Earlier in May, I went to BC Distilled, BC’s premier micro-distillery festival. I got to sample vodka, gin, whisky, and other spirits made by 43 distillers across British Columbia. There were some interesting ones and particularly, I enjoyed eight of the spirits and I think you would too.
In no particular order, they were:
- Nectar Apple Liqueur by Alchemist Distiller is an award winning spirit. It is like an apple pie in a sip. All the flavours and spices totally comes through.
- Single Malt Whisky by Shelter Point Distillery is one of the few single malts made in Canada and it’s balanced with a hint of smoke at the end, and oh, so, smooth. Their Smoke Point was a lot more smokey and it reminds me of campfires.
- Mad Laboratory Distilling collaborated with local restaurant Vij’s to make Lantern Gin. It has such a strong savoury note with the use of spices. It was created to pair with the food served at Vij’s and I think it would go really well together. Mad Lab also has a Maple Bacon Schnapps that you can’t miss!
- Tumbleweed Spirits makes this barrel aged whiskey, named 1888, with a hybrid grain developed back in 1888 called triticale. It’s a cross between rye and wheat, and the whiskey was very smooth.
- Fernie Distillers has cute punny names and recipe cards. I’m not a big gin drinker, but their use of pears in their Splitting Pears Gin and earl grey in the Fernie Fog mellows out the botanical juniper berry taste in gin. Both spirits are also award winning.
- Antidote Distilling Co. has amazing looking bottle designs and packaging. It’s psychedelic, it’s fantasy-like. They have made this Black Truffle Vodka that has a prominent earthy black truffle note.
- Copper Penny Distilling just released a new gin, Gin 006. It’s made with oyster shells from Fanny Bay. It’s a little briny, it’s lighter in flavour than most gins.
- Odd Society Spirits has a popular Creme de Cassis ever since its opening many years ago. But their newer Wallflower Strawberry Gin is also very delicious. It smells like fresh strawberries and jammy, and it’s very good.
Event attendees voted on their favourites in various categories. I’m glad to see some of my selections above made it on this list as well. Congratulations to Sons of Vancouver Distillery on being named BC Distilled 2023 Distillery of the Year!
- Absinthe: Tofino Distillery – Psychedelic Jellyfish Absinthe
- Amaro or Vermouth: The Woods Spirit Co. – Barrel aged Amaro
- Barrel-Aged Gin: Stillhead Distillery – Islay Cask Gin
- Brandy or Eau-de-Vie: Maple Leaf Spirits – Lady of the Cask
- Flavoured Gin: Odd Society Spirits – Strawberry Gin
- Fruit Liqueur: Alchemist Distiller – Nectar Apple Liqueur
- Gin: Antidote Distilling Co. – Black Gin
- Infused or Flavoured Vodka: Shuswap Highland Stills – Wee Nip of Coffee Spirit
- Lime or Limoncello: The Woods Spirit Co. – Limoncello
- Liqueur: Elder Bros Farm Distillery – Apple Strudel Liqueur
- Rare & Fine Other Spirits: Wayward Distillery – Drunken Hive Rum
- Vodka: Ampersand Distilling Company – Per Se Vodka
- Whisky: Shelter Point Distillery – Smoke Point
- White Spirit: Tumbleweed Spirits – Raspberry Moonshine
At the event, I also got to meet dogs and handlers from the designated charity, Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS). Close to $5,000 was raised for PADS through a live and online silent auction, a 50/50 draw, and a portion of ticket sales.
It was my first time going to BC Distilled, and honestly I had a lot of fun. I truly enjoyed every sip and my conversations with the distillers. If you haven’t been before, make sure to mark your calendar because they’re returning next year April 6, 2024!
VanFoodies.com 
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