Canada is hosting the FIFA World Cup and Father’s Day lands right in the middle of it, so that calls for a serious upgrade to your watch party drinks. We’re talking spritzes, sparkling cocktails, ready-to-drink crowd-pleasers, and a crisp Canadian lager that’s practically made for tournament season.
Who better to help us than Natalie MacLean, editor of Canada’s largest drinks review site at nataliemaclean.com.
Welcome, Natalie.
Great to be back with you! We have a double header this week with the FIFA World Cup and Father’s Day. It’s that glorious confluence of athletic excellence and your uncle explaining how he almost went pro in the eighties. These drinks will up your game no matter what you’re celebrating.
Natalie, let’s start with something that can make anyone look like a star bartender at their watch party. What are we mixing with today?
Let’s kick it off with Monin, a French company founded in 1912 that’s still family owned.
Monin Toasted Coconut Syrup
Founded in France
Their artisanal syrups are the go-to for bartenders, baristas and home cocktail enthusiasts who want to build beautiful, layered flavours without the fuss. Their syrups have no artificial flavours or preservatives, just real botanicals.
Try Monin’s “Raise a Toast” cocktail, perfectly named for when Canada scores a goal. It’s made with Monin Toasted Coconut Syrup, the flavour of the year, lemonade, green tea and prosecco. You can garnish with edible flowers or citrus. I feel refined just standing beside it.
Monin calls this ‘swavory’: sweet and savoury at the same time. The aroma is warm, nutty, caramel-kissed coconut, never cloying. It also works beautifully in a cold brew, latte, marinades, and spreads. You can find it at monin.ca.
Ingredients
- 1/2 oz. Monin Toasted Coconut Syrup
- 2 oz. lemonade
- 2 oz. green tea
- Top with 3 oz. prosecco wine
Glass: Tall
Garnish: Edible flowers, lemon peel, wheel or wedge
Delicious! I see you have another cocktail here for us.
Monin also offers a Floral Flavour Collection, five gorgeous small-batch syrups in one gift-worthy set: Violet, Lavender, Rose, Hibiscus, and Elderflower. It’s a garden party for your taste buds!
Monin Floral Flavour Collection
Founded in France
Try this lovely Elderflower Champagne cocktail with bubbly and Monin Elderflower syrup, which has a fresh, delicate floral aroma. Just half an ounce lifts the whole glass.
It’s subtle, elegant, and it makes sparkling wine feel like something you’d sip on a terrace somewhere in Provence. Wouldn’t this be gorgeous on the patio a charcuterie board with honeyed figs?
Monin Elderflower Champagne Cocktail
Ingredients
- 6 oz. champagne
- 1/2 oz. Elder Flower syrup
Glass: Flute
Glass Size: 8 oz.
Garnish: Mint sprig
Instructions
Pour ingredients into serving glass (no ice) in order listed. Stir gently to mix, garnish, and serve.
I want to also note that Monin runs a global cocktail competition called the Monin Cup. Bartenders from more than 24 countries compete, and Canada’s semi-finals in Toronto are open right now. Visit monin.ca if you’re a bartender looking to compete. If you are a bartender who has been waiting for a sign, this is that sign.
More Pairings
- Elderflower Champagne Spritz with Summer Strawberries: imagine a chilled flute of sparkling wine with a half-ounce of Elderflower syrup and a mint sprig — paired with sun-warmed strawberries on a shortcake, the cream still cold, the berries bursting with sweetness. The floral lift in the glass mirrors the fruit in a way that feels almost inevitable.
- Raise a Toast Coconut Spritz with Grilled Jerk Chicken: the Toasted Coconut Raise a Toast cocktail — coconut syrup, lemonade, green tea, and prosecco over ice — pairs brilliantly with crispy-skinned jerk chicken off a charcoal grill, the meat fragrant with allspice and scotch bonnet, the tropical warmth of the cocktail echoing every smoky, spiced bite.
I love those flavours. Now what’s next for the watch party spread?
Crown Royal Whisky & Cola
Ready-to-Drink, Canada
Next up is Crown Royal Whisky & Cola, a quintessentially Canadian cocktail in a convenient ready-to-drink format. Crown Royal has been the most recognized Canadian whisky brand in the world since it was created in 1939. The brand has taken that same smooth, iconic whisky-and-cola serve and put it in a can, which is genius for a watch party, summer sipping by the pool and backyard barbecues for Father’s Day. Just chill and pour.
Feel free to try the Crown Royal Whisky & Cola.
It has that classic Crown Royal character: smooth with rich vanilla and hints of oak playing perfectly against the deep, rounded cola notes. For the ideal serve, keep the cans in a bucket of ice, then pour over fresh ice in a rocks glass with a squeeze of lime. Wouldn’t this be spectacular with slow-cooked BBQ ribs, the sauce caramelized and sticky?
More Pairings
- Crown Whisky Cola Pulled Pork Sliders: thick-cut pulled pork piled onto a soft brioche bun, dripping with a smoky, tangy molasses glaze, topped with cool, crunchy slaw — the cola sweetness in the glass echoes the caramelized bark on the pork, while Crown’s smooth vanilla and oak notes cut right through the richness.
