Canadian Spirits — BLOG — The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries

The Newfoundland Distillery Whisky (43%)

Decisively, on November 30, 2023, Newfoundland joined the rest of the country as a legal whisky-making province. That’s when the partners released The Newfoundland Distillery Company's first single-pot still Newfoundland Whisky.

Tasting reviewsBlair PhillipsDecember 18, 2023The Newfoundland Distillery Co.Newfoundland Distillery Company, Newfoundland Distillery, Whisky, Barley, Canadian Distillery, Canadian Distilleries, Canadian Spirits, Canadian Whisky, Pot Still Whisky

Sheringham Distillery - Seaside Gin

A smash hit can be a double-edged sword. Look at ‘80s rock bands and their drippy power ballads. The euphoria of financial success from mass commercial appeal slowly turns to torture. Day in, day out, they’ll play that song ad nauseum for the rest of their professional career. Do you honestly think Foreigner still wants to know what love is? Then, by contrast, there are hits written away from a major label, and voila, it connects on an entirely different level.

Blair PhillipsJuly 5, 2021Sheringham DistillerySheringham Distillery, Gin, Seaside Gin, British Columbia Spirits, British Columbia Distillery, British Columbia, British Columbia Gin, Canadian Gin, Canadian Spirits, Jason MacIsaac, Alayne MacIsaac, French Beach, Botanicals, Canadian Grain, Canadian Distillery

Dubh Glas Lockdown Whisky

When Canada went into lockdown, Grant Stevely was prepared. Stevely, who owns The Dubh Glas Distillery in Oliver, BC, isn’t that crazy person who spent the past few years stashing batteries, ammunition and water into a generator-powered bunker. No, he stockpiled his distillery with 100% British Columbia barley to distil into whisky.

Shelter Point Ripple Rock Whisky

It would take a little over 50 years for another Ripple Rock explosion to occur. This one, 30 minutes south of the original blast at Shelter Point Distillery. This time the distillery crew packed a new whisky full of explosive flavour that detonates on the palate.

Lone Pine Distilling’s Gateway & Earl Grey Gins

Edmonton has the nickname “Gateway to the North, and now bartenders can shake it into cocktails. Back in the day, the North Saskatchewan River that twists through the city proved a significant waterway for Canada’s fur trade. Indeed, two warring companies, the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company, occasionally came to blows while paddling their wares through Edmonton.

A Beautiful Man;

Jay Wheelock was a kind and generous soul, grateful for every opportunity to share his love of whisky with others. He was admired and respected throughout Canada’s whisky world. So, when Jay died unexpectedly in 2020, Canadian whiskydom went into shock. It is not surprising that another kind and generous whisky soul, Grant Stevely of Dubh Glas Distillery, has chosen to quietly honour Jay’s memory with a commemorative bottling.

Arbutus Baba Yaga Absinthe: Home In a Barrel

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877 just as France’s “green hour” rose to prominence. At 5PM, everyone from wealthy aristocrats to struggling artists would crowd into cafes and bars to drink absinthe. The spirit quickly became a scapegoat for every ill of society. It was absinthe that was to blame for the decline of civilization.

Tasting reviewsBlair PhillipsMarch 1, 2021Arbutus Distilleryabsinthe, Arbutus Distilery, Arbutus, British Columbia, British Columbia Distillery, British Columbia Spirits, Canadian Distillery, Canadian Artisan Spirits, Canadian Artisan Spirit Awards, Nanaimo, Canadian Spirits, Green Fairy, Baba Yaga, Canadian Absinthe

Yukon Wildberry Brandy (40%)

If you’re not from around here, you might think folks in Canada’s Yukon Territory would need to import fruits and berries if they wanted to make brandy. In truth, the berry bushes up here are tough enough to steal your lunch money if they weren’t so busy surviving the bitter-cold winter.

Tasting reviewsDavin de KergommeauxFebruary 20, 2021Yukon BrewingYukon Distillery, Yukon, Yukon Spirits, Yukon Brewery, Brandy, Yukon Wildberry Brandy, Wildberry Brandy, Canadian Distilleries, Canadian Spirits, Canadian Distileries, Canadian Distillery, Two Brewers, Two Brewers Whisky, Bob Baxter, Alan Hansen

Shelter Point Smoke Point Whisky

Shelter Point Distillery produces single malt and other whiskies from grain it grows on one of Vancouver Island’s few remaining seaside farms. Those fields of grain mature just steps from two kilometers of Salish Sea beach, and the salty aromatherapy it brings on each sea breeze.

Wayward Krupnik Spiced Honey Liqueur

One of the thrills of exploring Canada’s new distilleries is the amazing discoveries you make. A distinctive luxury sets Wayward Krupnik apart, as its soft cinnamon, spice cake and brown sugar aromas give way to sweet floral notes, with mild cinnamon, waxy honey, vanilla, crayons, caramel and hints of nutmeg.

Tasting reviewsDavin de KergommeauxJanuary 22, 2021Wayward Distillery, Wayward Krupnik, Wayward Distilling, Krupnik, Polish Liqueur, Honey Liqueur, Liqueur Review, Liqueur, Canadian Distillery, Canadian Distileries, Canadian Spirits, BC Distillery, BC Spirits, Courtenay BC, British Columbia, British Columbia Distillery

Odd Society Spirits Storm Black Plague

Storm Black Plague Whisky, which is bottled at 46%, is deeply integrated, as a blend should be. And within this seamless profile, several flavours from the whisky’s neighbourhood twirl in unison to create a whisky with a sense of community.

