Page 40 - MENU Magazine - March/April 2018

BEHIND THE BAR
Drumroll, please
THE INAUGURAL CANADIAN ARTISAN SPIRIT COMPETITION
Canada’s only national spirit competition reserved exclusively for microdistilleries announced its results in February.
“It’s gratifying to see the depth and breadth of spirits pro- duced by small, artisan distilleries across Canada. These awards demonstrate that outstanding spirits are being made in every region of the country,” said Alex Hamer, the competi- tion’s founder.
Davin de Kergommeaux, the author of the award-winning book, Canadian Whisky: The New Portable Expert, agrees: “The importance of a credible competition in raising the pro le of Canada’s microdistillers cannot be overstated. The Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition highlights the best of the best. This, in turn, tells consumers where to start exploring them.”
CANADIAN ARTISAN SPIRIT OF THE YEAR
SHERINGHAM DISTILLERY AKVAVIT earned the inaugural Canadian Artisan Spirit of the
Year award. The spirit is made in Shirley, Brit- ish Columbia from BC organic white wheat and malted barley, as well as botanicals that include local hand-harvested winged kelp. The judg-
es described this spirit as “deliciously herbal, intense but ringing like the peal of a bell. It has a mouth-coating texture with a awless balance.”
AGED GIN
Gin which has been aged in a wood barrel
Gold Medal
Merridale Cidery & Distillery
COWICHAN COPPER GIN
Odd Society Spirits
OAKEN GIN
Park Distillery
PARK DISTILLERY BARREL AGED GIN
The Liberty Distillery
ENDEAVOUR OLD TOM GIN
AGED SPIRITS
Otherwise unclassi ed spirits which have spent time in a wood barrel
Silver Medal
Yukon Spirits
YUKON BARREL AGED SCHNAPPS
King’s Lock Craft Distillery
1000 ISLANDS MOONSHINE
AKVAVIT
Gold Medal
Sheringham Distillery
AKVAVIT
AMARO OR VERMOUTH
Gold Medal
Odd Society Spirits
MIA AMATA
Odd Society Spirits
BITTERSWEET VERMOUTH
The Woods Spirit Company
PACIFIC NORTHWEST AMARO
= best in class
BRANDY OR EAU DE VIE
Gold Medal
Cidrerie Michel Jodoin
BRANDY DE POMME CALIJO - MICHEL JODOIN
Domaine Lafrance
GEORGES ÉTIENNE
Ironworks Distillery
IRONWORKS AGED PEAR EAU DE VIE
Ironworks Distillery
IRONWORKS APPLE BRANDY
Merridale Cidery & Distillery
COWICHAN CIDER BRANDY
Merridale Cidery & Distillery
COWICHAN XXO BRANDY
Winegarden Estate
ANIS
Yukon Spirits
YUKON WILDBERRY BRANDY
GIN
Gold Medal
Ampersand Distilling Company
AMPERSAND GIN
Central City Brewers + Distillers
QUEENSBOROUGH GIN
CIRKA Distilleries
CIRKA SAUVAGE DRY GIN
Compass Distillers
GIN
Last Straw Distillery
GIN TWENTY-ONE
RAW Distillery
PEPPERCORN GIN
Sheringham Distillery
SEASIDE GIN
The Dubh Glas Distillery
NOTEWORTHY GIN
Victoria Distillers
EMPRESS 1908 GIN
INFUSED VODKA
Gold Medal
Wayward Distillation House
WAYWARD ORDER - DEPTH CHARGE
40 MENU
MARCH / APRIL 2018