First off, we’re at the Victoria Whisky Festival pouring our baby girl: Craigdarroch Spirit.  She’s growing up beautifully.  Come for an formal introduction or to meet her again — January 19-22 at the Hotel Grand Pacific.

Then, from 12-15 February, find us at the second Tales of the Cocktail in Vancouver at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel.  As Tales’ founder Ann Tuennerman affirms:

Vancouver is such a rich, vibrant cocktail city. We couldn’t help but come back for a second year.

We’re participating at Tales’ Meet the Maker event on Monday the 13th, 12-2pm and pouring everything we’ve got!

The first five rows will get whet (ahem).  Hope you can join us!

In the true Spirit of Victoria, they’re throwing a cocktail party to get hitched.  Solomon Siegel will be mixing magic through our party.  Here’s his nuptial cocktail list (many on our recipe pages and more coming soon):

The Hartland Cocktail
Vic Gin, Poire William, Amaro Montenegro, grapefruit bitters, lemon juice & bubbly

Champagne Cocktail
Bubbly, sugar & bitters

The Aviation
Vic Gin, Luxardo Maraschino, lemon juice & crème de violette

Gin, Tea & Tonic
Vic Gin, green tea, tonic water & orange bitters

Martini
Vic Gin, vermouth & orange bitters

Affinity
Scotch, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth& bitters

Penicillin
Blended Scotch, smoky Scotch, lemon juice, honey syrup & Giffard ginger

Scotch Old Fashioned
Scotch, sugar & bitters

Ask me how do I feel
Ask me now that we’re cosy and clinging
Well sir, all I can say, is if I were a bell I’d be ringing!

Wishing you all the precious gift of time this holiday season.  May you spend it with the ones you love.

Phil and Valerie bust a gut at our table, as Bryan pours on

We learned a lot, made new friends, and hosted a number of sessions and tours — including our Dr. Strangelove-themed Gin seminar with Solomon Siegel, enjoyed by Canadian House & Home’s Amy Rosen, among others.

To relive the magic, here are two featured cocktails from the event.  The first by Solomon of Hotel Rialto’s Veneto and the second by Moses McIntee, winner of our 2010 cocktail competition and so delicious, it’s worth reposting.

The Rialto Cocktail

60 ml  Victoria Gin
15 ml  Giffard Lichi-Li liqueur
10 ml fresh lemon juice
15 ml Silk Road Lapsang Souchong syrup*
2-3 dashes Bitterman’s Xocolatl Mole bitters

*To make the Lapsang Souchong syrup brew very strong Lapsang Souchong tea (steep over an hour) and then make a 1:1 simple syrup using the tea instead of water.

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garish with a piece of very dark chocolate

Solomon shares The Rialto with the thirsty and adventurous

The Olde Vic

1.5 oz Victoria Gin
0.5 oz Campari
0.5 oz burnt Earl Grey syrup*
3 dashes twisted & bitter

*for syrup, heat 200ml water & 200ml sugar until dissolved. Add 2 tea bags (or loose equivalent) & boil for 5 mins. Let cool & remove bags.

Combine ingredients in mixing glass with ice.  Stir until chilled. Strain over new ice in an old fashioned glass & garnish with lemon peel.

See you all next year!

Here’s the recipe, courtesy of Lauren and the team at Kale & Nori Culinary Arts — the fab boutique catering and events co.

Willy’s Fizz
1.5 oz Victoria Gin
1 oz black cardamom & smoked black pepper syrup
0.75 oz lemon juice
2 dashes Bittered Sling “Peach & Pepper” Bitters
1 oz Parson’s Farm William’s Pear purée (roasted)
Soda

Shake all ingredients (except the soda) together, strain into a Collins glass with ice, and top with soda.  Swizzle, stick a straw in it, and let your taste buds melt with joy.

Booze on the brain, Shane Rhodes as pictured in the TC

As Adrian Chamberlain recently wrote in the Times Colonist, the idea arose from a chat in Shane’s favourite pub about the poet’s vicious cycle:

They drink beer and discuss poetry, which inspires them to write poetry.  Meagre earnings from this enables them to buy more beer, talk more poetry and… well, you get the picture. [...] he realized he could “eliminate the middleman” by approaching purveyors of booze directly, in exchange for the dedications.  This takes the pressure off selling poems (via books and magazines) in order to purchase alcohol.

