Silver Swallow Kombucha
An elegant champagne style bottle, a slight pop of the cork, followed by a fine effervescent mousse in the glass, was promising enough, but a sip told me Silver Swallow had nailed it.
It’s a virtuous drink without compromise. That it was made from a blend of Japanese white and green tea indeed was surprising. Silver Swallow ditched the often intense pop like beverages and transformed their Kombucha into a light, spritzy and stylish summer sipper.
Gemma Woolston founded Silver Swallow in 2019 with the idea of making a great drink for those who wanted to imbibe less alcohol. Better still there are no artificial sweeteners and only sufficient sugar to permit fermentation.
I was particularly taken with the Rose but there is also a Blanc. The Rose had subtle notes of strawberry wrapped in a delicate stream of bubbles. As Gemma’s web site urges “fill flutes and feel good.” I did, and it worked. Wonderful stuff.
Currently available at Pusateris or online.
Kanel Seasonings
Salts and spices usually come in anonymous packaging to be squirrelled away at the back of the butler’s pantry. Kanel’s eye-catching elegant white on black and black on white packaging warrants its rightful place near the stovetop. And salts and spices should be ready to hand. Insider the cylindrical outer cardboard sleeve is a resealable opaque package to keep the seasonings fresh.
But where to start? Kanel has an astonishing range of salts herbs and seasonings. I began with their Salted Peppercorns from Cambodia’s Kampot region. The spring harvested green peppercorns are brined in salt water then dried. The bright aroma and tangy spiciness add a refreshing and versatile zip to anything from salads, charcuterie boards or a BBQ’d steak.
Powered porcini mushrooms in their Porcini Umami Rub is blended with oregano, black and cayenne pepper. As the name suggests the rub adds that elusive but essential umami flavour. In the unlikely event you run out of ideas on how to use their seasonings Kanel provides inspirational and easy recipes on its web site.
For something exotic try the Summer Black Truffle Salt. There is nothing quite like Italian black truffle and it comes through harmoniously with Italian sea salt in a distinguished flavouring.
Kanel was inspired by a group of women in Montreal who found store spice isles uninspiring. They set about creating these remarkable premium pure seasonings from the finest sustainable sources. Bon Appetit!
Available at branches of Forno Cultura, smaller specialty shops, Scheffler’s in St. Lawrence Market or online.
Tangled Garden
There really is a tangled garden in Grand Pré, Annapolis Valley, presided over by its enthusiastic founder Beverly McClare. She describes her five-acre garden with sweeping views of Nova Scotia’s famous Bay of Fundy as having a mystical ambiance. I don’t doubt it. Perhaps she made a pact with garden sprites. How else could her products be so good?
I was keen to try Tangled’s elderflower cordial, a favourite traditional summer drink with history back to medieval times in England and Europe. I sampled it against an imported supermarket brand. The difference was remarkable. Tangled Garden’s cordial had a more intense yet somehow not overpowering flavour. It had a fine balance of sweetness and acid from citrus. The import was more sugar forward.
Beverly tells me she has been growing herbs in the garden for 35 years and has one of the oldest distillery licenses in Nova Scotia. Next on my list is to try her intriguing range of fruit and herb liqueurs. In fact, I may have to visit the garden, a tourist attraction in its own right, to sample her full range of chutneys, mustards, jams and cordials.
Aunt Beth’s Isley Smokeshow Whiskey Cookies
Did I hear a faint skirl of bagpipes as the peaty aroma of scotch whiskey made good its escape from the cookie jar?
Its aroma that’s from not just any scotch but that of Ardbeg Wee Beastie from one of the Island of Islay’s most famous distilleries. Like a genie trapped in lamp Beth Havers has captured this youthful single malt and its subtle oaky flavours from the ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks into a remarkable cookie. Just waiting for you to open the bag and liberate it.
The cookies are grounded in a lovely buttery flour inset with toffee chips resulting in a soft granular crunch which offset the lingering smokey peaty notes. How she infuses so much scotch into the cookie without it falling apart is probably a trade secret. But she must have had fun in the test kitchen.
Beth Havers founded Aunt Beth’s in 2020. Her passion was always baking. While representing a major scotch whiskey brand she had her Damascene moment, why not combine both? Her amazing cookie range includes Bourbon infused Chocolate Chip, Canadian Club Rye and Ginger and Jameson’s Irish Double Double with dark chocolate. Cookies for tipsy connoisseurs.
Order online or available at Cheese Boutique and Fiesta Farms.
Heritage Bee Honey
Serendipity and Mother Nature cooperated to bring us Heritage Bee honey. Debbie Gray and Jeff Chalmers acquired a rural retreat in Creemore northwest of the Niagara escarpment in Simcoe County and discovered feral honeybees in the hollow of a white pine tree. Serendipity as for years they had cherished the idea of beekeeping but had no time or space. In 2016 it became a reality.
In sympathy with their inspirational feral bees Heritage is exclusively Ontario wildflower honey from countryside properties free from industrial agriculture and without pesticides, fungicides or herbicides. This family-run operation is hands on from hive to extraction, bottling and labelling in the best tradition of farm to table. But more than this they have blended this honey in stunning ways.
Take their Triple Lemon Creamed honey. It’s an exuberant blend of sweet and acidic tartness. The use of Mayer lemon juice and rind was another bit of serendipity. The milder citrus flavours are a perfect counterpoint to the floral honeyed tones. I could eat this out of the jar, truth to tell, I did.
For a more savoury honey their Lavender honey has enticing subtle herbaceous and floral aromas and taste. It lingers gently on the palate.
Heritage Bee is also certified by B Corp as a leader in verifiable standards of inclusivity, equity in and regenerative economic enterprises. Every jar of honey is traceable to their hives.
Available online or Bergo Designs, Distillery District, City Cottage Market Scarborough, and Scheffler’s St. Lawrence Market.
