whiskey Archives - West Coast Food

Cocktails, Wines & Spirits March 21, 2024

Whisky Bars in Metro Vancouver

Buck the expensive plane ticket and catch a “flight” at one of these spots if you’re looking to imbibe in the finest whiskies from around the globe. From sophisticated lounges to laid-back bars, Metro Vancouver has something to offer anyone seeking a sip of whisky—whether that’s a rare find, a creative cocktail, or a familiar dram. Let’s explore. Skye Avenue Kitchen & Lounge Housed in the former Central City Taphouse spot, Skye Avenue Kitchen & Lounge draws inspiration from Scotland’s Isle of Skye—which is known for its rich whisky culture. Here, you can find elevated and contemporary Canadian cuisine (think high-end burgers, wagyu beef carpaccio, truffle fries, and more) along with a diverse selection of whiskies from around the globe. On “Whisky Wednesdays,” you can find a selection of whisky flights ranging from $25 to $200, and a few whisky-based cocktails for $10 each. We think the Penicillin is worth…

Cocktails, Wines & Spirits May 9, 2023

Langley’s Roots and Wings Distillery and BC Distilled Festival

Rebekah Crowley, owner/distiller, walks us through the steps to create their signature spirits. By Catherine Dunwoody As one of the numerous Metro-Vancouver-based craft distilleries participating in the BC Distilled Festival, Roots and Wings Distillery is the first of its kind in the Fraser Valley. I chatted with Rebekah Crowley about the process of making their small batch artisan spirits. Proud of their farm-to-table approach and ingredients grown right on their farm, Crowley and partner Head Distiller Rob Rindt have created over forty unique and flavorful spirits in their six years in business. “Every Saturday we start a new batch, be it vodka or whiskey base, they all begin the same way,” says Crowley. “We take the potatoes (for vodka) and corn or rye and corn (for whiskey) and add it into our 500-gallon mash still. Then we heat it with a mix of water and enzymes until it reaches 90…

Cocktails, Wines & Spirits March 15, 2018

Handcrafting Spirits from the Ground-Up at Langley’s Roots and Wings Distillery

By Kathy Mak [COVID-19 update: Please note that this article was originally published during non-pandemic times. The distillery is currently closed to the public, but you can order online for pick-up and delivery.] With the surge of new craft distilleries in BC, it’s not unusual to find an expanding collection of local spirits on the shelves of liquor stores and cocktail bars; but finding craft spirits made by a female distiller and with potatoes and corn grown on a distillery’s own farmland is unusual! Enter Roots and Wings Distillery, opened in early 2017 as the first craft distillery in Langley, BC. Situated on a 30-acre farm in the idyllic countryside near the village of Fort Langley, Roots and Wings Distillery embraces a true field-to-bottle approach when producing artisan spirits. Back in 2015, the co-founders/owners – Rob Rindt and Rebekah Crowley – were inspired to handcraft their own distilled spirits when…

Adult Beverages March 22, 2017

Central City Brewers + Distillers Go Rogue with Craft Whisky Launch

By Kristi Alexandra When you’re known for producing some of the nation’s best beer, having twice won the title of Canadian Brewery of the Year, you might think you’d stick to the winning formula. But ambition does not elude the key players at Surrey’s Central City Brewers + Distillers, who released a small batch premium whisky at the end of January. Brewmaster Gary Lohin, along with head distiller Stuart McKinnon, created one of only a handful single-malt whiskies in British Columbia. Aptly named Lohin McKinnon, the 43 per cent alc. per vol. craft spirit is aged in select oak barrels in small batches. While whisky-making might seem like a misnomer for a company known best for its beers, the duo maintains the process is not so different. “Brewing and distilling really isn’t that far apart so it’s a natural progression for us to start distilling,” says McKinnon. “The distilling process…