- Crown Kickoff Cheeseburger: a charred beef patty, aged cheddar melted to a golden puddle, crispy bacon, and a smear of smoky aioli on a toasted sesame bun — paired with a chilled Crown Royal & Cola, the whisky warmth balancing the char and the cola’s effervescence clearing the palate bite after bite.
Love a good ready-to-drink option. What about beer lovers; what do you have for them?
Side Launch Northbound Lager
Collingwood, Ontario
Side Launch Brewing has been crafting artisanal beer since 2014 in Collingwood, Ontario, along the shores of Georgian Bay. Everything about Northbound Lager reflects the landscape: wide open, clean, and refreshing. The name says it all: Northbound, it’s the direction you head when you’re searching for your north star or your true north.
The Northbound Lager is cold-fermented for a crisp, smooth finish at only 4.4% ABV, so it remains refreshing throughout the game, with that craft quality.
Feel free to try the Northbound Lager.
The taste transports you to a place of cool lake water, pine trails, and the deep relaxation of a summer evening. Wouldn’t it be perfect with half-time fish tacos or BBQ burgers for dad?
Right now, every 6-pack of this lager at The Beer Store comes with a chance to win a one-of-a-kind custom e-mountain bike from Norco Sight VLT Bosch A2, valued at $6,999, with custom Side Launch branding inspired by Georgian Bay’s nautical charts. Two great Canadian brands, both built around the same idea: the best things are earned. The contest runs through October 31, 2026, and no purchase is necessary.
More Pairings
- Northbound Lager Lime Fish Tacos: warm corn tortillas cradling golden, beer-battered halibut, topped with shredded purple cabbage slaw tossed in a bright lime-cilantro dressing — cold, crisp Northbound in hand, the lager’s clean finish cutting through the batter and making every bite taste like the best taco stand you’ve ever found at a dock.
- Georgian Bay Smokehouse Burger: a hand-formed beef patty cooked over open flame, smoked gouda melted into every crevice, caramelized onions, and a swipe of whole-grain mustard on a toasted pretzel bun — Northbound’s cold crispness slicing right through the smokiness, refreshing the palate and making you reach for another bite.
What a lineup so far. You’ve saved one more for us. What’s the crowd-pleaser to finish?
Captain Morgan Spiced Rum Punch Variety 12-Pack
Quebec
We’re finishing with Captain Morgan Spiced Rum Punch. This variety 12-pack is made in Quebec. It’s the ultimate no-stress option for hosting with three bold fruit flavours: Tropical Pineapple, Citrus Lime, and Wild Berry.
They’re all blended with Captain Morgan’s signature smooth spiced rum. You’ve got something for every guest around the TV or grill.
Keep the cans in a bucket of ice and let guests grab their favourite. You could also serve them over ice in a glass with a garnish, like a pineapple wedge, a lime wheel, a few fresh berries to elevate the presentation without any fuss. It’s effortless hosting.
Feel free to try the Captain Morgan Spiced Rum Punch.
The Tropical Pineapple is fruity and bright with Captain Morgan’s warm, spiced rum backbone weaving through it. There’s a hint of vanilla and a tropical fruit that makes it feel like the party’s already started.
Wouldn’t this be spectacular alongside a big bowl of guacamole and tortilla chips, the kind that disappears in the first ten minutes of the match?
More Pairings
- Captain’s Wild Berry Chicken Wings: sticky, lacquered wings glazed with a wild berry and chipotle sauce, baked until the skin crisps and caramelizes, served with a cool blue cheese dip — the berry rum punch in hand echoing the glaze’s fruitiness, the rum’s spice threading through every bite.
- Citrus Lime Captain’s Ceviche Tostadas: chilled citrus-cured shrimp piled onto crispy tostadas with mango salsa, a squeeze of fresh lime, and a scattering of jalapeño — paired with Captain Morgan Citrus Lime Punch, each sip amplifying the brightness of the ceviche and making the whole plate pop.
Natalie, these suggestions are fantastic! Any final words of wisdom for our viewers?
Here’s to Canada hosting the world this summer and to every watch party where the drinks are cold, the food is hot, and someone in the room has strong opinions about the offside rule. To the host country and the home bar: may both always be stocked and ready.
Five toasts if you’d like to pick another:
- “To the host country and the home bar — may both always be stocked and ready.”
- May your team win, your drinks stay cold, and your half-time snacks never run out.”
- “As the French say: un repas sans vin est comme un jour sans soleil — a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine. Lucky for us, we have both today.”
- “Here’s to summer: the only season where drinking on a patio at noon is not only acceptable but encouraged.”
- “To Canada: we may be polite, but we know how to throw a party.”
Thank you, Natalie! Where can we find you and these wines and whiskies online?
On Instagram, you can find me posting wine reviews and tips at:
Come for the spritz, stay for the soccer — or the other way around, no judgment.
Posted with permission of CTV Your Morning. Please drink responsibly.
