New spirits on the shelves at the LCBO this spring

With spring in full bloom, our drinking patterns are switching up to match the season: think bright, fresh flavours in sunny cocktails and premium sips to pair with warm-weather fare.

To help you enjoy the best of spring’s offerings, the LCBO is bringing in their biggest product drop of the year, featuring an exciting new selection of products ranging from trendy hits to classic twists. Some are hyper-seasonal: fruit- and flavour-forward bottles like orange-jalapeño tequila-based liqueur (perfect for a round of spicy margaritas) and citrus-kissed gins to serve with tonic, in a Spritz, or as a star in original cocktails.

New and exclusive to the LCBO, this lineup features refreshed flavours of your favourite top-shelf tequilas, gins and vodkas, including Hendrick’s first new permanent flavour in over 25 years.

Wherever your tastes lie, the LCBO’s unmatched assortment of new products will help prep your bar cart for the upcoming sunshine. Here’s what to look for on store shelves this spring and summer.

Add a bit of spice: Patrón Citrónge Orange and Jalapeño

Meet the spicy margarita’s new best friend. This premium liqueur starts with a base of Patrón’s 100% Blue Weber agave tequila. Add a touch of orange and a spicy kick and you’ve got a richly herbal, citrus-driven liqueur that will give all your tequila cocktails a top shelf twist. $49.95, coming soon to lcbo.com

After-hours elegance: Cream Heroes Strawberry Tequila Cream

This creamy strawberry liqueur starts with 100% Mexican tequila. Add in sweet strawberries and you’ve got a bold, fruity creamy liqueur with an agave lift. Pour it over ice cream or blend it into a summer slushie for a spirited finish to a summer meal. $29.95, lcbo.com

For all your grilling needs: Chum-Churum Kiwi Soju

This low-sugar, high-flavour soju has all the clean, tangy, refreshing taste of a ripe kiwi. Enjoy it chilled with your favourite summer barbecue or add it to easy-drinking citrus cocktails. Pro tip: it’s excellent alongside flame-kissed dishes. $10.65, lcbo.com 

Vacation in a glass: Malibu Pink

A brilliantly-pink new rum liqueur starts with the classic Malibu flavours of pineapple and coconut. Add in red berry and pink guava and you’ve got a smooth, tropical, vibrant elixir. A splash in a daiquiri will take you to the tropics (without the plane ticket). $29.45, lcbo.com 

A tropical drink essential: Hallasan Soju Coconut Soju

Even in the dead of winter, one taste of Hallasan Coconut Soju transports you to warmer shores. This creamy tropical spirit, crafted with pure alkaline water from South Korea’s Jeju Island, is packed with the lush, sun-drenched aroma of fresh-cracked coconut. It’s a smooth, flavor-forward escape that brings an island breeze to your next gathering. $10.95, lcbo.com

A gin with a squeeze of citrus: Citadelle Gin Jardin d’Été

A sunny French gin will match up to any and every summer hosting occasion. Citadelle Jardin d’Été’s breezy botanicals—lemon, orange, yuzu and Charentais melon—offer up long, vibrant flavours and a distinct florality. Top it with tonic or add it to a Spritz for a citrus-y kick. $34.95, lcbo.com

The perfect spirit for summer spritzers: Finlandia Grapefruit Vodka

This icy Finnish vodka gets an even chillier twist with the addition of mouth-cooling, just-squeezed grapefruit. A pour will add a fresh citrus kick to pitchers of berry sangria. a Sea Breeze, a Julep or a crisp Gin and Tonic. $32.95, lcbo.com

Peachy keen: Good Day Peach Soju

This soju, sold in pouches, is crafted from natural Korean spring water and real peach juice. Play with pairing this peachy soju with fresh-squeezed juices—the bright acidity and subtle sweetness of the peach works well with fruity flavours. $6.95, lcbo.com

Thinking about how to best serve these drinks? Here’s how to make fresh cocktails using these new spirits from the LCBO.

The taste of summer: Grey Goose Berry Rouge Vodka

This new release from the luxury brand captures all the breezy flavours of a summer day by blending strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries— all fresh picked in the Mediterranean—with Grey Goose’s signature French vodka. Sip it in a spritz with lemonade and a splash of elegant French brut rosé for happy hour en Francais. $49.95, lcbo.com

 Sip something supremely smooth: Patrón Añejo Cristalino

Slow-cooked blue weber agave tequila is matured in four different casks for over a year then sent through a charcoal filtration process to remove any harsh, bracing flavours. What ends up in the glass is a silky and creamy conversation-starting tequila. $109.95, lcbo.com

Spice things up: Absolut Tabasco Vodka

Absolut’s newest flavour turns up the heat. Quite literally, thanks to a partnership with Tabasco. A Tabasco pepper mash is fermented then aged for up to three years in reclaimed oak barrels. Blend that with Absolut’s winter wheat vodka and you have a peppery vodka with a slow burn. It adds a kick to Caesars and savoury Martinis. $31.95, lcbo.com

For the gin enthusiast: Another Hendrick’s

25 years after the original Hendrick’s debuted, the British brand is rolling out a riff on the iconic original flavour. Chamomile, Bulgarian rose, elderflower and lemon peel define this iteration of the Hendrick’s, bolstered with the addition of orange blossom and chocolatey cacao. Enjoy this in a classic G&T with a twist of orange. $53.70, lcbo.com 

Next-wave tequila: El Mayor Cristalino

This crystal-clear tequila undergoes a special charcoal filtration process to smooth out the spirit, remove the colouring and create a tequila with the robustness of an anejo (it’s aged between 18 and 36 months) and the crispness of a blanco—the best of both worlds. $79.95, coming soon to lcbo.com

The dark side of citrus: Cointreau Noir

A sophisticated marriage of two French icons, Cointreau Noir blends vibrant orange essence with the velvety richness of Rémy Martin Cognac. The result is a complex spirit of toasted nuts, dried fruit, and warm vanilla that trades bright zing for smooth, oak-aged sophistication. Best enjoyed neat, it’s a refined evolution of the classic liqueur that deserves to be sipped and savoured. $54.95, lcbo.com

Jamaica’s vibrant legacy: Appleton Estate 21-Year-Old Nassau Valley Casks

This excellent aged rum from Master Blender Joy Spence—the first woman to ever hold that role—is a blend of hand-selected pot and column still rums born from beautifully fresh, limestone-filtered Jamaican water. One sip confirms it’s a deeply floral, nutty rum with notes of mellow orange peel, rich nutmeg, almond, warm coffee and chocolate. $160.20, lcbo.com

Lebron-approved Cognac: Hennessy V.S.O.P. LeBron James Limited Edition

Drink like a baller—literally, with this exclusive collaboration between the world’s leading Cognac brand and basketball legend LeBron James. Serve it in a Sidecar cocktail (Hennessy V.S.O.P, orange, lemon juice and lemon twist) or save it for celebratory, game-winning moments. $75.20, lcbo.com

Here’s what’s next in your glass from the LCBO, featuring spicy vodka, fruity pink rum and more.

Shop these new products and more on LCBO.com.