On the sweet side of Ontario distilling

Dillon’s Blackcurrant Liqueur. Photo courtesy of Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers

If anyone knows what bartenders need, it’s Geoff Dillon, the founder of Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers in Beamsville. Along with his (mostly) rye-based gins, vodka, whisky and canned gin cocktails, he’s also introduced a line of liqueurs made from quality local products and designed to go straight into your cocktail shaker or mixing glass.

Craving a Sazerac? He’s got an absinthe for that. In the mood for a Kir Royale? Yep, there’s a blackcurrant liqueur. Thinking to try your hand at a White Negroni but struggling to find Suze? Try the Dillon’s gentian liqueur instead. And, of course, if you’re searching for an orange liqueur for a Margarita or Sidecar, well, he’s got that, too, along with amaretto, chocolate, coffee, limoncello and peach.

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Tour the Ontario Craft Gin Trail

There’s no better time to explore the Ontario Craft Gin Trail than right now, when it’s blooming with fall colours and seasonal spirits

The craft gin lineup at Junction 56 in Stratford, ON. Supplied photo

The Ontario Craft Gin Trail, formed in the summer of 2022, rounds up six Ontario gin-stitutions on a self-guided trek around the province’s southwestern distilleries. It’s a perfect weekend getaway or staycation, with stops as little as an hour west of Toronto (in Guelph). Here’s what we saw, tasted and loved.

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