That’s the spirit!
Distilleries up the ante in Niagara
What a little haven we live in.
Having winemaking, craft brewing and distilling all at our fingertips, not to mention the array of incredible culinary options around, it’s quite remarkable.
To venture out and tour these places is the best part of living here, in my opinion. The wineries paved the path, then craft breweries entered the scene, and now we welcome craft distilling to the party. Finally, we have spirits, liqueurs, bitters and cocktails all made from our own backyard.
Originally, distilling alcohol was something that the Europeans used for medicinal purposes. They knew that there was a factor in wine and beer that caused people to change their demeanour, which they referred to as the “spirit” of the beverage. They figured if they could extract that spirit out of wine or beer, they could use it as tonic to cure a variety of ailments.
Distilling, simplified, takes a fermented beverage and distills it into a more potent alcohol. It’s all about temperature, as you heat your fermented product to a degree that is higher than the boiling point for alcohol (78.3 C), but lower than the boiling point for water (100 C). This way only the alcoholic vapours rise and are collected into a separate vessel, cooled and condensed back into a liquid. Sometimes this process is repeated to obtain a purer spirit, hence the triple distilled vodkas you see on the market.
From spirits to liqueurs
(which are spirits that are sweetened and flavoured), distilleries in Niagara offer it all, and each have something different to offer.
Forty Creek distillery in Grimsby was the original, opening in the 1990s. Its whisky has a loyal following, and it created its newest whisky, Unity, in homage to its fans. It flew in five contest winners from across Canada (contestants had to explain why they connected with the brand) and they participated in the blending session and provided feedback on the final blend. In essence, Forty Creek has developed a whisky literally based on its consumers. Unity will be released on its “Whisky Weekend” (Sept. 22 and 23), if you want to join the festivities.
Skip over to Beamsville and you’ll be treated to the products of Dillon’s Distillery. I visit Dillon’s throughout the year with my brewmaster students, and I’m always delighted to discover the new products it has created.
The latest is its cocktail in a bottle — the Professor’s Negroni — with its own gin, vermouth and bitter orange liqueur. And as much as the name spoke to me, it was actually named for Geoff Dillon’s father, who was a chemistry professor and was recently awarded the Order of Canada (and who is a self-proclaimed Negroni lover). Also now available is the company’s peach schnapps (which is something I haven’t sipped on since I was, well, younger), and its plum gin.
I was lucky to get a glimpse of its shiny new column still, one of 16 in the world, that sits adjacent to its original still which is custom made, the first of its kind. So yes, if you want to visit a distillery that is craft distilling in the true sense of the word, grab your shoes and head straight over.
The new kid on the block is Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery & Distillery, opened under the Andrew Peller umbrella a year ago. And just like the wineries that fall in their realm, it absolutely excels in providing a great guest experience. There’s the tasting bar, of course, but beyond that it offers educational seminars, including the Sensory Lab and the Whisky Bartender, a seminar led by a mixologist that changes seasonally.
What is most exciting to me is the mixology crew running the outside bar.
Young talent, under the helm of Zac Kvas are creating and experimenting daily. When I visited, he literally created a cocktail for me on the fly. It was glorious (how he instinctively knew that apricots and cardamom were my favourite flavours I’ll never know), and I could already foresee myself returning with friends and sipping under the sun.
Working with local ingredients is paramount, he explained. He recently took the staff cherry picking in Effingham, and the herbs they use are grown throughout the property grounds. Certain ingredients, such as lemon, don’t grow here so an exception is made. As Kvas explains, “We stay as local as possible until you affect the integrity of the cocktail.” It is far better to use one or two products that aren’t local in order to still make the best cocktail possible.
Distilling will continue to grow here, as Niagara College prepares to welcome its first students into its distilling program this September. It is currently finishing the final touches on its teaching distillery, and then it will be a triple threat in the realm of beverage education.
I’m often asked if I take all for granted, living here and working in the industry, but I don’t think one can. It’s constantly changing and yet at the same time establishing a name for Niagara. We’re not following in others’ footsteps, but creating our own footprint. It’s when I see the look of wonder on tourist’s faces that reminds me that, yes, it is special here. Now, time to grab my shoes. I’ll see you out there.