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

In preparation for Victoria Day we got busy on a cocktail fit for a Queen… and fit for Adam McDowell, columnist at the National Post.

Imperial Splendour photo by Adam McDowell

Imperial Splendour

1.5 oz. Victoria Gin
2.5 oz. strongly brewed Earl Grey tea, chilled
0.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz. Cointreau
2 dashes Twisted & Bitter orange cocktail bitters

Combine ingredients and shake on ice. Strain into your finest china.  Garnish with an orange slice and a frozen marmalade cube (heat marmalade with equal parts water to dissolve before freezing).

McDowell writes that our Imperial Splendour is:

smooth in texture with a tart and floral nose and nice tea tannins on the palate; it gradually sweetens as the frozen marmalade cube melts.

Not only was the drink featured in the National Post, but also at the First Annual Queen Victoria Lookalike Competition in Toronto — a collaboration between Victoria Spirits and the fabulous Fairmont Royal York Hotel.  (Outrageous photos coming soon!)

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.