Canada's only magazine dedicated to distillers, spirits and cocktail culture.
1 oz blended scotch whisky
1 oz sweet vermouth
0.5 oz Bénédictine liqueur
Garnish: lemon peel
Over the past decade British Columbia has become the focal point for craft distilleries within Canada. Prior to 2013, there were only a handful of distilleries in operation in the province. However, once the Provincial Government established new regulations around “commercial” and “craft” distilleries, exempting “craft” distillers from the more than 160 percent markup the province applies to all other B.C. spirit makers, there has been an enormous boom. Today, there are close to 100 distilleries in operation.
• 1 oz CAMPARI
• 1 oz Scotch Whiskey
• 0.75 oz Tawny Port
• 0.5 oz Peated Islay Scotch
• 2 heavy dashes Rose Water
• 1 Drop of Cardamom Bitters
• 1 Drop of Aromatic Leaf Bitters (or Cigar Bitters)*
• 1 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey
• 1 oz Mint Syrup
• 1/8 oz Menthe Pastille
• 4 oz English Breakfast Tea (chilled)
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 1.5 oz Johnnie Walker Black Label
• 1 oz Umé Shu plum wine
• 0.5 oz maple green tea cordial (see note)
• 1 dash cardamom bitters
• 3oz club soda
• Garnish: sprig of rosemary, optional candied pine cone.
A Saanich distillery has settled a long-running branding dispute with the Scotch Whisky Association.
Graeme Macaloney, who has operated Macaloney Brewer and Distillers since 2016, is slightly changing his distillery’s name and re-labelling some of his brands, moving away from popular names and places in his native Scotland. The Scotch Whisky Association claimed the brands were misleading, making Canadians believe the whisky was made in Scotland.
There are few places I’d rather be right now than the Explorers’ Bothy at Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh. This glam new rooftop whisky bar not only features stunning views of the Edinburgh skyline, it also offers 150 different drams to sample. Then again, its neighbour, 1820, has equally breathtaking views and craft cocktails. Hmm, which to choose?
Though countless women contribute to the vibrant local, national and international distilling industry, for International Women’s Day each year we give a nod to some of the trailblazers in top production, management and ownership positions at distilleries.
For a fresh perspective on the hidden history of women in spirits and cocktail, we highly recommend the recently released book Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol by Mallory O’Meara.
The grains may be ancient, but a globally unique, made-in-B.C. whisky is making modern history: Ancient Grains from DEVINE Distillery in Saanich is the Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year 2022.
The top-scoring spirit across every category of the national competition, Ancient Grains is also the Best in Class Young Whisky for the third time (so classified because it matures for less than three years, which is the minimum requirement for labelling as “Canadian Whisky”). The whisky was originally created by master distiller Ken Winchester in 2017, using B.C.-grown heritage barley, einkorn, emmer, spelt and kamut, and matured in smaller quarter-casks.
What’s new? What’s next? In some ways, the pandemic has changed everything about how we drink. In others, it’s only accelerated trends that were already in the works. We checked in with experts both local and global, and here’s what they had to say about the way we’re drinking now and in the months to come.