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Coast distillers win national recognition

Artisan Spirits Competition
Bruinwood
Danise Lofstrom and Jeff Barringer, owners of Bruinwood Estate Distillery.

Local craft distillers Bruinwood Estate Distillery and 101 Brewery & Distillery came away winners at this year’s Canadian Artisan Spirits Competition, which judges craft spirits from across the country. Bruinwood made an impressive sweep, winning gold with Excellence in Terroir for its K’Neko, a honey spirit made from its own hives. 

The Roberts Creek distillery won three silvers for its chocolate vodka, its blackcurrant gin and its Advocaat, which had won an earlier Peoples’ Choice award in a provincial competition. It won three bronzes for gin, espresso vodka and the black walnut Nucino. 101 proudly won a silver for its gin. 

After opening only a year and a half ago, Bruinwood has made big gains into the B.C. craft distilling scene and is becoming increasingly known for its Advocaat. Artisan Distillers of Canada says: “Not only was their Advocaat winner of the audience choice award for Best Liqueur at the 2019 BC Distilled festival, it has already replaced the top international brand at some local Vancouver bars.” 

The company says it “delights in being fearless with flavours” and is “very excited about this year’s new drinks, which include grapefruit gin, quince liqueur and a white apple rye spirit.”

The bottled spirits are available at the distillery tasting room at 2040 Porter Rd. and at the Roberts Creek Community Market and the Sechelt Winter Market. 

– Submitted