Vodka produced in St. Catharines
Cuvee, the celebration of Ontario wines, is just a few weeks away, and I eagerly await the opportunity to sample some of the best wines in this province.
Not only do you get to drink the wine but also hobnob with many of the winemakers and owners from the industry.
But before that happens, I will take time to focus on a few nonwine related standouts that I have recently come across.
There are three that I will mention because, to me they are standouts, moving the bar from the ordinary.
For the holidays I picked up a bottle of Dillon’s Vermouth, and also some of the Wayne Gretzky Whisky Cream. Both were surprises, regarding the quality and also bolstered local being created with local ingredients.
I will briefly note both later as I have previously written about Dillon’s and Gretzky.
The third surprise and an enjoyable one indeed was Kannuk vodka, that is being distilled in St. Catharines.
Yes, here in St. Catharines, off Vansickle Road.
The fledgeling operation is the dream of Adam Szymkow and wife Patricia, who now make Niagara their home.
Szymkow, an accountant by trade, said that the idea came to him as he was buying for the holidays a few years back.
He was dismayed a bit by the fact that there was no truly Canadian vodka of good quality.
Wishing for something better he decided to take matters into his own hands.
While he took a winemaking course at Niagara College, he admits he is mostly self- taught with a background of distilling in his family.
His goal was a premium vodka like Belvedere or the well- known Grey Goose.
His first experiments line a couple of shelves in the distillery, but he cautions that he will never let anyone try them.
NIAGARA UNCORKED
“They were too flavourful, like unaged whisky, very potent and hard to drink, it’s unenjoyable.
“It didn’t work,” he says. “So how could I get better?
“For grappa, you distil the leaves, the leftover skins from grapes. To make brandy you distil the wine, so I used the same principle in making my vodka.”
Szymkow would separate the flour from the liquid, distilling the liquid itself.
His time at Niagara College exposed him to a variety of yeasts.
“You have distillers yeast, and they’re very aggressive, very quick, ferment in four to five days, and you’re done. Getting the most alcohol in a short period.”
Szymkow found a particular yeast strain that is used to make icewines and sparklings.
“When I tried it, I get a fermented liquid that tastes like apple wine or cider. When I distil, I get these nice flavours coming through.
“I am a vodka drinker, and there wasn’t a vodka I could identify with. It’s like being a car lover, but there isn’t a car you’re interested in.”
While most real vodkas are made from grain or potatoes, Szymkow wanted to play up the Canadian using ingredients that he says are representative of Canadian culture.
Corn, North American origin, soft wheat for European essence, sweet potatoes for a south American Carribean vibe and wild rice, for an Asian- African influence. It’s a melting pot of different cultures in one bottle.”
The striking bottles are custom made, and Adam makes the tops himself, cutting, sanding and drilling the roasted maple from New Brunswick.
“I don’t sleep,” he half- heartedly jokes.
With the product on hand, the couple approached LCBO for distribution through its small distillery program, which allows space in 25 stores across Ontario. But after a taste test by the panel they were green- lighted to bypass the entry program — all they needed now was to be able to produce enough. A quick ramp- up and some extra tanks and still and they are up and running.
Ultimately, you can plan so far ahead but if the product doesn’t deliver the road can be cut short.
To compare, Adam pours a splash of his vodka and a splash of Grey Goose.
While he was originally trying to create neutral alcohol, he knew he had something good with this blend that he refers to as a “happy accident.”
The nose has a slight sweetness and warm character. The vodka, especially when compared to the Grey Goose, has a mellowness and warmth. Refined, smooth, it’s not one you want to mask in a cocktail with multiple ingredients.
Pronounced ( Ka- new- k), you’ll have to find it at a local LCBO or visit the shop, open on Saturdays.
The Dillon’s Vermouth is also a treat as I compared with generic vermouth that I have used to make cocktails. Deeper, richer and earthier, it’s made with strawberries from Niagara and estate- grown wormwood. Flavours of dark berry and vanilla. Drop an ice cube in a glass and a splash of the vermouth, or use it in your favourite cocktail like a Manhattan. Again, raising the bar over the ordinary.
And finally Wayne Gretzky Whisky Cream.
Master Distiller Joshua Beach uses a local cream for this blend that makes Bailey’s seem boring in comparison. You can taste the whisky, but it is still smooth and rich with almond and cream as the backbone. Again, it’s delicious in a tumbler filled with large ice cubes or mixed in with your coffee. btymczyszyn@postmedia.com twitter.com/bobtym