The 2025 Ottawa food and drink gift guide

While I explore a wide variety of restaurants and food and drink products throughout the National Capital Region, not everything makes it into the weekly reports. Sometimes I save some truly wonderful things for the annual holiday buying guide.

In a way, it can be considered our little gift to you. As can be expected, I don’t usually promote the conventional in these guides. 

We hope you enjoy these suggestions and stay tuned as there’s more next week.

Sol Farmers

Readers may remember my write-up on Sol Farmers when they operated out of their warehouse. They’ve now expanded their business to include a storefront at 2378 Holly Ln. Unit 108, making it Ottawa’s only dedicated Spanish food store.

Owners Alvaro and David may share a surname and a business but they’re not related. They are, however, hard at work on another project that they hope to launch in 2026: promoting Spanish travel through some packages they’re putting together.

Their selection of salchichon, Iberico hams, tinned seafood, olives, almonds, olive oils and vinegars, sweets, and more, is excellent. I like the fact that I can provide something unique for my guests as a preamble to Christmas dinner. 

You may find you also benefit from signing up for their newsletter, where you’ll routinely find weekly specials.

I particularly enjoy the Barrica and Redondo Iglesias products, but stop in and let the experts on hand guide you. With the warmth of the sun a distant memory, through these delicious foods, you can at least dream.

Nice Cans

I’ve shared this story before, but it’s worth repeating — as an immigrant kid to Ottawa, I was puzzled by what my schoolmates ate for lunch. I didn’t see the baloney (as we called it) on white bread as food because my lunches were radically different.

My mother often packed toasted dark rye bread with tinned Portuguese sardines in spicy olive oil for me to enjoy. No one ever traded their lunch with me, but I was fine with that — I loved that bread soaking up all that oil. That’s no exaggeration, and I love it to this day.

So when I came across Nice Cans by chef/entrepreneur Charlotte Langley, I reached out. She was kind enough to share the fruits of her latest project. If you enjoy tinned seafood, you’ll immediately recognize that these are first-rate products.

She offers three versions: smoked and salted, tomato and pepper and fennel with rosemary. All are delicious. And yes, I particularly enjoyed the smoked sardines with that olive oil. It’s such a treat with still-warm toasted sourdough.

Read all about her for a radical, in-your-face declaration on how they source their seafood and the humanist philosophy that guides the company. Proudly Canadian and I’m proud to share this with our readers.

Charlotte also has 15% off her products until the end of December and she’s kindly made Nice Cans available to Capital Eats readers. 

The first four people to submit a childhood story involving food (good or bad) will receive all three versions ($30 value) of Nice Cans. We will share your story in Capital Eats and send you the goods. Just write to me at [email protected] 

Vodkow Eggnog Cream

Almonte’s Dairy Distillery is a local success story. It’s vodka is an indispensable backbar staple for Ottawa’s bars. 

They’ve now released an Eggnog Cream for the holidays. There’ve been a number of these products in the market and I love that our local interpretation feels free of vegetable thickeners, which always gives a cloying mouthfeel.

It’s lactose-free and lightly spiced, but it still triggers all those Christmas memories. Sip it on its own, but mix it with rum or drop it into hot chocolate after a hike, feeding chickadees at Mer Bleue. It’s just very nice and comforting.

Fove 2 Ans Acerum

Fove Acerum is a product currently produced at a distillery in Bedford in Quebec’s Eastern Townships.

What is Acerum you ask? It’s a spirit made using maple sap called “buddy sap,” the last maple sap of the winter that is too bitter to use for maple syrup. Acerum is a trademarked term in Quebec in 2018 that was recently ceded to the Quebec government in order to attain IGT (Geographical) protective status. Only spirits made from Quebec sap and following exacting standards can be labelled Acerum. 

Founder and president of Fove Corinne Cluis has a PhD in microbiology. More than just science, brings an exquisite palate to her creations.

Fove 2 year Acerum ranks as one of my biggest spirit surprises in years. I will go so far as to say that I cherish it. From strength to mouthfeel, bouquet and harmony of flavours, it lands with an elegance and sophistication that belies its provenance. Then again, what are our preconceptions of this provenance? 

What’s mysterious is how it shows simultaneously the strident characteristics of Armagnac (made from grapes) and the fruitier profile of Calvados (made from apples). At 42% alcohol, it doesn’t exhibit heat on the palate but a soft and expressive stone fruit that broadens on the long finish.

There’s a lot of complexity that goes into the barrel work to create this spirit. I rank it as an essential buy for serious whisky enthusiasts and collectors of unique spirits. Even at $67 for 500 ml, you’ll want more than one bottle.

Prohibition Maple Liqueur

Prohibition Maple Liqueur by EDMN distillery in Aylmer is a singular spirit. I’ve never had anything quite like it and chapeau to the mind that created it.  The closest I can come to drawing a comparison is that it is in the profile of a very peaty Scotch like Laphroig. Only darker and a little more sweet. Interestingly, it’s not as sweet as I was expecting and I found the word "liqueur" almost misleading.

