Recipes, The Alchemist

Empress 1908

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The Empress 1908 cocktail. Victoria Distillers photo

The original 1908 cocktail, featuring tea-infused vodka, was introduced to celebrate the Fairmont Hotel Empress’ 100th anniversary. This royal update gets its purple hue from the butterfly pea flower in the Empress Gin by Victoria Spirits.

• 2 oz (60 mL) Empress Gin
• 0.75 oz (22 mL) lemon juice
• 0.75 oz (22 mL) simple syrup (see note)
• 1 egg white

Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, without ice, and shake vigorously. Once you have created voluminous foam, add ice, and shake again. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. If you like, garnish with dried butterfly pea flower blossoms. Serves 1.

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Features

Capital Spirits

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How a love of gin put Victoria Distillers on the map

Victoria Distillers’ Peter Hunt. Supplied photo

Almost a decade ago, Peter Hunt and his family made a decision that changed their business model forever: they bought a still. The family-run winery soon recreated themselves as Victoria Distillers, and their gin quickly became one of B.C.’s best-recognized local spirits.

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Recipes

The Hunting Party

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The Hunting Party. Victoria Distillers photo

Created by Katie MacDonald at Veneto in Victoria

• 1 oz Victoria Oaken Gin
• 0.75 oz Dubonnet
• 0.75 oz Amaro Montenegro
• Twist orange

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Features

Whisky Galore!

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B.C.’s fledgling industry prepares for a bright future

Whisky is set to be the next boom in B.C. spirits. Thinkstock photo.

After just five years in business, British Columbia’s distillers have already confronted some mighty challenges. For one, it takes years of practice to make a quality product. Plus, craft liquor is expensive—not only for consumers at the till but for makers at the still.

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Recipes

Vancouver Cocktail

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The Vancouver cocktail. Laura McGuire photo

The Sylvia Hotel’s signature cocktail was created in 1954. 

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz London Dry style gin such as Victoria Gin or Long Table Gin
0.75 oz sweet vermouth such as Punte E Mes or Odd Society Bittersweet Vermouth
0.25 oz or “a good splash” of Benedictine liqueur
2 dashes of orange bitters

METHOD:
Place all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir well. Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

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B.C. Distilleries

Victoria Distilling

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Launched in 2008, Victoria Gin graces bars across the country. Their first small-batch, limited release whisky was launched in early 2015.

9891 Seaport Pl., Sidney
250-544-8217
VictoriaDistillers.com

Read more about Victoria Distillers:

• Recipe: Negroni Blanco

• Recipe: Appley Dapply

• Spirit of Victoria: 12 great places to get a drink in the Vancouver Island city

• A shift out of neutral: The Alchemist’s tasting panel samples B.C. vodkas for a taste of the province’s most crowd-pleasing spirit

• Recipe: French 75 Royale

• It’s G&T time: The Alchemist’s tasting panel searches for the best B.C. gin to enjoy with your tonic

• All hail the Empress’ new reign: Victoria’s grande dame gets a makeover with a sexy new bar and a truly royal namesake gin

• Recipe: Empress 1908

• Capital Spirits: How a love of gin put Victoria Distillers on the map

• Recipe: The Hunting Party

 

PRODUCTS:

• Victoria Gin
• Oaken Gin
• Empress 1908 Gin
• Vodka
• Left Coast Hemp Vodka
• Sidney Spiced
• Brandy
• Chocolate Liqueur
• The Strait and Narrow Gin Cocktails
• Twisted and Bitter bitters

TASTING NOTES:

Oaken Gin

FRAGRANCE: Hint of toffee and wood, background of baking spice.
FLAVOUR: Toffee, vanilla, and clove.
FEEL: Buttery, slightly viscous mouthfeel, creamy.
FINISH: Long, creamy finish with a hint of pine.
BEST ENJOYED: In a gin Old Fashioned or neat, with a big ice cube.
THE BOTTOM LINE: One of the first local gins to be aged in oak, making an elegant style of craft gin, although pricey. —Trevor Kallies, April 2016

Victoria Gin

FRAGRANCE: Anise, clove, angelica, with a slight burn.
FLAVOUR: White pepper, rose, bitter lemon.
FEEL: Creamy, quite clean.
FINISH: Slight bitterness, hint of spice.
BEST ENJOYED: Makes a great Negroni.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The new packaging is more attractive, though I miss Queen Vic on the bottle. Good gift for out-of-towners. —Shaun Layton, July 2016

Left Coast Hemp Vodka

FRAGRANCE: Earthy, toasted grains, nutty.
FLAVOUR: Buckwheat, rye spice, roasted walnuts.
FEEL: Silky, balanced, sustained.
FINISH: Pleasant, clean.
BEST ENJOYED: Chilled, neat or as a Martini with an onion.
THE BOTTOM LINE: More flavour than your average vodka, and worth a try. —Josh Pape, October 2016

Chocolate Liqueur

FRAGRANCE: Intense cocoa nib and chocolate.
FLAVOUR: Bitter, as expected. Little to no sweetness.
FEEL: Light to medium body.
FINISH: Long, bitter finish.
BEST ENJOYED: Would make a super-cool Old Fashioned or Brandy Alexander.
THE BOTTOM LINE: If you like bitter spirits or liqueurs, this is for you. —Scott Barber, July 2017

Empress 1908 Gin

FRAGRANCE: Green and vegetal up front with spice undertones.
FLAVOUR: Juniper, citrus. Lightly floral. 
FEEL: Quite a journey. Unassuming at first but then the spices take over.  
FINISH: Bitter and long. 
BEST ENJOYED: Great neat, but nobody does that. Makes an excellent Gin & Tonic with lemon.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A well made spirit worth checking out. —Josh Pape, October 2017