BC Distilled, Canada’s leading artisan distillery showcase, is set to return from April 10th to 14th, offering a dynamic lineup of events for local enthusiasts of craft spirits. This year, the Main Tasting will be hosted at the Italian Cultural Centre, following the closure of its previous venue, the Croatian Cultural Centre.
Highlights for the week include the highly anticipated Distillers Dinner at Forage, guided whisky tastings with recent Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame inductee Davin De Kergommeaux, and the showcase of 30 distilleries’ products. Additionally, Legacy Liquor will host an on-site pop-up retail shop on April 13th, ensuring attendees can take their favourite spirits home.
We had a chance to taste some of the new and noteworthy products crafted by nine artisan distilleries during a media preview hosted at Odd Society Spirits. Here are nine standout selections to consider exploring amidst the extensive array of over 200 offerings this weekend:
Sharpe Distillery Botanical Gin (40% ABV)
A gold medal recipient at the 2024 Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition, this gin is floral-forward with a warm cardamom finish.
The Dubh Glas Sand Between My Toes Single Malt Whisky (46% ABV)
Aged in ex-bourbon barrels, then finished for three months in BC port-style wine casks, this peach-hued single malt is bursting with tropical fruit and sweet nutmeg notes.
Odd Society Spirits Smoke & Oak – Garryana Oak Single Malt Whisky (46% ABV)
This expression includes malt that has been smoked by burning Garryana Oak which is the only oak species native to the Pacific Northwest. A fascinating departure from the Islay peated single malts style that many are more familiar with, this expression is more reminiscent of smoking sweet tobacco by a campfire than wafting tarry ropes in a sea breeze.
Snowgoose Brewery Rice Whisky (43% ABV)
Providing a delicate profile in comparison to other styles of whisky, this ‘butterscotch-bomb’ is a must-try for those curious about rice whiskies (and especially those with a sweet tooth).
Antidote Distilling Company Blackcap Raspberry Liqueur (30% ABV)
Using a species of raspberry native to the Pacific Northwest, Antidote Distillery aims to showcase the flavour and slight tartness of the blackcap raspberry with a lightly sweetened, higher ABV liqueur.
Sons of Vancouver Distillery North-Shori Melon Liqueur (33% ABV)
Since 2015, Sons of Vancouver has released an impressively humorous number of premium liqueurs for April Fool’s Day ranging from “Coffee Liqueur Sucks” to a “Craft Blue Curacao” and now the “North-Shori Melon Liqueur” which is made with macerated winter melons from Vancouver’s North Shore.
Holocene Distilling Project Sweet Tease Liqueur (20% ABV)
They say that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure and this delightfully flavoursome liqueur is a testament to this adage. A minimal caffeine take on a sweet tea liqueur, this product was created using local companies’ waste byproducts including coffee cherry husks from a local roaster and spent lemon rinds from a juicery.
Bruinwood Estate Distillery Raspberry Liqueur (25% ABV)
Bruinwood Estate Distillery has a knack for producing delectable fruit-based liqueurs and their raspberry liqueur is no exception. Sweet and juicy, this versatile summer sipper can be enjoyed on its own, in a wine spritzer, or even drizzled over top of ice cream.
Stillhead Distillery Whisky Cream (15% ABV)
Made with a three year old B.C. wheat whisky base, this cream liqueur is velvety and luscious with notes of graham crackers, cinnamon, and caramelized sugar. Best of all, it’s lactose-free so it can be enjoyed by everyone!
For more information about BC Distilled, participating distilleries, and to purchase tickets, visit bcdistilled.ca
—by Reece Sims
