{"id":28407,"date":"2022-03-23T01:00:11","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T08:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bcaletrail.ca\/?p=28407"},"modified":"2022-03-30T12:00:04","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T19:00:04","slug":"five-victoria-distilleries-based-in-breweries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bcaletrail.ca\/five-victoria-distilleries-based-in-breweries\/","title":{"rendered":"From Beer to Spirits: 5 Victoria Breweries that Distill"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year, Victoria author Marianne Scott published The Distilleries of Vancouver Island\u2014a Guided Tour of West Coast Craft and Artisan Spirits<\/em><\/strong>. Here she writes about some of those distilleries that are based in breweries in the Greater Victoria area.<\/p>\n

\"Twa
Macaloney\u2019s Caledonian Distillery at Twa Dogs Brewery in Victoria, BC (photo: Joe Wiebe)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Macaloney\u2019s Caledonian Distillery and Twa Dogs Brewery<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cWhisky is basically beer\u2014without the hops\u2014and distilled at least twice.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That\u2019s what Graeme Macaloney told me during my visit to the Caledonian Distillery and Twa Dogs Brewery<\/a> on the outskirts of Victoria. \u201cPeople are often surprised to learn that a distillery is essentially a brewery with two copper pot stills attached at the end,\u201d he continued. \u201cAnd for Caledonia, the combination of brewery and distillery allows us to develop cross-over products.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Macaloney\u2019s
Inside Caledonian’s Distilling\/Brewing room, with its twin stills (photo: Marianne Scott)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As I strolled around his roomy brewing\/distilling\/bottling building, I sniffed the heady, yeasty scent of fermenting grain. It gave me a homey feeling and triggered my anticipation of the delicious drinks to come. In the impressive 17,000-square-foot space, it became clear that beer and spirits are family: a row of stainless mash tuns line one side of the space\u2014the mother of both the beer and spirits Caledonian produces. The other side is home to a platform supporting twin copper stills resembling gigantic Hershey kisses. I felt dwarfed by their 4.8-metre height\u2014they hold 5,500 litres and 3,600 litres respectively. They\u2019re manufactured by Forsyths, a Scottish company that began building its hand-made stills in 1895.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Twa
A whiskey cask at Macaloney’s Caledonian Distillery (photo: BC Ale Trail)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s not an overstatement to say that for Macaloney, creating beverages containing alcohol is bred in the bone. He\u2019s the genuine article, born in the village of Gartcosh, Scotland, a few miles east of Glasgow in North Lanarkshire, a part of the world where the art of whisky making is legendary. Whenever we\u2019ve met, he\u2019s worn his ancestral Cameron tartan kilt complete with sporran and white knee socks. His Scottish brogue evokes visions of heather, thistle and bagpipes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a student, I had a summer job at the Black and White Scotch distillery and I fell in love with Uisge Beatha, Gaelic for \u2018water of life,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve always had the idea that someday, I\u2019d have a distillery of my own.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Graeme has certainly succeeded in that goal. But getting there took education and experience. He studied microbiology at Glasgow\u2019s University of Strathclyde, followed by a master\u2019s degree in biochemical engineering at University College, London. He returned to Strathclyde for a Ph.D. in microbiology or, as he said with a chuckle, \u201cfermentation.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He then worked in the antibiotics divisions of Pfizer and Eli Lilly. \u201cSome people don\u2019t realize that antibiotic production depends on a heavy dose of fermentation technology, similar to that of beer brewing and liquor production,\u201d he explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1989, Graeme emigrated to Canada having found a job at the Alberta Research Council\u2019s pilot fermentation plant. He also discovered the joys of Canada\u2019s outdoors and judged the quality of life to be better than that in the UK. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile at the Research Council, I learned about start-ups using our services,\u201d he said. \u201cMany had found innovative ways to fund their enterprises with equity financing and angel investors. I knew that a start-up distillery needed major investment but would have low revenues while the alcohol matures.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Caledonians-Graeme-Macaloney-standing-inside-his-peat-soaker-smoker\"
Graeme Macaloney standing inside his peat soaker-smoker at Caledonian Distillery\/Twa Dogs Brewery (photo: Marianne Scott)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That\u2019s how Twa Dogs Brewery was born (among other inventive ways of raising funds). The brewery is named after <\/span>the long poem<\/span><\/a> by famous Scottish poet Robert (Robbie) Burns, whose writings\u2014and birthday\u2014are celebrated around the world. In comparison to whisky, which takes at least three years to mature (often more), beer can be produced quickly and offers much-needed cash flow while the spirits sleep and mature in their casks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Caledonian has created a group of unfiltered specialty beers that have attracted a faithful following and steady income. Graeme continues to invent catchy names for the craft beers, all with a whiff of humour, including such monikers as Life and Liberty Pale Ale, Lavender Saison, Keekin\u2019 Glass Pilsner, Mistress of My Soul, and Parting Kiss Bourbon Barrel Ale.<\/span><\/p>\n

