Victoria Gin Shakes it up at Boneta
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Degan Beley
September 11, 2009
Last week, Vancouver’s premiere bartenders gathered at Boneta to give a little love to our very own local distillery, Victoria Gin. My triumphant return to gin-drinking happened last fall in conjunction with me discovering this local delicacy but the cocktail variations didn’t cover too much territory in the winter months. Certainly nothing compared to what Vancouver’s best came up with when presented with this fragrant, floral base ingredient.
Bartenders from across town shook it up with concoctions as varied as floral/sake cocktails to gin mixed with Laphraoig whiskey, but after the judges deliberated, it was Wendy McGuinness from Chambar who took first place with her “refreshing” flip, while David Wolowidnyk of West and Lauren Mote of the Refinery tied for second and third place.
Victoria Gin is made on the island, in Saanich, in small batches. Tasting their botanicals, recently, (10 different natural and wild-gathered ingredients; juniper berries, coriander, angelica, orris root, lemon peel, orange peel, star anise, cinnamon bark, rose petals) I was quizzed about the “secret ingredient”. It seemed so familiar to me and yet I couldn’t place it, but someone got it – sasparilla!
Rumour has it they may make a whisky as well. Can’t wait.
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Living two thirds of my live on the island, I was introduced to Victoria Gin around this time last year.
It’s had a permanent place in my liquor cabinet ever since.