RC Show 2024 announces bar and beverage lineup

Toronto – Bringing together creative solutions and techniques from global bar experts as part of this year’s “Level Up” theme, the Restaurants Canada Show is set to take place April 8-10 at Toronto’s Enercare Centre.

Here is a sampling of what the industry event has in store this year:

RC Show presents a lineup of some of the leading industry experts to discuss the latest bar research and consumer data, the future of spirits and beer, and the evolving role of bartenders and sommeliers. Guests can gain insight from a variety of panels including a beer leadership panel and Canada’s best bars presented by American Express Canada.

Speakers and panelists include:

Andre Hueston Mack, bar keynote speaker, recently proclaimed “one of wine’s most inspiring people,” is a true wine Renaissance Man. After leaving the corporate world and working his way to Head Sommelier at Chef Thomas Keller’s 3 Michelin-starred Per Se restaurant before once again making a radical change and founding Mouton Noir Wines (now Maison Noir).

Michael Tremblay, Founder and SSC Instructor, Sake Scholar, and Nancy Matsumoto, author of the James Beard Award-winning book Rice Water, Earth: Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake, present an overview of the basics of sake: what it is, how it is made, and how to serve and drink it, as well as the back story on how the book went from an idea to a published reality.

Scaling of Bar Concepts includes panelists Chantelle Gabino, Beverage Manager, Recipe Unlimited; Robin Goodfellow, Owner, Vela & Little Bones Beverage; and Brian James, CEO, Warm Welcome. The group will engage in a discussion on how growing beyond a single location can be more than a daydream. Sharing tactics and tips for scaling up operations and turning your idea into a solid strategic plan. From changes in decor to tweaks in your bar program, if you’re thinking about expansion, this panel is for you.

Competitions

The Beyond the Rail Competition presented by Beam Suntory, is back hitting the Bar and Beverage Stage on Monday, April 8, from 3 to 5 p.m. This year’s competition focuses on “leveling up” the art of hospitality with Canada’s top bartenders pairing up in teams and being tested on not only their creativity and bartending skills, but also scaling up craft cocktails for large scale events and operations without sacrificing service for a chance to win $5,000.

Hosted by the Canadian Chapter of the Specialty Coffee Association, the RC Show is bringing three national coffee championships to the bar and beverage stage this year. Watch some of Canada’s most talented baristas craft masterpieces in the Latte Art Championship, observe true innovators creating unique coffee cocktails in the Coffee in Good Spirits Competition, and join in making history at Canada’s NEW Cezve/Ibrik Competition. The champions of these events will advance to represent Canada at the World Championships in Copenhagen.

Workshops and masterclasses

RC Show Bar & Beverage Ambassadors Christina Veira and Evelyn Chick are curating sessions and workshops that touch on the state of Canada’s bar and beverage scene. Programming will also include Aperitivo Hour But Make It All Day, Data, Not Vibes: Building Successful LTOs in Coffee, Dairy Farmers of Canada:

Mocktails & Cheese, Exploring Coffee Versatility: A Masterclass, Sake and the Umami Factor, Elevation without Pretension, Whisky and Cheese, Ontario Cider and Corks & Grooves, The Vinyl Revolution In Bars and more.

One-stop pop-up experience

Visit RC’s Pop Up Experience where food and beverage innovation comes alive. Taste, learn and connect through intimate hands-on workshops, savour curated sips and bites, and check out the latest equipment and technology. Inspired by and/ore restaurant’s signature palette and featuring original artwork by artist Tisha Myles of New Love Collective, the RC Pop Up Experience features a visually stunning setup that will immerse guests in an atmosphere of creativity and innovation. Indulge in alcoholic and non-alcoholic creations by renowned mixologist Abigail Rubiales from and/ore, and taste Molson’s newest brew, Madri Exceptional Spanish beer.

Visit the pop-up bars, curated by RC Show’s Beverage Ambassadors Veira and Chick, where you can enjoy drinks and find inspiration from Canada’s leading bartenders. They will present their distinctive methods for crafting menus and blending flavours to create delicious cocktails and mocktails. Featured bars from Canada and the United States include:

• Clive’s Classic Lounge, Victoria
• Bar Bello, Montreal
• Bar Pompette, Toronto
• Keefer Bar, Vancouver
• Happy Accidents, Albuquerque
• Bar Mordecai, Toronto

For more information on this year’s event, visit rcshow.com.