Graeme built a large smoker that burns peat from the Olympic Peninsula\u2014a regional \u201cterroir\u201d\u2014and toasts tons of barley placed inside to be used in the peated whisky they produce, as well as in some special \u201csmoky\u201d beers. Peat smoke produces chemicals called phenols which are absorbed by malted barley.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Graeme handed me two glasses filled with tawny-coloured grain grown in BC. \u201cThis one is regular malted and dried barley,\u201d he pointed. \u201cYou can see the little sprouts when the barley germinated. But the other glass contains barley that\u2019s been bathed in peat smoke. It\u2019s popcorn for peat heads.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

I sniffed and tasted a few kernels from the first glass. It was crunchy. \u201cI think this would fit well into my homemade granola,\u201d I said. The second grain is equally crispy, but its scent and taste led me to fantasize I was visiting Islay or Orkney, two of the Scottish islands where peated whisky is produced. Some have called it \u201ccampfire in a glass.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Several of Caledonian\u2019s whiskies have now matured and are winning international, prestigious prizes. They\u2019re an excellent complement to the company\u2019s innovative craft beers\u2014a match seemingly made in heaven.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\"Clay
Clay Potter, Co-owner and Master Distiller at the Moon Distilling Co (supplied photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Moon Under Water Brewery, Pub & Distillery<\/b><\/h3>\n

