Wayward Krupnik Spiced Honey Liqueur

One of the thrills of exploring Canada’s distilleries is the amazing discoveries you make. Wayward Distillery, in Courtenay, BC, ranks high among these, and of their popular small batch spirits, Krupnik Liqueur stands out especially. 

The team at Wayward does something that is unusual among distillers world-wide. They make the base spirit for all of their products by fermenting and distilling honey. 

They sweeten their Krupnik Polish Spiced Honey Liqueur with 100% pure BC honey too. Following the spiced krupnik tradition of the old country, they also infuse cinnamon, nutmeg, raw vanilla and citrus peel into the base to flavour this cinnamon-forward liqueur. 

Tasting Krupnik

Some might compare Krupnik with cinnamon whisky, but this complex, balanced and creamy liqueur is everything that cinnamon whisky is not. Nor is it akin to spiced rum. 

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. Simply splendid and delightfully moreish.

Krupnik has to be the cinnamon spice liqueur they were thinking of when they said, “sugar and spice and all things nice.” Cinnamon candy and glowing cinnamon hearts (without the burn) bask in honey, vanilla and hints of orange zest as a luscious syrupy mouthfeel seals the deal. Then, as each sip draws to its close, a slight cinnamon woodiness glides in before slowly fading away.

Echos of the 16th Century 

Using grain alcohol as the base spirit for krupnik is traditional in Poland. But then again, in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus where it originated in the 16th century, recipe variations are so diverse that the only really traditional ingredients you can count on every time, are alcohol and honey.  

Nevertheless, fermenting honey to make Krupnik can be pretty costly, and with imbibers’ cash flows less certain during the pandemic, for the first time ever Wayward has fermented and distilled enough BC winter wheat to make a small batch of a special grain-based Krupnik – for bargain hunters with taste. A regular 375 ml bottle of honey-base Krupnik is already a deal at $34.80. Now, 750 mls of the grain-base variant costs just $43.47 at the distillery or online.

Wayward Krupnik Polish Spiced Honey Liqueur (40%) – another memorable discovery on Canada’s Vancouver Island Distillery Trail.