Taste Ex Brings Award-Winning, Rare, and Never-Before-Seen Canadian Drinks from Coast to Coast to London
London, ON — January 6, 2026 — Taste Ex: The London Food and Drink Experience is redefining what a Canadian beverage festival can be, unveiling one of the most ambitious and diverse drink lineups ever assembled in the country. The event features rare, award-winning beverages from across Canada, many of which have never been sold in London or available in Ontario.
Taking place January 9–10, 2026 at the J-AAR Expo Centre, Taste Ex will showcase an unprecedented range of beverages, including wines, beers, spirits, ciders, meads, seltzers, kombuchas, coffees, teas, cocktails, and more. With a focus on excellence, rarity, and regional diversity, the Taste Ex team has curated:
• 400+ beers
• 300+ wines
• 120+ spirits
• 40+ non-alcoholic beverages
• 25+ ciders, plus meads, ready-to-drink cocktails, and specialty beverages
In total, the show features 900+ drinks sourced from 10 provinces and 3 territories. This gives attendees a truly diverse and one-of-a-kind tasting experience.
A Beer Program with National Reach
The beer selection includes some of Canada’s most sought-after small and large breweries, spanning nearly every style imaginable. Styles range from hop-forward IPAs and wild-fermented saisons to refined lagers, barrel-aged beers, and regional specialties rarely poured in Ontario.
Award-winning drinks journalist and author Stephen Beaumont praised the scope and ambition of the beer program:
“It is, I think, the most pan-Canadian beer list I’ve seen since the heyday of the Great Canadian Beer Festival. I’m impressed, and frankly it takes a lot to impress me where festival beer lists are concerned.”
— Stephen Beaumont, Award-Winning Drinks Journalist & Author
A Nationally Acclaimed Wine Selection
All wines at the 120 ft long ‘Great Canadian Bar’ were selected by Canada’s first Master Sommelier, John Szabo, ensuring a lineup that reflects both quality and national significance. Of the 300+ wines featured, more than 250 are National Wine Awards of Canada (NWAC) medal winners, including an exceptional seven Platinum medal winners.
As Szabo explains:
“A Platinum medal is the highest award possible. This year, it was achieved by just under 2% of the 1,700 wines and ciders entered. A Platinum winner is evaluated blind by a minimum of eight judges over two rounds and must achieve an aggregate score of 93 points. It’s exceedingly rare to have so many Platinum wines at a single event. Most sell out very quickly after the awards are announced.”
— John Szabo, MS, Canada’s First Master Sommelier
Spirits, Coffee, and Beyond
The Scotch & Ponder Spirits & Cocktail Bar is showcasing what is likely the largest and most exciting selection of Canadian spirits ever assembled in one place. The lineup includes Canadian single malt whiskies, rums, vodkas, gins, and more, highlighting exceptional distilling happening across the country.
The Locomotive Espresso Coffee & Tea Bar offers a tasting-format exploration of globally sourced beans roasted by three of Canada’s premier coffee roasters, alongside seven curated teas. Guests can compare differences in bean and leaf origin, roasting style, and preparation.
A New Kind of Experience
Unlike traditional shows & festivals, Taste Ex enhances the traditional vendor supplied beverage offering with a robust, curated selection process. This approach allows the event to spotlight rare finds, award winners, and producers from far outside Ontario, while maintaining a consistently high standard across every pour.
Building on the 18-year legacy of the London Wine & Food Show, Taste Ex represents a bold evolution. The experience features one of Canada’s longest bars, expanded food offerings, and a format designed around exploration, quality, and national pride.
Event Details
📅 January 9–10, 2026
📍 J-AAR Expo Centre, Western Fair District, London, ON
🌐 TasteWFD.com
View the full drink list on the website tastewfd.com/the-great-canadian-bar
About Taste Ex
Taste Ex is Canada’s largest curated food and beverage showcase, celebrating award-winning, rare, and small-batch wines, beers, spirits, and non-alcoholic drinks from across the country. Designed for discovery, Taste Ex brings together producers and regions that Canadians rarely get the chance to experience in one place.
Media Contact
Angela Hawkins
Marketing Director
Western Fair District
ahawkins [at] westernfairdistrict.com
519-281-4809
