Canada’s only national spirit competition reserved exclusively for micro-distilleries announces its results today.
The competition’s panel of eight independent spirit experts have completed their blind tasting of artisan spirits from across the country.
“It’s gratifying to see the depth and breadth of spirits produced by small, artisan distilleries across Canada. These awards demonstrate that there are outstanding spirits being made in every region of the country,” said Alex Hamer, the competition’s founder.
Davin de Kergommeaux, author of the award winning book, Canadian Whisky: The New Portable Expert, agrees: “The importance of a credible competition in raising the profile 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
CASC is proud to announce that Sheringham Distillery Akvavit has earned the inaugural Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year award. The spirit is made in Shirley, British Columbia from BC organic white wheat and malted barley, as well as botanicals that include local hand-harvested winged kelp. The judges described this spirit as “deliciously herbal, intense but ringing like the peal of a bell. It has a mouth-coating texture with a flawless balance.”
For a complete listing of all medal winners, including Best in Class category winners, please visit the results page.
YUKON AND BC FAVOURITES
With close to 45 per cent of all artisan distilleries in Canada, British Columbia earned numerous medals and Best in Class awards. Some of the strongest performers included:
- De Vine Wines & Spirits, Saanichton, BC – 10 medals, including four gold, and Best in Class for its Glen Saanich Single Malt (Young Whisky, Aged Under 3 Years Category)
- Odd Society Spirits, Vancouver, BC – six medals, including five gold, and Best in Class for its Mia Amata (Amaro or Vermouth Category) and Single Malt Whisky (Whisky Category)
- Gold Medals: Oaken Gin, Mia Mata, Bittersweet Vermouth, Creme de Cassis, Single Malet Whisky
- Bronze Medal: Wallflower Gin
- Merridale Cidery and Distillery, Cobble Hill, BC – six medals, including four gold, and Best in Class for its Cowichan Copper Gin (Aged Gin Category)
- Wayward Distillation House, Courtenay, BC – five medals, including three gold, and Best in Class for Wayward Order Depth Charge (Infused Vodka Category)
- Sheringham Distillery, Shirley, BC – two gold, including one for its Akvavit, also named Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year and Best in Class (Akvavit Category)
- Victoria Distillers, Sidney, BC – gold medal and Best in Class for its Empress 1908 Gin (Gin Category)
- Yukon Spirits, Whitehorse, YT – two medals, including one gold and Yukon Barrel Aged Schnapps, Best in Class (Other Aged Spirit Category)
Other gold medalists in BC included:
- The Liberty Distillery, Vancouver, BC – four medals, including three gold
- Mad Laboratory Distilling, Vancouver, BC – four medals, including one gold
- Sons of Vancouver, North Vancouver, BC – four medals, including one gold
- Central City Brewers + Distillers, Surrey, BC – two gold
- Ampersand Distilling Company, Duncan, BC – two medals, including one gold
- Old Order Distilling, Penticton, BC – two medals, including one gold
- Stealth Distilleries, North Vancouver, BC – two medals, including one gold
- The Dubh Glas Distillery, Oliver, BC – one gold
- The Woods Spirits Company, North Vancouver, BC – one gold
ABOUT THE CANADIAN ARTISAN SPIRIT COMPETITION
CASC was founded in 2017 to celebrate and promote the best of Canadian micro-distilling. Distilleries must meet our Artisan Distillery & Product Qualifications. An independent panel of judges from across Canada blind-tastes and evaluates the spirits and scores them based on set criteria.
The competition was founded and is run by Alex Hamer, who for the past five years has run BC Distilled, the largest artisan distillery festival in the country.
For more information, visit: artisanspirit.ca
To learn about BC Distilled, visit: bcdistilled.ca
Press Release provided by: Serena PR