Grand Prix weekend in Montreal was host to a slew of parties. Some exclusive, some open to everyone, some exorbitantly priced, and some free! Montreal’s elite and people from all over the world flocked the city to party… and erm to watch the race? That too.
With so many events, how to choose which one to go to?! Well, we were lucky enough to be invited to the Terrazza Martini F1 event at Hotel William Gray‘s rooftop bar. In sum, it was spectacular. We had an incredible view of the city, some of Montreal’s best were in attendance, the drinks were flowing, and the food was incredible.
Martini Racing became the first ever non-motorsport company to sponsor a racing team in 1968. In 2014, it became the title sponsor of the British owner Williams F1 team, thus the Williams Martini Racing party we got to attend. For 50 years, they’ve been sponsoring racing teams and throwing lavish parties to celebrate their teams. Luckily, we got to attend one such party.
Over 300 people were in attendance (we know, how did we all fit in there?!), including notable celebrities such as Yanic Truesedale, Éric Salvail, Joey Scarpellino, Valérie Carpentier, PO Beaodin, and Jonathan Roy. The food was provided by William Gray and we (and our tastebuds) were wowed. Every bite was delicious. Of course, we had some favourites.
The truffled arancini was heaven in our mouth. The truffle flavour was dominant and the warm deliciousness of the arancini exploded in our mouth. We may have gotten a little too excited whenever that platter came around. Another delicious ball was the Italian polpette meat balls with marinara sauce. No mess here! Just a toothpick, some perfect aim, and a tasty bite.
Another favourite was the Italian style grilled lamb chops. The meat fell of the bone and was so tender – we could have eaten the whole tray! To switch things up, we also loved the beef carpaccio on crostini. A little raw, a little cooked; we like our meat every which way!
As for cocktails, Martini did not disappoint. Each drink was delicious, but our favourite was definitely the Floral Negroni, with Martini Rosso Vermouth, Bombay Sapphire Gin, St. Germain Liqueur, and an orange slice for zest. Another delicious cocktail was the Martini & Rossi Frosé, with Martini & Rossi Rosé, lemonade, and peach liqueur.
Photos by Jennifer Pontarelli.
