Canada's only magazine dedicated to distillers, spirits and cocktail culture.
“After the first glass, you see things as they are. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally, you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world.” — Oscar Wilde
Absinthe, the fabled Green Fairy that ran amok through Paris at the height of the Belle Époque, remains the most polarizing spirit on the bar shelf.
One could argue that without liqueur, a drink isn’t a cocktail. It’s just booze in a glass.
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz Gillespie’s Sin Gin
0.5 oz Green Chartreuse
0.5 oz wildflower honey water (1:1 ratio)
0.75 oz fresh lime juice
3 dashes Bittered Sling Lem-Marrakech Bitters
1 pinch Vancouver Island Sea Salt
Mist of Okanagan Spirits Taboo Absinthe
METHOD:
Combine all ingredients (minus Taboo Absinthe) in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously for 15 seconds and fine strain to a half-rimmed Vancouver Island Sea Salt cocktail glass. Using an atomizer or mister, spray a fine amount of absinthe over the glass for aromatics. Garnish with a lime twist.
Head distiller Michael Pizzitelli brings both a background in science and his experience in brewing to Arbutus Distillery’s ever-growing range of botanical-forward spirits.
1890 Boxwood Rd., Nanaimo
250-714-0027
Arbutus-Distillery.com
Read more about Arbutus Distilliery:
• Ginned up: The evolution of terroir-driven made-in-B.C. gin
• Coven Vodka
• Owl’s Screech Vodka
• Empiric Gin
• Blue Gin
• Forest Dweller Gin
• Baba Yaga Absinthe
• Grand Visco Brandy
• Vanilla Liqueur
• Birch Liqueur
• Lavender Liqueur
• Amaro
• Canadian Single Malt Whisky
Coven VodkaFRAGRANCE: Very little alcohol vapour, mild caramel and vanilla.
FLAVOUR: Dark caramel, toast.
FEEL: Creamy.
FINISH: Long finish of dark toast and caramel.
BEST ENJOYED: Martini or mixed drinks.
THE BOTTOM LINE: With the strong vanilla caramel notes, citrus isn’t the way to go with this one. I’d be interested to see it in an Espresso Martini.
—Trevor Kallies, July 2016
Juniperus LupulusFRAGRANCE: Forest and wood.
FLAVOUR: Extremely rustic.
FEEL: Quite soft.
FINISH: Slight sweetness on the finish.
BEST ENJOYED: Not your usual gin. Could add a rustic twist to a Negroni or work well for a Dirty Martini.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Very unusual and unexpected. The wet hops and aged oak add really intense flavours some may find overpowering in a gin.
—Wendy McGuinness, October 2016
Espresso Infused VodkaFRAGRANCE: Coffee! Roasted beans.
FLAVOUR: Not overly sweet. Tastes like cold brew.
FEEL: Better than other products — less thick/rich/cloying.
FINISH: Pleasant. Some sugar but not out of control.
BEST ENJOYED: Really cold. Maybe over ice, but dilution isn’t necessary.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Excellent product. If you want an espresso-flavoured spirit, this is worth a shot. —Josh Pape, February 2017
FRAGRANCE: Fennel, licorice, citrus.
FLAVOUR: Dash of water, fresh citrus and tons of anise.
FEEL: Medium to full body.
FINISH: Long, hot, super delicious.
BEST ENJOYED: Neat or with a dash of water. A fantastic rinse for your Sazerac.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A very enjoyable absinthe. But be careful! –Scott Barber, June 2017
Empiric GinFRAGRANCE: Full of juniper and lemony citrus aromas.
FLAVOUR: Lemon with a touch of coriander, moving into juniper.
FEEL: Thin, slightly oily. Some heat on the back end.
FINISH: All juniper with the other botanicals taking a step back.
BEST ENJOYED: Some playful Gin & Tonic opportunities here.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Not a bad addition to the gin shelf. —Trevor Kallies, October 2017
Master distiller Tyler Schramm uses local organic Pemberton potatoes as the base for his extensive range of spirits
and liqueurs.
1954 Venture Pl., Pemberton
604-894-0222
PembertonDistillery.ca
• Schramm Organic Gin
• Schramm Organic Potato Vodka
• Pemberton Valley Organic Single Malt Whisky
• The Devil’s Club – Organic Absinthe
• Organic Hemp Vodka
• Whisky Liqueur
• Barrel Aged Apple Brandy
Schramm Organic Potato VodkaFRAGRANCE: Earthy; soil, wet wood, raw potato.
