Canada will likely set a record on Sunday: As people get up at the crack of dawn to watch the men’s Olympic hockey final, it’s arguable that at no other time in this country’s history will so many Canadians be drinking alcohol before noon.
Canada has been to the finals twice in recent history, but both those times the Olympics were held in North American cities (Vancouver in 2010, Salt Lake City in 2002), and the game was played in the afternoon.
Likely thousands, if not millions, will be enjoying a beer or a cocktail as Canada defends its Olympic title, with the puck dropping at 7 am ET. Bars across the country are opening up early to accommodate fans, many offering breakfast as well. And just as many people, if not more, will watch the game from their home, cooking a big breakfast for family and friends.
This leaves one important question: What’s the best alcoholic beverage for breakfast food?
Alain Pitout, the manager of Toronto sports bar The Dock Ellis, said it’s hard to go wrong with a stout or porter that’s brewed with coffee. Not only will you get some caffeine as you drink, but the beers are known for a rich taste and full body.
Many brands offer coffee stouts or porters. Pitout says Stone Hammer’s Oatmeal Coffee Stout is a good pick. Toronto’s Mill Street Brewery also offers a coffee porter that’s been quite popular with beer fans.
Pitout says if you’re eating greasy food like eggs and bacon, go for something beer with a lot of hops flavour.
“You want something that will cut the fat. An IPA works well,” Pitout says, referring to Indian Pale Ales.
IPAs are defined by bitterness that you get from hops, and Pitout suggests Black Oak’s Ten Bitter Years if you like it really hoppy. But if you can’t find that, look to some of the bigger brands like Keith’s, Wellington and Mill Street that all feature their own IPAs.
If pancakes and waffles with maple syrup are what you’re having, look for something that can play of that sweetness and has a nice clean finish, The Dock Ellis’s head chef, Trisha Gill, suggests.
“A lager or a pilsner works well as it balances out that syrup,” she says. “They’re malty and citrusy.”
And if you’re not a beer drinker, there are some obvious choices for cocktails. Caesars are already a go-to for brunch enthusiasts, largely because the spiciness from the hot sauce and the tang from the lime work well with both greasy and sweet food, Gill says. Mimosas have also long been a brunch staple, with its refreshing combination of sparkling wine and orange juice.
And for those nursing a hangover on Sunday morning, Pitout suggests a “corpse reviver cocktail” -- cocktails known to help beat those terrible headaches.
He says one popular corpse reviver is called Death in the Afternoon, also known as the Hemingway or Hemingway Champagne -- legend has it that Ernest Hemingway invented it. It’s a simple one: mix a shot or two of absinthe with chilled champagne. Pitout says it’s sure to work.
But regardless of what you choose to drink tomorrow morning, pace yourself -- because if Canada wins the gold medal, the party is likely to go all day and night.
