The Holiday Bar Cart: Your gift guide to the season’s highlight sips

A festive drink instantly sets the perfect tone for any holiday gathering. From old-school favourites like party-fave six-packs to dark and moody whiskies, the right pour invites mutual appreciation and enjoyment for the company you keep.

Skipping hosting this year? No problem. This lineup has all the bold, bright and gift-worthy bottles and cans you need to look effortlessly thoughtful. Whether you’re shaking up something spirited for a crowd, choosing the perfect bottle for dinner, or hunting for a foolproof host gift, these festive picks will keep the celebrations flowing.

Sandbanks Reserve Baco Noir

Baco Noir is a true Ontario gem—vibrant, expressive and full of personality. At Sandbanks Estate Winery in Prince Edward County, this signature varietal shines. The region’s sun-soaked days and cool lake breezes create a wine bursting with rich berry flavours, gentle spice and smooth warmth. With just one sip, you’ll understand why this grape and this place inspire so much local pride. $19.95 (on sale for $16.95)

Steam Whistle Pilsner

Brighten up your spirits with this festive six-pack of 473ml Pilsner cans—the perfect host gift or party pal for the holiday season. Crisp, refreshing and brewed to bring cheer to every celebration. $20.50, for six

Inniskillin Reserve Cabernet Franc VQA

This Cabernet Franc is proof that world-class wine doesn’t need a world-class price tag. Silky and expressive, it bursts with ripe plum, black cherry and warm spice wrapped in a toasty finish. Crafted by winemaker Nick Gizuk, it embodies 50 years of Inniskillin’s legacy—and they’re just getting started. $19.95

Yoichi Single Malt Japanese Whisky

In 1918, Masataka Taketsuru became the first Japanese citizen to study whisky making in Scotland. He returned to Japan and built his first distillery, Yoichi, in Hokkaido. Surrounded by snow, Yoichi Single Malt Japanese Whisky echoes Taketsuru’s studies in Scotland with distinct notes of smoke, spice, dried apple and briny sea breeze. $94.95

Taketsuru Pure Malt Japanese Whisky

Masataka Taketsuru, heralded as the grandfather of Japanese whisky, built two very distinct distilleries in the 1930s and 60s: Yoichi in the north and Miyagikyo in the south. Taketsuru Pure Malt blends Yoichi’s robust malts with Miyagikyo’s elegance for a medium-bodied mouthfeel, with fruity notes and a long, graceful finish. $84.20

Beau’s Brewing Lug Tread

Celebrate the season with Beau’s Lug Tread six-pack of 473ml cans. This crisp, award-winning lagered ale perfectly balances craft and tradition and makes for a thoughtful host gift or festive addition to any holiday gathering. $20.50, for six