Crudo. Next up, was a pair of oysters for each of us and the amazing Poolside Splash cocktail (Citrus Vodka, Basil, Apricot, Thai Chili, Lime, Soda) for me. Dinner itself featured a scrumptious Oyster Po’Boy with deliciously-seasoned chips for moi and Warm Buttered Lobster for Mrs. Sip. We split a bottle of wine over our main course and left the restaurant quite happy.

Our last full day was spent exploring the city’s Freedom Trail, which is 2.5-mile long path, stopping at numerous sites that are important in the revolutionary history of Boston and the U.S. To loosen up for the walk, we started at the Bull & Finch Pub, better known as the Cheers bar, since it provided the exterior shots for the popular TV series. Here, I had another Sam Adams Boston Brick Red, while Mrs. Sip went with the Sam Adams Summer Ale. We also bought a Christmas ornament here, as has become a tradition for Mrs. Sip and me when travelling.

Cheers

After a few stops along the trail, it was time for lunch, so we tried Luke’s Lobster, which offered an interesting Lobster Roll Flight (Spicy Honey Butter, Truffle and Lemon Butter). Continuing on along the historic trek, we next took a break at the Green Dragon Tavern, where I had a Green Dragon Tavern Ale, while Mrs. Sip selected the Bunker Hill Boozie (Rhubarb and Strawberry Gin, Thyme Simple Syrup, Lime Juice, topped with Bubbly).

Upon completing the Freedom Trail, we met with a local friend at the Warren Tavern, the oldest tavern in Massachusetts. I went the cocktail route here, as the G.T.O.T.M. – Gin and Tonic of the Moment – comprised of watermelon, lime, basil and simple syrup really caught my eye. To share, we ordered Pretzel Sticks, Lump Crab Cakes and Nachos.

For dinner, we went to Scampo at the Liberty Hotel. Although I originally wasn’t too hungry, I devoured my yummy Lobster Pizza, which I paired with a Sam Adams Summer Ale. Mrs. Sip had an interesting Banana Rum Old Fashioned as her beverage. After our meal, we went to the upstairs Lobby Bar. All of the Liberty Hotel was the former Charles Street Jail, so many of it’s restaurants and bars are prison-themed, including Clink and Alibi.

Freedom Trail

The next day, with a few hours left before we had to fly home, we checked out the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum. There, we had a drink and snack at Abigail’s Tea Room. My beer cocktail Rattle Skull (Rum, Whiskey, Brown Sugar Syrup, Lime Juice, topped with Sam Adams Lager) was interesting, while Mrs. Sip was able to try each of the five teas that were tossed overboard as part of the Boston Tea Party.

One final visit to the Sam Adams Tap Room was in order, as was one final serving of Boston Brick Red. Then, it was off to Logan Airport. Before boarding our flight, we had one final meal at Legal Sea Foods. I ordered the Double R Ranch Bacon Cheddar Burger with Fries and Coleslaw, paired with a Harpoon IPA. To sum up Boston, we absolutely loved the city. The history, the food and the drink were top notch. It’s a very walkable city and that’s the best way to get around, as traffic is bad in the downtown core.

Boston

Back home, we wrapped the month with a visit to the PNE/Playland. We started with a serving of Pop Rocks Chicken, which put pop rocks candy on top of popcorn chicken, in a curious blend. Over the course of the day, I had cans of Parallel 49 Trash Panda Hazy IPA and Stanley Park Waypoint Hazy Pale Ale. The evening wrapped with a delicious dinner at Jimmy’s Lunch, where I thoroughly enjoyed my Hardy Burger (all the fixings) and perfectly done fries. Jimmy’s is a PNE institution, but this is the first time I’ve ever eaten at the stall.

Well, that’s a wrap on our very eventful August. September looks to be just as action-packed, as we have a ton of birthdays in the family on deck, including yours truly and Girl Sip. These will be celebrated on a cruise to California, where we’ll spend a week at Disneyland!