FLAVOUR: Dark chocolate, agave, smoky caramel.
FEEL: Bold, full-bodied, silky texture.
FINISH: Long, memorable, almost tequila-like.
BEST ENJOYED: Neat, or on the rocks for sipping; makes a great Martini with olives.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Not for everyone, but a fascinating finished product. Great example of traditional potato vodka using Scottish distillation techniques. —Scott Barber, April 2016
Schramm Organic GinFRAGRANCE: Fresh herbs, hints of citrus, lavender.
FLAVOUR: Subtle juniper, gooseberry.
FEEL: Off dry, light.
FINISH: Mild sweetness, herbaceous.
BEST ENJOYED: Fun to use with blackberries or Bing cherries in cocktails.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Fantastic local gin. Try some! —Scott Barber, July 2016
The Devil’s Club Organic AbsintheFRAGRANCE: Fennel, anise, could be mistaken for Yellow Chartreuse.
FLAVOUR: Hints of hemp seed, anise is not overpowering, bright fennel, hops, warm wormwood.
FEEL: Perfect amount of silkiness.
FINISH: Finishes hot, bright, non offensive.
BEST ENJOYED: Neat, or in a cocktail emphasizing citrus.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A must try! Super fresh, it’s 60 per cent ABV, so go easy. —Scott Barber, October 2016
Organic KartoffelschnappsFRAGRANCE: Earth and honey.
FLAVOUR: Tastes like potato. Slightly sweet with gentle spicy notes.
FEEL: Good viscosity, full across the palate.
FINISH: Lingers at the back of your tongue, almost like candy.
BEST ENJOYED: Neat, on the rocks, or mixed into a cocktail as a secondary liqueur.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Unique and worth a try. I have not sampled anything like this before. —Scott Barber, February 2017
Whisky & Wild Honey LiqueurFRAGRANCE: Whisky and honey. Surprise!
FLAVOUR: Vanilla. Leather.
FEEL: Velvety. Soft and luxurious.
FINISH: Increasingly complex.
BEST ENJOYED: On the rocks. Maybe with more (peated) whisky added as a Rusty Nail alternative.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A tasty local alternative to products made abroad. —Josh Pape, October 2017
A family-owned award-winning distillery with a wide range of products to its name, including an absinthe, and both rye and single malt whiskies. Tours and tastings are available in both its locations.
5204 24th St., Vernon
267 Bernard Ave., Kelowna
250-549-3120 | 778-484-5174
OkanaganSpirits.com
• Spirited Away: B.C.’s oldest craft distillery has made an international impact
• Fruitful endeavour: Family-owned distillery crafts world-class spirits from homegrown harvests
• Star anise: How a Scandinavian classic is warming hearts in B.C.
• Recipe: Parkside “Sip ‘n’ Slide” Raddler
• The spirit whisperer: B.C. craft spirits pioneer Frank Deiter is taking on the world
• Say hi to rye: The Alchemist tasting panel samples Canadian and American rye spirits
• Essential Vodka
• Family Reserve Vodka
• Essential Gin
• Evolve Gin
• Family Reserve Gin
• BC Rye Whisky
• BRBN Bourbon-Style Corn Whisky
• BLK BRBN Cask-Strength Bourbon-Style Corn Whisky
• BC Hopped Whisky
• Laird of Fintry Single Malt Whisky
• Laird of Fintry Rum Barrel Whisky
• Applejack IPA Whisky
• Okanagan Shine Unaged BRBN Whisky
• Taboo Genuine Absinthe
• Aquavitus
• Fruit Liqueurs
• Bartlett Pear (Poire Williams)
• Bradshaw Plum (Old Italian Prune)
• Canados (Aged Apple)
• Kirsch Danube
• Raspberry Framboise
• Gewurztraminer Marc
Poire WilliamsFRAGRANCE: Sweet, ripe Bartlett pears.
FLAVOUR: Fruity, with a great boozy backbone.
FEEL: Clean, loads of mid-palate.
FINISH: Austere, dry, lean.
BEST ENJOYED: Neat, after a big meal.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A delicious introductory digestif. —Josh Pape, April 2016
Cherry LiqueurFRAGRANCE: Cherry pit, fruit rollups, rose petals.
FLAVOUR: Tart cherry pie.
FEEL: Beautifully thin and bright.
