Bees Over Bay Street from EastmanVideo on Vimeo.

The Fairmont Royal York Hotel is buzzing. We have our bees — 300,000 and counting — and then we have our annual festival cocktails, which produce a buzz of another sort and are a highlight of the annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

This year the mixologists at the hotel’s Library Bar will shake and stir the imagination of stars and film fans alike with two drinks: The TIFF Tini and the “Festival Buzz”.

While we love the TIFF Tini (a mix of Fairmont Organic Jasmine tea infused with pear vodka, topped with freshly squeezed lemon juice and a dash of simple syrup), we simply adore the “Festival Buzz”. No doubt because it features our own rooftop honey and freshly picked mint from our 14th floor garden.

So far this summer nearly 150 pounds of honey have been harvested from the hotel’s apiary. To learn how the honey is harvested and why you should always wear white around bees, listen to Radio Royal York: Podcast #9 – The Honey Harvest.

The Toronto International Film Festival kicks-off September 9th with Michael McGowan’s comedy-musical Score: A Hockey Musical.

Our Victoria Day long weekend was definitely NOT a drag as you can see from this Canadian Press footage shot at the First Annual Queen Victoria Look-A-Like Competition, held at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.

The event was hosted by Bob Blumer (The Surreal Gourmet) and special guest “Miss Conception”, and was judged by Christopher Randall of 96.3 Classical FM Radio; Christopher Heard, Writer-in-Residence at The Fairmont Royal York; Melanie Coates, Beekeeper-in-Residence at The Fairmont Royal York; Shinan Govani, social columnist with The National Post; and Bruce Bell, Official Historian at The Fairmont Royal York.

The winner of the First Annual Queen Victoria Look-A-Like Competition was Elizabeth Fitzgerald who is seen, in the video, clutching her prize-winning bottle of — you guessed it — Victoria Gin!

For continued mirth making of the royal sort, visit The Fairmont Royal York Flickr page to view and download photos from the event.

Or stay on the site and have a perfectly good listen to Episode #11 of Radio Royal York, featuring Mia Hunt of Victoria Spirits and Bruce Bell, Official Historian for The Fairmont Royal York.

Celebrate the Victoria Day Long weekend at The Fairmont Royal York with an inspired cocktail — The “Imperial Splendor”.

The $14 “Imperial Splendor” features Victoria Gin, Earl Grey tea, fresh lemon juice, Cointreau, and two dashes of “Twisted & Bitter” orange cocktail bitters.

The unique cocktail will be served in both EPIC and the Library Bar, both of which are located on the lobby level of The Fairmont Royal York.

“Imperial Splendor” Recipe:

1 1/2 oz. Victoria Gin
3 1/2 oz. strongly brewed Earl Grey tea, chilled
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. Cointreau
2 dashes “Twisted & Bitter” orange cocktail bitters

Combine ingredients and shake on ice. Strain into your finest china.

Garnish with an orange slice and a small cube of frozen marmalade.

Join Bob Blumer (The Food Network) and guest “Miss Conception” at the First Annual Queen Victoria Look-A-Like Contest, Victoria Day, Monday, May 24th from 12 Noon to 4 PM at the Fairmont Royal York.

Enjoy Vic Gin cocktails, tipsy cuc sandwiches while watching queens, young and old, vie for the crown.

First 200 to RSVP to rsvp@victoriaspirits.com will receive a hard cuppa Vic Gin.

To help commemorate Queen Victoria’s one hundred and ninety-first birthday, the Fairmont Royal York is offering an exceptional one night package for weekends throughout the summer. Package includes:

• One night accommodation in a Fairmont room
• Breakfast for two
• Afternoon tea in the Library Bar
• Tour of the hotel’s roof garden
• Two martinis in the Library Bar or EPIC
• Souvenir bottle of Victoria bitters

For more information or to make a reservation, visit the Fairmont Royal York Website.

Melanie Coates of The Fairmont Royal York was in New York City this evening, giving a honey tasting for bloggers and journalists, part of SeeTorontoNow’s Invasion Social Scape NYC.

Melanie was joined by a very regal “Lady Di” for the tasting, which was live streamed with the audience asking questions via Twitter.