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Fettercairn, the newest independent brand from Scotland’s Whyte & Mackay, makes “unicorn” whiskies. Its various expressions—packaged in bottles emblazoned with a unicorn from the crest of founder Sir Alexander Ramsay’s clan—each provide an immediately distinguishable flavour profile that showcases the company’s approach.
Geoff Dillon, founder of Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers in Beamsville, Ontario, is always thinking 10 steps, or years, ahead. When he founded the brand in a former truck depot in 2012, he was already dreaming of making “rye whisky in Canada, not Canadian rye whisky.”
From coast to coast and everywhere in between, aquavit’s popularity has grown over the past few years—and as with the recent gin boom, there is surprising diversity in the Canadian aquavit landscape, depending on where the distillery is located.
The latest whisky pushing to define its class in Canada? That would be Angel’s Envy, the upstart bourbon brand that, after a limited release in 2020, expanded to the Canadian market earlier this month.
Any time The Glenlivet—the storied nearly 200-year-old Scotch whisky distillery—introduces a new whisky to its core lineup, it’s a big deal.
Lucky Bastard is known for its vodkas, which are made with 100 per cent Saskatchewan wheat and come in unique flavours such as vanilla espresso, blood orange hibiscus, and dill pickle, which is a must-try in Caesars.
This year, 27 distilleries from the Comox Valley to the Kootenays converged on Vancouver, providing a vibrant scene matched in verve only by the liquors poured throughout. Here are five of B.C.’s best bottles to seek out, at home and afield.
Jean-Pierre Allard, co-founder and president of Stadaconé, found inspiration in the rich history of Quebec and his own world travels. He combines both experiences to create a line of gin products with flavours from Canada, Asia, and places in between.
Restaurant, garden, distillery. Projet Pilote has it all.