Tasting reviewsBlair PhillipsJanuary 19, 2021Odd Society Spirits, Odd Society, Odd Society Whisky, Canadian Distillery, Canadian Whisky, Canadian Distilleries, Canadian Spirits, British Columbia, British Columbia Distillery, British Columbia Whisky, whisky, Brewery Whisky, Brewery Whisky Collaboration, Storm Brewing, Storm Black Plague

Odd Society P49 Old Boy Single Malt Whisky

P49 Old Boy Single Malt Whisky was mashed at the Parallel 49 brewery using a recipe based on its Old Boy Classic Brown Ale. The mash was then transported to Odd Society distillery to be fermented, distilled and matured.

Shelter Point Sunshine Liqueur

Shelter Point’s Barrel of Sunshine fairly bursts with honey, maple, mandarin orange and sweet vanilla. Maple sugar candy and a restrained spiciness lead to a warm glow on the finish as the maple notes surge to the fore, along with juicy canned Mandarin oranges and a lovely hot peppery zip. You don’t have to live in paradise to make a great whisky liqueur, but if you want to capture sunshine in a bottle, it certainly does help.

Tasting reviewsDavin de KergommeauxJanuary 9, 2021Barrel of Sunshine, Sunshine Liqueur, Liqueur Review, Shelter Point Sunshine Liqueur, Shelter Point, Shelter Point Distillery, BC Distillery, Canadian Distillery, Canadian Distilleries, BC Spirits, Canadian Spirits, Vancouver Island, BC, British Columbia, British Columbia Distillery, Liqueur

Stillhead Wild Blackberry Gin

From Stillhead Distillery, on the southern outskirts of Duncan, BC, comes a richly fruity gin unlike any other. Although this region is not exactly wilderness, The Island is wild, rugged country, where even city folk live pretty close to the land and its wildlife. So, it makes sense that the main component of this gin is wild blackberries harvested locally by hand.

Tasting reviewsBlair PhillipsDecember 28, 2020Stillhead Distillery, Vancouver Island, Vancouver Island Distillery, British Columbia, British Columbia Distillery, British Columbia Gin, Gin, Flavoured Gin, Canadian Spirits, Canadian Distillery, Canadian Distilleries

Day 8: Eight Maids-a-Milking Cream Spirits

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” takes a dark turn on day eight. Bringing eight bovines into your living room, could be very expensive once you factor in divorce lawyer fees. Fortunately, today’s distillers have a better idea. More of them are making creamed spirits than ever before.

Day 7: Seven Swans a-swimming Liqueurs

Liqueurs are often thought of as distilling’s ugly ducklings. In the late 1970s, the syrupy over-sweet artificial concoctions that were flying off store shelves gave liqueurs a bad rap. Leisure suit-wearing dentists made a fortune from this craze, but the reputation of the category suffered. Thankfully, this description no longer fits Canadian liqueurs!

Day 4: Calling Birds & Seaweed Gin

Canada’s immense land area has produced a selection of gins that explore the thousands of flavours that grow coast to coast. For distilleries near the sea, this includes taking flavours from the temperamental oceans and taming those flavours into its gins.

Tasting reviewsBlair PhillipsDecember 4, 2020Gin, Seaweed Gin, Seaweed, British Columbia, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Distillerie du St. Laurent, St. Laurent Distillery, Sheringham Distillery, Still Fired Distillery, Botanicals, Canadian Spirits, Canadian Distilleries, Canadian Distillery

Day 3: Three Absinthe Hens

Luckily for the spirits lover on your list, Canadian distilleries make brilliant absinthe that combines French tradition with local colour. This season, leave the French hens at the farm and give the gift of Canadian absinthe.

Tasting reviewsBlair PhillipsDecember 3, 2020absinthe, Alchemist Distillery, Arbutus Distilery, Okanagan, Vancouver Island, Deep Roots Distillery, Prince Edward Island, Caldera Distilling, Canadian Distilleries, Canadian Spirits

Day 2: Two Indigo Pechuga Doves

While some Turtle Doves live year-round in Mexico, many migrate there for the winter. In Canada, the bird is embraced for its global persona as a cultural symbol of devoted love. Well, guess what turtle doves? Canada now has two Mexico inspired spirits worth asking for from Papá Noel.

Blair PhillipsDecember 2, 2020Indigo, Mezcal, Tequila, Pechuga, BC Spirits, Saskatchewan, Silver Springs Distillery, Bruinwood Estate Distillery, Canadian Spirits, Canadian Distilleries, Canadian Distillery

Lot 40 Dark Oak: Dancing in the Dark

Hiram Walker’s attentive doctor still makes house calls on his ageing whisky. And from those visits comes an exceptional new Lot No. 40 called Dark Oak. He has finished the standard Lot No. 40 in new American Oak Char #4 barrels.

Tasting reviews, NewsBlair PhillipsNovember 25, 2020Canadian Distilleries, Canadian Spirits, Canadian Whisky, Hiram Walker, Lot No. 40, Lot 40, Lot No. 40 Dark Oak, Dark Oak, cocktails