TORONTO, December 2, 2020 – Canada’s hospitality industry is struggling.
Economic lock downs and restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic have devastated bars and restaurants across the country. Some are still operating but on reduced guest capacity, or offer only take-out or delivery. Others have had to shut their doors — for some it’s a temporary measure, for others it is for good.
Corby Spirit and Wine works with the bartenders and servers from these establishments every day. To help out during this trying time, Corby has published A Toast from Coast to Coast, a beautiful coffee-table book featuring 100 cocktail recipes and stories plucked from bars and restaurants across Canada.
“So many great restaurants and bars have been forced to shut down, or at least dramatically scale back their business, during the pandemic, resulting in the layoff of thousands of bartenders and hospitality staff,” says Danielle Yoon, a portfolio consultant with Corby Spirit and Wine. “Service staff are important partners, representing Corby’s brands and doing amazing things with them in a cocktail shaker for their guests. This book curates some of their fan-favourites and the most unique taste experiences they have created.”
The hand-illustrated, hardcover book is more than a time capsule of contemporary Canadian cocktail culture — it is also a lifeline for the country’s bartenders and hospitality staff. Fully 100 per cent of the proceeds of each book sale — every single penny — goes directly to the Bartenders Benevolent Fund and the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association.
“This book will go a long way towards showcasing the talent within the Canadian hospitality community, and sends the message that we are a community that supports one another in a time of need,” says Jon Gray, co-founder of the Bartenders Benevolent Fund. “We are so grateful to the team at Corby Spirit and Wine for supporting our Emergency Relief Fund efforts, which provides financial aid to struggling hospitality professionals across the county, and for helping to share this initiative so that those who need it most know it’s there.”
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been estimated that about two-thirds of the foodservice sector in Canada suffered a layoff or job loss. Organizations like the Bartenders Benevolent Fund and the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association offer emergency assistance to front-of-house hospitality staff who have fallen into serious financial hardship.
“The executive board of the CPBA is excited and grateful to be working with Corby Spirit and Wine and the Bartender Benevolent Fund on the A Toast from Coast to Coast project,” says Trevor Kallies, President of the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association. “Not only will the funds raised go directly into the hands of hospitality workers in need, but it also shines a light on an industry that is resilient, passionate and determined. As restaurants and bars struggle to see what’s next over these winter months, a project like this will go a long way.”
A Toast from Coast to Coast goes on sale December 4th. It can be purchased online for $40 at toastfromcoasttocoast.ca.
“We’re hoping the industry will soon be back to mixing our favourite drinks behind a bar, but until then this is a great alternative,” says Danielle. “This book offers a reprieve from the everyday while you stay at home, offering great recipes from favourite haunts for you to craft in your own home, with some awesome stories to share while you sip.”
About the Bartenders Benevolent Fund
Created in 2013, the Bartenders Benevolent Fund is a non-profit financial resource for bartenders, servers and Front-of-House support staff working in the hospitality industry in Canada. It provides funding for those who have fallen under serious financial hardship, with a mission to work in earnest to ensure that those in need can make ends meet. The Bartenders Benevolent Fund’s mandate is to offer support to the hospitality industry, by the hospitality industry: its funds are awarded anonymously by local hospitality professionals from each market.
For more information, please visit bartendersbenevolentfund.ca.
About the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association
Formed in 2008 by bartenders in the Vancouver area, the CPBA is a group of bartenders formed to exchange news, techniques and ideas between members to encourage high standards and advancement of the profession of bartending in Canada. While its membership is currently based only in B.C., it operates with a national interest in mind. All bartenders in the country are eligible members.
For more information, please visit canadianbartenders.com.
About Corby Spirit and Wine
Corby Spirit and Wine Limited is a leading Canadian manufacturer, marketer and distributor of spirits and wines. Corby’s portfolio of owned-brands includes some of the most renowned brands in Canada, including J.P. Wiser’s®, Lot 40®, and Pike Creek® Canadian whiskies, Lamb’s® rum, Polar Ice® vodka, McGuinness® liqueurs, Ungava® gin, Cabot Trail® maple-based liqueurs and Chic Choc® Spiced rum, and Foreign Affair® wines. Through its affiliation with Pernod Ricard S.A., a global leader in the spirits and wine industry, Corby also represents leading international brands such as ABSOLUT® vodka, Chivas Regal®, The Glenlivet® and Ballantine’s® Scotch whiskies, Jameson® Irish whiskey, Beefeater® gin, Malibu® rum, Kahlúa® liqueur, Mumm® champagne, and Jacob’s Creek®, Wyndham Estate®, Stoneleigh®, Campo Viejo®, and Kenwood® wines. Corby is a publicly traded company based in Toronto, Ontario, and listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbols CSW.A and CSW.B. For further information, please visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.
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