It’s brilliant and, as quoted in the article, for Valerie:

this is what people have to do to survive in the arts.

Last Friday, Shane shared his intoxicating poetry with a crowd at Moka House in Victoria.  Catch him reading his “Final Call” on youtube.  “Cocktails: In the Beginning”, dedicated to Victoria Spirits, is in his book, Err.

Last year we participated as the exclusive spirit in three cities.  This year, we’re delighted to be in nine cities and in the company of other Canadian producers.  (We like a strong team.)

In Winnipeg, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Saskatoon, Toronto, Ottawa, and Kelowna, the Spirits of Excellence bar will feature Alberta Springs Rye Whisky, Iceberg Vodka, and Victoria Gin.

Dave Mitton ‘in the zone’ at our 2010 Toronto Cocktail Competition

In eastern cities, cocktails will be crafted in the nimble hands of Dave Mitton of The Harbord Room, and, out west, Hailey Pasemko, from Nita Lake Lodge, will take charge of the bar.

Hailey Pasemko passes James Chatto a Half Asleep in Frog Pyjamas (from his online review)

For dates and tickets, visit the GMP site.  Join us to celebrate the best!

The Victoria Film Festival fundraiser brings bright lights from far and wide to shake, stir, instil & distil.  We’re up to our armpits in the action.

Join us Saturday for an Intro to Boutique Distilling and for Peter’s collaboration with Solomon Siegel: “Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Gin.”  As well as sharing Gin’s history, production, and cocktail secrets, they will once again remind you that:

Vodka martinis are the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face.  They intend to contaminate our precious bodily fluids! (Siegel, 2011)

Peter and Solomon don’t fool around.

(original photo c/o Doug Harrington)

We’ll also be in full force at the Grand Tasting event on Saturday night and hosting a special Distillery tour on Monday.

Learn more about this epic event and get tickets online.

“The contents of your survival kit is… one pair of nylons, five condoms, one .45 caliber pistol with two magazines, $200 in gold coins, 2 packs of chewing gum, one miniature bible and combination Russian phrase book…” (Dr. Strangelove, 1964).

5:32

2 oz Victoria Gin
1/2 oz St Germain Elderflower Liqueur
3/4 oz Meyer lemon juice
2 dashes grapefruit bitters
2 dashes lemon bitters
1 inch of cucumber, muddled

Shake and double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Top with grapefruit foam.

How seriously does Gavin take his Prohibition-inspired cocktails?  We have it on good authority that he’s soon opening a bar called Repeal.  We like what we hear!  Stay tuned, Toronto.  And best of luck, Gavin!

The centre of the action: The Hotel Monteleone

We participated in the ‘Meet your Craft Distiller’ section.  Many came to meet us, again and again.  Besides our familial charm, they were certainly returning for the cocktail: an awesome concoction created by our collaborator, Solomon Siegel of Hotel Rialto’s Veneto.

West Coast Cocktail

2 oz Victoria gin
3/4 oz Martini Bianco vermouth
4 dashes Strega

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a skewer with smoked salmon lox and smoked applewood cheddar. Dip the garnish in the drink and enjoy.

Victoria was also well represented by Shawn Soole of Clive’s Classic Lounge, nominated by Tales as one of the world’s best hotel bars.  It was also wonderful to see many of our pals from our Toronto Cocktail Comp.

We were inspired.  Moreover we are thrilled by some very promising new connections.  Sincere thanks to Tales for putting on an extraordinary event and for inviting us to participate.

In last Saturday’s Globe & Mail, Beppi Crosariol presents his alternate (and more spirituous) Canadian tour for the royal couple.

I’d start them off on Vancouver Island for a visit to the splendid little Victoria Gin distillery on a pastoral country road just outside British Columbia’s capital. Royals like their gin, lord knows, and Victoria Gin is superb, with a prominent note of star anise and delectably viscous texture. You can find it in most provinces for about $50. At the very least, Will and Kate might be moved by the label’s photographic tribute to Will’s ancestor, Queen Victoria.

Thanks for having us on your tour, Beppi!

Read the rest of the article here.  And to stage your own Canadian royal tour, get Tom Tierney William & Kate paper dolls here!