The smoky characteristic is very much there. But as in the best peated whiskies, it doesn’t dominate with the maple character. The experience is rounded out with a warming note and a ghostly hint of wintergreen on the long finish.

This is one for slow sipping, although I also enjoyed it in hot chocolate, a truly memorable experience.

It’s made by a process of smoking maple syrup using cedar. I found my bottle at the recent Museum of History Christmas market and was told that it's so popular that another very large Quebec-based distillery has been trying to get its hands on the recipe.

A truly exceptional example of the art of distilling. 

Honey Bee Elixir

With something named Honey Bee Elixir (LCBO) I was expecting something mead-like. I was wrong. 

Barrie-based chef Randy Feltis created this elixir and after a reported 65 attempts, settled on this recipe. 

Apart from the pleasure of creating something delicious, his motivation was to help encourage the growth of local bee populations. For every bottle sold, one bee is added to local hives. 

There are 44 different botanicals used in this creation. That means there is a little bitterness, but it is kept in check by the presence of delicious honey.

Both in appearance and flavour, it’s much more akin to the Italian cocktail ingredient Campari. You’ll immediately think of using it in a Negroni and you’d not be wrong. It makes for a terrific version of this cocktail, albeit one that is a little less bitter and a bit softer. In every other way, it doesn’t deviate much. 

I would also recommend this for use in a lemonade, with sparkling water or a sparkling wine for a spritzer. It’s a versatile ingredient worth having for your home bar.

The Basta Basta Kitchen

I had the pleasure of meeting Rosamaria D’Amico Durand over the summer when she reached out to announce that her Sicilian cookbook was now in its third printing. 

Durand, now in her 80s, is a woman of some accomplishments. There’s little doubt that it’s the inquisitiveness of her mind that keeps her younger than her years. 

She has had a career working for CODE and UNESCO and as the overleaf of her book tells us “...has cooked her way through Canada, Italy, France, Vietnam, Morocco and the U.S.”

With The Basta Basta Kitchen, the multi-lingual author gives us a fascinating history of Sicilian cuisine, tracing its roots back to Arab merchants who brought unique spices, fruit and vegetables to the island. For anyone who thought they understood Sicilian/Italian cooking, you’re in for a delightful and humor-filled surprise.

The recipes are straightforward and easy to use for the average home cook, with the sections (meat, seafood, vegetables, sweets etc) colour-coded along the top margins of the pages. It’s spiral-bound bound making for ease of use in the kitchen and the entire book makes a lovely package with its colourful images.

More than just a cookbook Durand, also shares stories and pictures of her Sicilian family. Through the recipes she communicates the importance of memory and culinary traditions. In its own distinct way this is a book about love.

Her son Stephen has an off-grid business in Quebec called Le Terrain which has recently officially been recognized by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada as a Dark Sky Preserve. The first such recognition in the National Capital Region. 

You may order copies of Rosamaria’s book ($39.95) by contacting Stephen at [email protected].

Arancella

Arancella orange liqueur is a trip to the Amalfi coast or Sicily without leaving the warmth of your home. You can almost smell the soft citrus breezes.

The colour is gorgeous and the aroma heady with ripe oranges. It only has 30% alcohol leaving the experience without an alcoholic bite. It’s just sumptuously soft.

It makes a welcome luxury as a post-dinner drink when mixed two parts Arancella to one part cognac or just add some to your favourite dark hot chocolate. So much better than a Terry’s chocolate orange at Christmas.

Arancella is brought in by local Dunrobin Distillers and bottled here. You can order it directly from them or pop in at the La Bottega bottle shop (64 George St.) for yours. So wonderfully sunny.

Quinta Da Pedra Alta

It seems to me that white port was more commonly available years ago. You can still run across it at the LCBO and if you find it, it’s worth trying. It can be delicious on its own or do as the Portuguese do and mix it with tonic water. I promise you will find it a refreshing and uplifting drink.

Quinta Da Pedra Alta is quite another and differentiated white port. It’s available ($51 500 ml) at Buyers and Cellars Wine Bar (327 Somerset St. W) that are also the importers of this beautiful wine.

It’s made using three traditional Portuguese grape varieties: Rabigato, Gouveio and Viosinho and it’s just expertly made.

It has a delicate hint of orange marmalade with pretty notes of linden blossom and Marcona almonds. While it has a gentle sweetness, it also finishes with a cleansing acidity. Frankly, it messes with the brain a bit, which makes it a terrific experience. There’s simply no cloying sugar finish.

This is the wine you buy for your serious wine collector friend who has everything. It’s a safe bet this will be a most welcome gift and it’s certainly one of the finest wines I’ve tried this year.

It also makes for an attractive presentation bottle that you may want to repurpose for a homemade limoncello.

