June is, among other things, Pride month. It’s a time when LGBT people can come together to celebrate how far they’ve come and how much still needs to be done.
As a queer person I look forward to Pride every year. I love having an annual chance to celebrate this part of my heritage, to take stock of how I can help make things better for my LGBT siblings, and (let’s face it) to party!
Here are some ways to celebrate Pride this year – in drink form of course. If you need me I’ll be in Toronto’s gay village, enjoying the festivities.
Celebrate Pride and summer with sangria
I’ve written about it before, but to me sangria is the drink of summer. And since Pride happens in summer this seems like an obvious way to jump right in to the fun.
Originally hailing from Spain, sangria lends itself well to batch mixing (um, a full bottle of wine, anyone?) and is super adaptable. You can pretty much take any fruit in season, add wine, liquor and a mix and voilà – sangria!
I go into more detail on how to make sangria in this post from last summer, but here’s the gist if you just need a refresher:
- A bottle of wine
- About ¼ cup of liqueur or liquor
- About 2 cups of fruit
- Soda to top up
A fruity beer for fruits
Maybe you’re a beer-loving queermo like me. Let me recommend to you one of my favourite local Toronto beers: the Yuzu Pale Ale from Radical Road Brewing.
Made with yuzu, a kind of citrus fruit hailing from Asia, this beer is bright and citrusy and just bitter enough to keep it interesting. It’s also super crisp and refreshing, which makes it an excellent choice for a warm June day when you’re out celebrating how far your people have come.
Extra tip: If you’re like me and love variety you could also pick up a mix pack, like this one from Muskoka Brewery.
Let a cooler do the work for you
Not a fan of sangria or beer? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
Lucky for us, coolers are having a bit of a moment. After years of being passed over in favour of other options, coolers are back and ready to go with you to your cottage dock and your camping adventure. And you know what? They’re pretty good!
Take, for example, Palm Bay. These little vodka-based beauties have become pretty popular in the last few years, mostly because they come in cans (safe for dock-sitting and camping!) and because they taste so dang good. They’re currently only available in Canada (sorry international friends!) and come in great flavours like mango passion fruit, key lime cherry, and pineapple mandarin orange.
Go all in on gay nostalgia
And if these recommendations still aren’t enough there’s always the classic gay club fallback – Rev.
Will you be celebrating Pride this year?
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