Clay Potter, who brews beer and distils spirits at the Moon Under Water Brewery, Pub & Distillery<\/a> in Victoria, learned to appreciate beer early in his young life. Every Friday night, his mom, Anne Farmer-Ash, brought home a six pack\u2014each a different European brand and flavour. Mother and son would share a beer taste test. Meanwhile, Clay\u2019s stepfather, Steve Ash, operated a metal shop next door to Phillips Brewing when that firm first launched in Esquimalt. He got to know owner Matt Phillips (more on Matt later) and watched the company grow from a tiny craft brewery to the prime craft beer producer in British Columbia. \u201cWe loved their beers,\u201d said Clay. \u201cAnd my stepdad was there when welding and other metalwork was needed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Clay never intended to become a beer producer. Like Graeme, he studied microbiology at university and he thought medical school was in his future. Beer intervened. During a co-op work term, he began working at Lighthouse Brewery in Esquimalt. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI set up a testing lab for them,\u201d Clay said. \u201cThen the brewmaster left to set up his own company. So another young guy, Dan Murphy, and I were both promoted to brewer. We had home-brewed together in the past so we were the only two people there with any experience. Naturally, we had to scale up. I was only 20 but worked full time. Heady days. It took a while but I eventually also earned my UVic microbiology degree.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Clay grew ever more enamoured of the brewing process. \u201cI fell in love with the industry,\u201d he said. He spent more than three years at Lighthouse fermenting, brewing, filtering and packaging. And he also got involved in the technical side of brewing, the type of processes the happy-hour beer consumer might not think about. He set up a quality control lab and also developed a yeast management system that optimizes the concentration and oxygenation rates for different types of yeast strains. It seems to me that all his microbiology studies had an applied effect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite these brewing experiences, he wanted more education specifically devoted to the art and science of brewing and distilling. Where could he go? Scotland, of course. He enrolled at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After completing his studies at Heriot-Watt University, Clay returned to Canada.\u00a0 But what was he going to do with his further education in alcohol processing? Luckily, a friend spotted an advertisement: the Moon Under Water Brewery and Taphouse in downtown Victoria was for sale. \u201cTo finance the operation, my mom, stepfather and I pooled our resources,\u201d Clay recalled. \u201cWe all maxed out our credit cards, investing every last penny we could lay our hands on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Clay
Clay Potter, Steve Ash and Anne Farmer-Ash at the Moon Distillery in Victoria, BC (supplied photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Today, the three co-owners each have their niche. Anne runs the office, manages the finances and oversees the restaurant; Clay and his crew brew beer and distil spirits; and Steve ensures all the equipment works, while also pitching in whenever needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The family trio kept the Moon name, refurbished the pub, and focused on brewing German-style beers, continually inventing new flavours. The brewpub flourished, but after being in business for about five years, growth slowed. \u201cWe had a lot more craft breweries in BC but the pie wasn\u2019t getting bigger,\u201d Clay noted. \u201cThe ready-to-drink market was also expanding and cut into the craft beer market.\u201d So he dusted off his Edinburgh distilling credentials and started looking for a commercial still to supplement the brewery, especially as he and Steve had already been experimenting with distilling small batches of rye, whisky and rum in a 30-litre, all-copper still.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Moon
The Moon Distillery’s lounge (supplied photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A space next to the brewery became available, allowing room for a still and a tasting room complete with bar and barrel-shaped chairs. Clay bought a larger still, a 500-litre Genio still manufactured in Sielu\u0144, Poland. It looks different from most stills\u2014it has a black insulating outside cover\u2014and the pot\u2019s interior is lined with stainless steel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s designed for vodka,\u201d said Clay, \u201cbut it can bypass the plates to make whisky. I can add a gin column two feet tall that I fill with copper coils. That\u2019s the copper contact needed to make whisky. I bought this adaptable still because it was much less expensive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Moon
Genio still in the Moon’s distilling room (photo: Marianne Scott)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clay started distilling his Scottish-inspired whisky using 100% Vancouver Island-grown malted barley, supplied by Phillips Brewing and Malting, located just a few kilometres from the Moon. Proving Graeme Macaloney\u2019s statement that beer and spirits come from the same source, Moon\u2019s malted barley is mashed in mash tuns, and the wash is distilled through the Genio still, its column packed with copper coils to give it the required copper contact.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over time, Clay acquired 60 diverse casks that once held bourbon, Burgundy, Bordeaux and port. His whiskies are maturing in these casks tucked away in the brewery\u2019s nooks. Some of the casks were previously used to contain fruited and sour beers; they\u2019re now doing double\u2014even triple\u2014duty in the distillery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Moon
Ready for cocktail hour at the Moon Distillery (photo: Marianne Scott)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Moon\u2019s restaurant offers food and its craft beers, of course, and its distillery lounge focuses on the many elixirs Clay distills and flavours. Taking advantage of Victoria\u2019s blossoming cocktail culture, Clay created a fleet of flavoured vodkas and gins. He told me that gin has seen a revival and has become a best seller at the various farmer and craft markets. \u201cIt\u2019s now the \u2018in\u2019 cocktail spirit,\u201d he said. \u201cOur bartender and I are continuously experimenting with new cocktail recipes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Moon\u2019s flavoured gin infusions are on the cocktail menu, including Blueberry Gin, Citrus Gin\u2014flavoured with orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit peel\u2014as well as Spruce Tips Gin.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the Moon tasting room\u2019s advantages is that customers can order from the full pub bill-of-fare located right next door. Pairing food with cocktails is a capital idea for people who must drive home after their evening out. \u201cOur premises now do triple duty,\u201d said Clay. \u201cThe brewery\u2019s beers, the distillery\u2019s spirits and the restaurant\u2019s food all work together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\"Spinnakers
Spinnakers Brewpub in Victoria, BC (photo: Marianne Scott)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spinnakers Brewpub<\/b><\/h3>\n

