LCBO kicks off fall whisky promotion with star-studded 'Iron Chef' style
whisky cook-off

TORONTO , Oct. 14 /CNW/ - This week, LCBO launches What's Your Whisky?, a four-week promotion in all 608 of its stores across Ontario. To showcase whisky and its versatility, the LCBO will challenge two top Toronto chefs to a whisky cook-off at Mildred's Temple Kitchen restaurant on October 20 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. that the public can buy tickets to attend.

In this 'Iron Chef'-themed event, Tyler Cunningham , chef de cuisine at Mildred's Temple Kitchen will compete with Frank Romano , chef de cuisine, Far Niente restaurant, to come up with a winning four-course menu prepared with Canadian whisky.

Host Kevin Brauch seen on The Thirsty Traveler and Iron Chef America on Food Network Canada , will provide commentary while a celebrity judging panel - including Food Network Chef Lynn Crawford ; Canadian crooner Matt Dusk; Frank Ferragine of CityTV's Breakfast Television and Michelle Hunt of Toronto's Martini Club - will sample the culinary creations and determine the winner. Each dish will use one of the four participating Canadian whisky brands - Canadian Club, Crown Royal, Forty Creek and Wiser's - and menus will be judged on originality, taste and presentation.

"This fun event is an opportunity to learn about whisky and the many ways it can be enjoyed, in particular Canadian whisky," says Bob Downey , Senior Vice President, LCBO Sales & Marketing. "Enjoyed neat or in a cocktail as well as a surprisingly appealing recipe ingredient, whisky is one of the most versatile spirits around."

Alongside the judges, guests will sample all eight dishes paired with a Canadian whisky, and meet master distillers and brand ambassadors at a tasting prior to the cook-off. They will also be entertained by Matt Dusk, performing songs from his upcoming album, Good News, which is being released on October 27 .

Tickets for this exclusive engagement are $85 per person and can be ordered from Vintages at 416-365-5767 or 1-800-266-4764 (Monday - Saturday 9am to 6pm , excluding holidays). For those unable to attend, there will be a live webcast of the competition at LCBO's website www.lcbo.com starting at 7:00 p.m.

While Canadian whisky takes centre stage at this event, 88 whiskies from Canada , Scotland, United States and Ireland are being featured during the in-store promotion. "We sell more than $500 million worth of whisky annually, with Canadian whisky accounting for more than $340 million in sales," says Downey. "And, this year, sales of Irish whiskey are up almost 16 per cent over last year while U.S. whiskey sales are up almost five per cent."

A number of premium whiskies, including some LCBO exclusives, will be presented during the promotion in limited quantities at 96 stores. These include Forty Creek Port Wood Reserve, Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or, Jameson Gold Reserve Irish Whiskey and a number of Distillers Editions single malts including Clynelish, Lagavulin, Oban and Glenkinchie.

Other new products include Islay Mist 8-Year-Old (a smoky, peaty premium blended Scotch from the Island of Islay) and The Black Grouse (an Islay-style blend of The Famous Grouse and peaty malts). The official Canadian Whisky Glass will also be offered again in LCBO stores for a limited time. Individual glasses are $4.95 or $19.95 for a set of six.

The promotion will be supported by a 32-page magazine-style Free Standing Insert that traces whisky's journey from its proud heritage across the Atlantic to the trendiest cocktails served today. Readers will learn why crooner/Scotch connoisseur Matt Dusk is such a fan of the spirit and discover why Canadians commonly call whisky "rye".

Customers can visit www.lcbo.com to see featured products and in-store event listings, classic whisky drink recipes and a Matt Dusk profile, including his bio, sample tracks from his upcoming album, a list of Ontario tour dates and a downloadable track. They can also call the toll-free LCBO Infoline at 1-800-ONT-LCBO (668-5226). In Toronto , call 416 365-5900 or visit your nearest LCBO store. The TTY number for the deaf and hard of hearing is 416 864-6898 or 1-800-361-3291.

Consumers are reminded to bring a reusable bag when shopping at the LCBO and to take empty beverage alcohol containers (large and small glass bottles, PET plastic, Tetra Paks, bag-in-box and cans) to The Beer Store for a full deposit refund.

For further information: MEDIA CONTACTS: Trina Hendry, Media Relations Consultant, Marketing and Customer Insights, Tel. [phone], Cell: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]; Chris Layton, LCBO Media Relations Co-ordinator, Corporate Communications, Tel. [phone], Cell: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]