Victoria Spirits » Gin

Lazy days of summer living

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:09:03 +0000

Whoa, there goes July! Too many lazy days meant we didn’t alert you to our appearance in Canadian Living.

Vic Gin was “test driven” along with three other premium gins. The results?

This bold, sophisticated, small-batch gin from B.C. has sweet floral, citrus and pine notes, with licorice and spice in the finish. Best enjoyed in elegant cocktails… such as a French 75 or Vesper Martini.

Good thing the July issue will be in your Doctor’s waiting room well until November (so long as your Doctor’s not Bryan). Hope you find us there — page 179.

UVA rays shed new light!

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:04:49 +0000

From this summer’s spectrum of outstanding cocktails, Robin Kaufman’s [ultra]violet creation at UVA Wine Bar — ‘The Violet Petal’– is making wavelengths. Doctor Kaufman’s synthesis is as follows:

The Violet Petal

2 oz Victoria Gin
0.5 oz Noilly Prat dry vermouth
0.25 oz Giffard Violette (use a light hand as Violette can dominate)
Absinthe rinse (the Doctor uses a mister)

Stir ingredients over ice and strain into a vintage cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Or head to the source of these visible rays at Uva itself.

Sushi, Saki, Summer…. Shiso

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:33:10 +0000

Say that three times fast… we did, last Sunday at the Edible BC ‘Sushi, Sake and Summer’ fundraiser for the Crabtree Corner facility. To compliment Sushi Chef Tojo’s creations and toast Evaleen Jaager Roy’s new book, we concocted something, that by all accounts ‘tastes like summer’:

Tastes like Summer

2 shiso leaves
0.25 cup chopped cucumber
2 oz Victoria Gin
2 oz pear nectar

Muddle shiso and cucumber. Add Vic Gin and pear juice and shake on ice. Garnish with half a shiso leaf. Shiso-licious!

Full monty at the LCBO

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:02:54 +0000

Victoria Gin has been awarded a full general listing at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO)!

This means: you’ll soon be able to find us at way more stores; we will be able to cuddle up to the other Gins; and you can enjoy your Vic Gin toddies in the fall and winter as well as your VG&Ts in the spring and summer.

Here’s where you can find Vic Gin now. Cheers Ontario!

Folks and Fields

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:20:14 +0000

Join us at Feast of Fields on BC’s Lower Mainland, August 29th, where we’ll be pairing with Tofino’s Wickaninnish Inn to make magic.

Organised by Vancouver’s FarmFolk/CityFolk, the event brings the region’s farmers, restaurateurs, vintners, brewers and food artisans together to share their passion and knowledge of local fare. We’ll be there… in high spirits!

The Netherlands/Spain cocktail face-off

admin — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 11:18:01 +0000

Paul the Octopus may have ’spoken’, but nothing’s in the bag for the FIFA final today. Here are a couple inspired cocktails to help you celebrate… or stage your own face-off.

Chris McDonald of Toronto’s Cava presents a strong player with a sharp cross and excellent mid-palate play. Steve Da Cruz of Vancouver’s Corner Suite brings you a powerful striker that quickly sets a tempo and paints the pitch orange. You be the ref — or play Paul — for this one.

Catalan 75

~ created by Chris McDonald, Cava Restaurant

1 oz Victoria Gin
1 oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
one dash grappa cherry syrup
3 oz Codorníu Cava Clasico

Shake first four ingredients over ice. Strain into large flute. Top with Cava and garnish with a lemon twist.

Dutch Old Fashioned

~ created by Steve Da Cruz, Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe

2 oz Victoria Gin
2-3 lumps of unbleached sugar
a few dashes orange twisted & bitter
a few Griottines (primo brandied cherries) * if you use ghetto maraschino cherries instead, you get an automatic red card!

Muddle ingredients and stir together on ice. Strain over fresh ice. Garnish with a wheel of orange in the drink. Rub lemon peel on the rim and dropped in with a cherry.

Catalan 75

1 oz Victoria Gin

3 oz Codorníu Cava Clasico

1 oz Lemon Juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

Dash of Grappa Cherry Syrup

Shake over ice. Strain into large flute. Garnish with an orange twist.

Can you Taste it?

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 22:14:00 +0000

Join us at Taste: Victoria’s Festival of Food and Wine (… and Spirits).

We’ll be at the Main Event on the 15th, paired with Anna: Chef at Paprika Bistro and our sister/daughter/culinary visionary.

Vic Gin sees Silver at LA Competition

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:27:52 +0000

Victoria Gin takes a Silver medal at the Los Angeles Wine & Spirits Competition. It’s the first time we’ve entered this comp — we’re thrilled.

But LA, why no Golds for Gin and no ‘Best Gin’ category?! As noted recently by Beppi Crosariol and Adam MacDowell, Gin is back and where it’s at!

Vic Gin shakes down, Toronto lights up!

admin — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:55:49 +0000

Last Monday, we celebrated the creativity and community of Toronto’s bar scene & the LCBO’s special promotion of Vic Gin with a Shakedown!

Fourteen of Toronto’s most talented mixologists each shook love into two cocktails behind the beautiful bar at Böhmer on Ossington Avenue.

The fabulous Thirsty Traveller Kevin Brauch hosted with passion.

Kevin also joined the judging panel with Bob Blumer (Surreal Gourmet), James Chatto (celebrated writer and editor, seen here), Chris Johns (Globe & Mail) & Christine Sismondo (Toronto Temperance Society).

Our mixologists were Elan Marks (The Drake) & Trevor Burnett (freelance consultant)

Gavin MacMillan (Bartender One) & Renata Clingen (Böhmer)

Elizabeth Savage (Marquis at the Hilton) & Adrian Stein (Oliver Bonacini Cafe Grill)

Rob Montgomery (Miller Tavern) & Brock Shepherd (Burger Bar)

Dave Mitton (The Harbord Room) & Simon Ho (The Drake)

Moses McIntee (Sidecar) & Clinton Pattemore (Toronto Bartending)

and Nishan Nepulangoda (Blowfish) & Scott McMaster (Colborne Lane)

Competitors presented two version of the same cocktail: one “fit for a queen” and the other “so easy the queen could make it”. As James Chatto noted in his recent blog post:

The standard of the competition was impressively high throughout and the powers of imagination shown were astonishing.

Congrats Moses McIntee whose ‘Olde Vic’ will be featured on an LCBO neck tag. Again, from James:

It was a fascinating cocktail, like a complex, full-bodied extrapolation of a Negroni made with gin, Campari, bittersweet earl grey tea syrup and served in a Martini glass topped with a creamy head of Earl Grey tea foam.

Congrats as well to Adrian Stein who received a special jury award for the cocktail that best showcased Vic Gin and to Rob Mongomery whose ceramic bathtubs, tea sandwiches, and hot gin punch won a special jury award for best presentation.

The mixologists inspired us and each other. We were honoured to be a part of this… We say this because it did become about more than Vic Gin. You guys were shaking love. A huge thanks from the Vic Gin family!

All photos by Zach Slootsky of takemorephotos

TO Shakedown afterparty gets 86′D

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:09:03 +0000

On June 14th, fourteen of Toronto’s most talented mixologists will battle it out with fire, ice, fortitude, and plenty of Vic Gin. A public after- party follows as part of Ivy Knight’s 86’D Mondays at The Drake (mind the date typo below!). Come taste the winning drink!

The cocktail comp celebrates the creativity and community of Toronto’s bar scene and the LCBO’s special promotion of Vic Gin. The press release is here.