NOW Magazine

At the start of the pandemic I found myself in an interesting situation — After the occasional contribution over the years, I became the Drinks Columnist for both the print and online versions of NOW Magazine just as lockdown began. Seemingly overnight the old standby articles featuring city pub crawls and top LCBO products weren't going to cut it. On top of that, the alcohol laws in Ontario drastically changed, allowing producers, bars, and restaurants to deliver their products to people's homes.

So, on a weekly basis I would call venues offering pre-mixed cocktail packages, rare wines, and new beer. I would make sense of the new alcohol laws and inform readers how it would play out for everyone. I would also highlight producers and businesses in order to keep them top of mind for consumers.

As developments at that time were a daily constant, it paid to be agile and constantly informed. Being thorough in my reporting while also maintaining a casual tone for readers also helped us maintain the role of trusted authority in a time of uncertainty. I feel grateful for the chance to be that for the city and my time at NOW remains one of the moments I'm most proud of.