Opémiska Maple Liqueur

Opémiska maple liqueur is available at the SAQ. As you’ve come to expect, it’s another quality maple-based product out of Quebec. It’s made by well-known distiller Cherry River and represents their foray into the flavoured whiskey category.

It makes a lovely presentation gift, but the contents also deliver in flavour. Their whiskey has been aged in oak barrels. The woody notes are present, marrying so nicely with the pronounced maple character. It’s a little smoky and finishes with an interesting walnut skin note.

This is a very nice way to usher in the colder weather and as to be expected, it’s pretty terrific in hot chocolate.

Korean Home Brew Makgeolli

Now this is a bit of fun. You can make your own Korean Makgeolli at home using this simple kit available at OK Mart at 1508 Merivale Rd.

Makgeolli is a cloudy Korean rice wine and this kit is as easy as it gets. You will want to pick up a plastic container made for brewing this product. You can find them in the same shop for about $7. Ask one of the staff to point you in the right direction.

This home brew kit costs $16 and makes three litres of rice wine that comes in at around 6% alc. It’s a unique gift and the results are delicious.

1818 Cidery

This summer saw the opening of the 1818 Farm and Cidery in Carp. When you first see the property, you may be reminded of wineries in Niagara or the Okanagan Valley. It’s an attractive modern structure with glass walls and poured concrete flooring. Good thing then that the food and cider on offer match the aesthetics.

Before cider, the Hoppner family were well known as organic vegetable growers. When you go during the summer months, you’ll need to order one of their salads. Those leafy greens were a marvel of flavours.

The ciders are on the pricey side. Yet, the quality is first rate with all their ciders showing the individual characteristics of the apples grown on the estate. When I tried them, I was pleased to find that there were no off-sulphur notes and that’s because cider maker Wes Hunter doesn’t add sulphur (a preservative) to his products.

The ciders pictured here were two of my favourites. I recommend you get in touch with them about availability and about their presence at the Lansdowne Farmers Market.

The cidery is closed until April 2026, but you may purchase gift cards online.

Pelican School of Fish

I was happy to participate in one of Pelican’s School of Fish cooking classes earlier this year. The chefs leading the class, Tom and Nathan, are true experts in everything seafood and their humour-filled approach made for a confidence-building and entertaining evening.

During these classes, you will learn to make (and eat) four fabulous dishes. The recipes will be sent to your email inbox so you can relive the experience at home. 

This was a terrific experience that I highly recommend for yourself or a loved one as a gift this Christmas. Classes resume on Jan. 14, 2026 and the menu looks very promising.

Grayline Ottawa Wine and Cider Tour

Here’s a gift that will need to wait until the late spring before the lucky recipient can participate.It’s an experience best enjoyed in good weather.

Grayline Ottawa offers a wine and cider tour that will have you on the road for seven hours. Your first stop is at Buyers and Cellars for a tasting of unique wines imported by them, then it’s on to the award-winning Kin Vineyards with a final stop at Farmgate Cider.

The experience allows you to meet local drinks personalities and producers, giving you an education on how the land influences local grape and apple production. It’s also a rather tasty day out that gives you the opportunity to sample some of Ontario's finest dry ciders. 

Läderach Swiss Chocolate

On my yearly trips back home to Germany, there would be any number of things I had to engage in with regularity. I just couldn’t get these foods and beverages back in Canada, so I indulged. 

One of the essential stops was at the Läderach chocolate shop in a very tiny part of Düsseldorf. 

Some of you may remember the reputation “Swiss Chocolate” had back in the day: it was considered the pinnacle of chocolate making. I was of a different mind. Until I had Läderach.

If you work hard enough at it, you’ll find the words to describe your experience of their chocolate, but it will be difficult. I found that when trying these products, you become the victim of an emergency of submission. The will to articulate leaves you. I just found it that emotional.

Make no mistake, this experience will test the bank balance. Yet for the few occasions that warrant it, it’s a reward worth pursuing. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Having spoken with someone in the know, I’ve been informed that Läderach is planning on opening a location in the Rideau Centre in 2026. Yes, you read it here first.

Ones non-alcoholic wines

Ones is a non-alcoholic wine company based in British Columbia making these products from Canadian wine and without the use of sugar. This is a win for people with dietary sugar concerns, as most such products contain fairly high levels of sugar.

I’ve tried their white sparkling wine and one of their red blends and was pleased to find that they’ve concerned themselves with, not just the flavour of the wine but the texture as well. 

It’s interesting to read the ingredients that they’ve added tannic acid and grape skin extract, for that textural experience.

The red pictured here was a mystery as it was difficult to tease out much character but the sparkling white was pleasant with red apple and lemon on the finish. I suggest this as a base for a non-alcoholic kir royale (mixed with black currant syrup) or serve it with sushi and maki rolls.

You can’t expect complexity from such wines but these offer non-drinkers a fine and inclusive drinking experience for any occasion.