Whisky & Food

At the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, it all began in 1854 with a curing idea. Immigrant butcher William Davies rolled cured pork loin in dried peas to preserve it for export to England. After World War I, cornmeal replaced the peas, for reasons of availability. The name "Peameal" stuck anyway. It wasn't until the 1960s that a market butcher named Joe Hoiner had the idea to fry the ends of his bacon pieces and tuck them into a fresh Kaiser roll with honey mustard. Since 2016, the Peameal Bacon Sandwich has officially been recognized as Toronto's signature dish.

A mild Ontario blend pairs best with this hearty, slightly sweet sandwich. The gentle corn sweetness in the glass meets the sweetness of the honey mustard without overpowering it. The subtle rye spice cuts through the fat of the crisply fried bacon. A bold, pure rye whisky, on the other hand, would overwhelm the sandwich.

North of Toronto, in Barrie, a community printed one of the earliest known recipes for Butter Tarts in the early 20th century. These are small shortcrust pastries filled with butter, brown sugar, and egg, which nearly caramelize during baking. To this day, the Butter Tart is considered Ontario's unofficial provincial dessert, with endless debates over whether raisins belong in it.

The sticky-sweet filling calls for a whisky with its own sweetness and enough spice to hold its ground. A port-cask-finished dram like Pike Creek brings its own caramel and dried fruit notes, which merge with the tart rather than simply repeating it. In the background, the clove spice balances out the sugar's sweetness.