In his Boulevard Magazine article, Robert Moyes highlights BC’s artisan distillers, including our pals at Island Spirits & Merridale Estate Cidery. On Vic Gin he writes that
Victoria Gin has become a distinctive ambassador for this city… Flavoured with 10 botanicals… this potent potable has a delicate floral quality that makes it suitable for sipping like a cognac or a liqueur.
Eat Magazine has just published its 1st Annual Exceptional Eats! Awards. Chosen by Eat readers in Victoria and Vancouver Island, the awards highlight the best of local food and drink.
We are delighted that Vic Gin took Gold for being the “local beverage (Victoria) loves to introduce to friends and visitors”. Aw, Victoria, we love you too!
Congrats to all the winners and everyone who works towards making Vancouver Island a vibrant haven for local food and drink. For all the result click here.
So, what does Jurgen Gothe put in his whisky?
I know they say you need a drop of water to open it up, but I like a drop of Victoria Spirits’ Twisted & Bitter orange bitters with mine. Open wide and say ahhhh.
Find his Georgia Straight review of the Dalmore 12-Year-Old and Macallan Lalique III here.
In Saturday’s Globe, Chris Johns celebrated the fine sport of mixology. In particular he notes that:
The entire Fairmont chain has made a considerable investment in its cocktail program over the past couple of years and the results – faster, stronger, better drinks – are impressive.
We’ve got the Fairmont Chateau Whister’s Triple Lutz cocktail recipe, starring Vic Gin, here. Go, Canada, indeed!
During the Victoria Whisky Festival, WhiskyCast reviewer Mark Gillespie caught up with Peter to discuss the warm welcome of our Craigdarroch Spirit and chat about making a 100% BC single malt.
The podcast is here — it starts about halfway in. Mark writes:
Call it beginner’s luck if you want, but Peter Hart’s* first batch of single malt spirit received rave reviews at the recent Victoria Whisky Festival… even though it was only two months old.
*For the record, Peter’s certainly got H(e)art, but he’s actually a Hunt.
While in Victoria for the Whisky Festival, Scottish whisky reviewer Ralfy Mitchell popped by our Distillery for a tour and taste. What did he think of our fresh Craigdarroch (soon to be*) Whisky?
If I was to relate this to a Scotch whisky, the nearest would be a slightly custard, creamy version of Bladnoch. It’s Lowland in style… It’s grain rich, it’s quite complex…. a very interesting whisky. Well worth looking out for.
Take Ralfy’s video distillery tour here and join him here for a taste.
*Legally to earn the coveted moniker “whisky” a spirit has to be aged for three years. Praise already with only 34 months to go!
Alexandra Gill celebrates the art and history of bitters — the salt and pepper of the cocktail — in her recent Globe & Mail article.
Lauren Mote mixes a Sake Sour, photo by Laura Leyshon for the Globe
As well as bringing attention to our new Twisted & Bitter cocktail bitters, Alexandra celebrates the mouth-watering work of our friends Frankie Solarik, who launched with us in Toronto, and Lauren Mote, who was a runner-up in our 2009 Vancouver cocktail competition.
She writes that
bitters are making a comeback. With the revival of classic cocktails, there’s a growing breed of modern mixologist who looks back to that golden age for inspiration.
We posted some of our classic bitters-spiked cocktails here.
And for you bitters-starved cocktail fiends who aren’t in Victoria or can’t make it to Frankie’s Barchef or Lauren’s Refinery, check this out: We’re going to be selling through this site soon! Check back in a week or so.
Charles and Camilla have plenty to be jolly about after returning home from Canada with a bounty of riches, including a bottle of Victoria Gin.
During the last leg of their Canadian tour, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall stayed at Government House in Victoria, where they were treated to the in-house Gin (yes, that’s right). Upon their departure, they were also offered a special gift by Victoria’s Mayor, Dean Fortin (right, again!).
Now wouldn’t you be flattered if your great-great-great grandmommy graced the bottle of a fine swill?
Read of all their spoils from the Daily Mail online. We found the picture there too.
Still recovering from an overdose of holiday cheer? May we suggest some medicinal tonic for your health?
Our Twisted & Bitter cocktail bitters are available at our Tasting Room and may just cure what ails you.
In her November article, Joanne Sasvari highlighted many benefits of these curative tonics and a number of soothing options.
Twisted & Bitter was also included in Jurgen Gothe’s best of 2009. In his Georgia Straight article, Jurgen writes that our
Orange bitters have an edge on, say, Angostura: while still abundantly bitter, there’s a flavourful orange aspect that works wonders in cocktails. … An excellent addition to your 2010 liquor cabinet.
Peter is also working on other flavours. Stay tuned for those and for wider distribution.
And who’s that on the label? Our Toronto launch darling! If you want to stare more deeply into those “twisted” eyes, check out our fabulous Miss Conception here or at Woody’s in Toronto, where she has been known to work wonders herself, as host of the “best chest” contest. Whoa!
This week, celeb bartender Kevin Brauch shared his Holiday Spirits Guide from Citytv’s wildly wallpapered studios. Victoria Gin was among three spirits presented to CityLine host Tracy Moore and viewers across Canada.
Check out an online show clip here. (And click here for fabulous wallpaper ideas from CityLine’s style expert Arren Williams.) We like Kevin’s approach — keep it simple and festive: Vic Gin, ginger ale, and cranberries. The wallpaper, not so simple, but tasty in its own way.
