On the evening of October 16, a group of lucky attendees sat down at Xango to enjoy the first in Toronto Cocktail Week’s Spirited Dinner series. The evening saw Diageo World Class bartenders Shane Mulvany, Chris Enns and Jeff Savage (who just came second in the world at Diageo World Class globals in Glasgow) join forces with Xango’s Claudio Aprile (MasterChef Canada) and chef de cuisine Ivan Bailey, to offer exclusive food and cocktail pairings.

Before taking their seats for the multi-course feast, guests were treated to canapés and welcome cocktails including the Laura Palmer, featuring Bulleit Bourbon, black tea syrup, honey syrup, lemon and Angostura, plus the Indiana Jo’, made with Tanqueray No. Ten , grapefruit juice, lime juice, St. Germain, Peychaud’s Bitters and a rosemary garnish.

Dishes for the evening were inspired by Xango’s menu of Nikkei cuisine, a merging of Japanese techniques with Peruvian ingredients. The first course was jardin maki with sweet potato tempura along with a classic ceviche with leche de tigre. Guests enjoyed their first bites with a Zippy, a cocktail made with Don Julio Blanco and included a habanero tincture.

Main course dishes were a delectable duck breast served on a bed of egg-fried rice and preserved plums, a whole fried branzino with jicama and alinos sauce, and a hearty bowl of Miami ribs served with wood-grilled scallions. A Zingy cocktail, made with Ketel One Citroen, accompanied this course.

Dessert came in the form of a charred banana with coconut tapioca; plus a coffee-and-milk-chocolate dish with a torta fritta. The sweet treats were accompanied by a Breath of Trees, a cocktail made with Johnnie Walker Black Label.

Here are some picture’s from the #TCW19 dinner: