On March 26, BC Distilled, Canada’s premier craft and micro-distillery festival, showcased 27 BC-based artisan distilleries to nearly 500 spirits connoisseurs who had the opportunity to sample locally-made gins, whiskies, liqueurs, vodkas and more.
“The excitement around this year’s festival was really inspiring,” says event founder Alex Hamer. “We’re starting to see BC’s distilleries break into more mainstream awareness. This year our food partners also really rose to the challenge, pairing their canapés with cocktails, and even using spirits in their food, including the creative and crowd-pleasing cocktail doughnuts.”
BC Distilled 2016 participants included:
•Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers
•Goodridge & Williams Distillers
AUDIENCE FAVOURITES AWARDS
Guests who attended BC Distilled were invited to choose their favourite sips from more than 100 products available to sample. The results for Audience Favourites Awards are in:
•Barrel-Aged Spirits: Long Table Distillery Barrel Aged Gin
•Apéritif or Digestif: Gillespie’s Fine Spirits Lemoncello
•Brandy: Merridale Craft Spirits Stairs Pear Brandy
•Infused Vodka: Sons of Vancouver Distillery Chili Vodka
•Gin: Ampersand Distilling Company Ampersand Gin
•Liqueur: Sons of Vancouver Distillery No. 82 Amaretto
•Un-aged “Whisky”: The Liberty Distillery Railspur No. 2 Wildflower Honey
•Vodka: Ampersand Distilling Company Per Se Vodka
•Most Votes Overall: Sons of Vancouver Distillery Chili Vodka
Proceeds from the festival went towards supporting the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS). PADS service and hearing dogs provide life-changing independence and enhanced quality of life to those with physical disabilities other than blindness.
BC Distilled is grateful for the support of its sponsors:
South Peace Grain, Legacy Liquor Store, Victoria Distillers, The Liberty Distillery, de Vine Wines & Spirits, BCLiving, EAT Magazine, The Alchemist, and Vancity Buzz.
BC Distilled 2016 images are available here: http://bit.ly/BCDistilled2016
