Monashee Ethos Gin for the Win

Triticale could be the craft-spirit buzzword of 2019, thanks to the B.C. winner that tops the 2019 Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition, with six other B.C. distilleries winning best-in-class honours.

Revelstoke’s Monashee Spirits won the Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year award for their Ethos Gin. Marissa Tiel/Revelstoke Review photo

For the second year in a row, a B.C. small-batch spirit is the Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year. Monashee Spirits Ethos Gin from Revelstoke was not only the best-in-class Canadian gin, but scored highest of any entry in the entire competition. (Last year, Sheringham Distillery’s Akvavit from Vancouver Island claimed that honour.) And B.C. distilleries swept bragging rights in the whisky categories, showing promising maturity in our young industry.

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Amour for amaro

The Alchemist’s tasting panel revels in the complexities of made-in-B.C. amaros, vermouths and aperitifs

The lineup (l to r): Long Table Distillery’s Linnaeus Amaro No. 1, de Vine’s Moderna Vermouth, The Woods Spirit Co’s Pacific Northwest Amaro, Goodrich and Williams’ Bitterhouse Rubato, Bitterhouse DaMan and Bitterhouse LaDame aperitifs, Legend Distilling’s Naramaro amaro, Odd Society’s Mia Amata amaro and Bittersweet Vermouth. Dan Toulgoet photo

Consider them the supporting actors of the cocktail world: complex, helpful and a little bitter. Vermouths, aperitifs and amaros are typically fortified wines—though some are sweet enough to be considered liqueurs—flavoured with botanicals such as citrus peel, spices, roots and herbs. They typically have a somewhat bitter profile, hence the name “amaro,” which means bitter in Italian.

It takes a sophisticated palate to appreciate a good bitter drink, so not too surprisingly, Vancouver bartenders were eager to sample the best of B.C. amaros. We sat down with Alex Black of Tableau Bar Bistro, Amber Bruce of The Keefer Bar, cocktail consultant Sabrine Dhaliwal, Robyn Gray of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia and The Botanist’s Jeff Savage to get at the bitter truth.

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The Woods Spirit Co.

Friends Joel Myers and Fabio Martini’s West Coast version of Amaro uses traditional botanicals such as rhubarb and bitter orange, as well as the more unconventional grand fir.

1450 Rupert Street, North Vancouver (opening soon)
778-996-7637
TheWoodsSpiritCo.com

Read more about The Woods Spirit Co.:

Amour for amaro: The Alchemist’s tasting panel revels in the complexities of made-in-B.C. amaros, vermouths and aperitifs

Business in the back, party in the front: Distillery tasting rooms are some of the hottest cocktail bars in B.C. Here are a few to try in the Vancouver area

Recipe: Local Negroni

 


PRODUCTS:

• Amaro
• Barrel-aged Amaro
• Cascadian Dry Gin
• Limoncello
• Nocino


TASTING NOTES:


Pacific Northwest Amaro

FRAGRANCE: Bright, fresh rhubarb, bitter orange peel dominate. Quince and nutmeg, too.
FLAVOUR: Bright, bitter citrus, herbs and unripe strawberry.
FEEL: A little thin.
FINISH: Quite bitter with clove, allspice and quinine.
BEST ENJOYED: After dinner. Try as a replacement to the Amaro Nonino in a Paper Plane.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Quality like this usually takes decades to perfect. A must-have for local spirit enthusiasts. —Shaun Layton, October 2017