FINISH: Cherry skins, rose water.
BEST ENJOYED: Remember The Main cocktail.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Great product showcasing Okanagan fruit. —Shaun Layton, July 2016
Maraschino LiqueurFRAGRANCE: Sour cherry.
FLAVOUR: Sweet cherry with underlying almond.
FEEL: Mouth-coating.
FINISH: Relatively short.
BEST ENJOYED: In a Last Word cocktail.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Very excited to see this product. A popular ingredient in classic cocktail recipes, it is great to have a local iteration. —Robyn Gray, October 2016
Taboo Genuine AbsintheFRAGRANCE: Refreshing hints of citrus from the lemon balm, pleasant fennel presence.
FLAVOUR: All the herbaceous notes you’d expect from absinthe.
FEEL: Great body, initial sensation of alcohol heat.
FINISH: Long, hot, delicious.
BEST ENJOYED: Neat.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Try it neat without the sugar cube or any water dilution. —Scott Barner, February 2017
BRBNFRAGRANCE: Certainly smells like a corn whisky. Has a sugary note as well.
FLAVOUR: Corn and oak, some mild vanilla on the front.
FEEL: Warm, slightly mouth coating.
FINISH: Corn sticks around, shadowed by the alcohol heat.
BEST ENJOYED: Good with some ginger ale and held up in an Old Fashioned.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Interesting taste for a Canadian take on “BRBN.” —Trevor Kallies, October 2017
Gin is at the heart of Long Table, with London dry-style, cucumber and barrel-aged varieties fuelling its many awards. This downtown Vancouver distillery also produces vodka, as well as seasonal liqueurs.
1451 Hornby St., Vancouver
604-266-0177
LongTableDistillery.com
Read more about Long Table Distillery:
• Gin Tonic: Long Table, Vancouver’s original micro distillery, is fuelled by passion.
• Star anise: How a Scandinavian classic is warming hearts in B.C.
• Gin tonic: Long Table, Vancouver’s original micro distillery, is fuelled by passion
• London Dry Gin
• Cucumber Gin
• Barrel Aged Gin
• Texada Vodka
• Långbord Akvavit
• Barrel-aged Akvavit
• Amaro No. 1 – Linnaeus
• Tradizionale Limoncello
• Curacao Orange Liqueur
• Absinthe
Cucumber GinFRAGRANCE: Neutral, slight cucumber notes.
FLAVOUR: Cucumber, coriander, citrus.
FEEL: Nice mouthfeel, fruity.
FINISH: Dry and savoury.
BEST ENJOYED: In a G&T.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Local gin for those Hendrick’s lovers. —Shaun Layton, April 2016
London Dry GinFRAGRANCE: Juniper, lemon peel, lavender.
FLAVOUR: Alpine notes, juniper heavy, bitter lemon.
FEEL: Thin mouthfeel.
FINISH: Great coriander, and black pepper finish.
BEST ENJOYED: Classic cocktails (Martini, Martinez, Hanky Panky).
THE BOTTOM LINE: The best B.C. London Dry on the market. —Shaun Layton, July 2016
Långbord AkvavitFRAGRANCE: Caraway! Anise, citrus.
FLAVOUR: More spices, fennel.
FEEL: Light up front, lots of back palate.
FINISH: Clean with lingering spices.
BEST ENJOYED: From the freezer, neat. Sub for gin – especially in a Corpse Reviver No. 2!
THE BOTTOM LINE: A cool alternative to gin. Very well made spirit. —Josh Pape, October 2016
Small Batch LimoncelloFRAGRANCE: Sweet lemon citrus.
FLAVOUR: Full and rounded lemon flavor.
FEEL: Viscous and coating.
FINISH: Warm lasting ripe lemon.
BEST ENJOYED: In a Lemon Drop (vodka, limoncello, lemon juice).
THE BOTTOM LINE: Very clean, not too sweet, genuine natural lemon flavors. —Robyn Gray, February 2017
Amaro No. 1 — LinnaeusFRAGRANCE: Pretty. Candied orange and potpourri.
FLAVOUR: Gentian, grapefruit zest, violet.
FEEL: Lean, dry, tannic.
FINISH: Bitter, perfumed. Expands.
BEST ENJOYED: As a replacement for Suze in a white Negroni, or maybe in an Aviation/French 75 hybrid.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A great first crack. They’ll have something special here before long. —Josh Pape, July 2017