Day 1: A Partridge in a Pear Tree
When the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” flooded the airwaves in 1780, distilling, as we know it today, did not exist. There were no holiday spirits, stocking stuffers or fancy whiskies to bestow upon your one true love. In fact, it would be another four decades before Canada’s Thomas Molson began distilling seriously, and even then, he had no means to express post a bottle across the country, as today’s distillers do.
The lack of a national distilling scene explains why the poor soul who wrote the song droned on so repetitively about their true love giving them a bunch of useless crap. Waking up to find a partridge in a pear tree wrapped up under another tree? Who wants that? Happily, gone are the days of yore. Canadian Distilleries offer a plethora of desirable spirits for everyone on your list, and most importantly, for your own list too.
Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery knows what you really should do if you come across a Partridge in a Pear Tree. Set the bird free and when the pears are perfectly ripe, crush, ferment and then double distil them into a spectacular Bartlett Pear Brandy, aka Poire Williams.
It takes about two dozen Okanagan Bartlett pears to make 375ml of brandy. And when that brandy is ready, juicy pear aromas slowly waft from the glass. It’s creamy on the palate, capturing the freshness of a perfectly ripened Okanagan pear. Sweet and bright, balanced by bitter pear skin with a glowing warm finish, this spirit is striking. And if the partridge winds up on a plate? This $35 brandy also makes a splendid digestif.
Join us for the next 12 days, as we post more of our recommendations with the list growing incrementally each day. Or, if you’d rather figure it out on your own, there are many more spirits to be found in our book The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries – a gift suggestion in itself and one that’s worth its weight in five gold rings.
375ml $35