In 1984, Paul Hadfield founded the purpose-built Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub<\/a>, the beginning of a brewpub revolution, allowing beer brewed on the premises to be sold in a pub or restaurant at the same location.<\/span><\/p>\n

Spinnakers is located on the Victoria Harbour in Vic West, where the view and the excellent beer and restaurant fare has turned it into a popular destination.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The brewery focuses on its craft classic ales, specialty beers, and on barrel-aged and sour beers. Some examples include Bourbon Black Lager, which is infused with bourbon-soaked oak chips, while Scottish Ale has a malty taste with just a hint of peat. Spinnakers also uses oak barrels that once contained red and white wines, whisky, rye whisky, bourbon and tequila to flavour their beers. They\u2019re called \u201cslow beers\u201d as they take time to mature.<\/span><\/p>\n

Like so many breweries and distilleries on Vancouver Island, Spinnakers is a family affair. One of Paul\u2019s daughters, Carly Hadfield, learned about beer making at home as a kid and after growing up, she and her partner Troy Pyett moved to Castlegar where they own the Lion\u2019s Head Pub. The other daughter, Kala, stayed home and also cut her teeth on brewing. When Spinnakers opened, Kala was just learning to crawl, and during her growing years Kala was exposed to the business of making beer and serving food. She served as one of Spinnakers\u2019 bartenders for a decade, dispensing beer in the taproom and mixing cocktails.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kala moved from serving beer to brewing after one of the brewers left. She already knew she preferred production over working the front of house. \u201cIn 2010, I started on the packaging line and making deliveries,\u201d she said. Over the next decade, she moved up through cellaring, brewing and cider making to a management position. \u201cI\u2019ve been a \u2018brew-collar worker,\u2019\u201d she quipped.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Spinnakers-Kala-Hadfield-by-her-iStill\"
Kala Hadfield with the Still at Spinnakers Brewpub (photo: Marianne Scott)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Along the way, Spinnakers decided to launch a distillery with Kala as its head distiller. The company bought a still manufactured by iStill, a firm located in the Netherlands. The stills they produce look different from traditional glossy ones: they\u2019re square and insulated with black foam. The iStill website claims they are 21<\/span>st<\/span> century manufacturers, whose square shaped-stills are easier to fit into distilleries, with lower electrical demands, and electronic systems that help craft distillers become more efficient.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing powered by electricity was a big deciding factor in choosing the iStill [since our brewery is also electric] and the fact that the small footprint of the still fits well in our condensed space,\u201d Kala commented.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As part of her distilling training, Kala signed up for a course with iStill, held in Napa Valley, California. \u201cIt was a week-long course, very hands-on,\u201d she said. \u201cIt included the theory of distilling too. But after the courses you have to learn the actual process yourself. It\u2019s an intense experience.\u201d She added that although presently she is the only distiller at Spinnakers, she is part of the team of brewers who provide the beer wash she uses as the base for distilling spirits\u2014again echoing Graeme Macaloney\u2019s views on the marriage of beer and liquor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI already had a good background in making mashes and fermenting,\u201d Kala said. \u201cThe challenge lay in learning to use the equipment that gives rise to our smooth vodka. I did a lot of experimenting and re-distilling. Of course, in comparison with beer, it takes vastly more volume passing through a still to produce just one litre of vodka or gin.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Spinnakers'
Spinnakers’ vodka line-up (photo: Marianne Scott)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After Kala imports Spinnakers malted-barley craft beer wash into her still, she runs it four times to create the low wine she needs for one spirit run. She then distills it two more times for the Breakwater Classic Vodka and a third time to make the Botanical Beach Gins to reach at least 95% alcohol purity. When diluted, the vodka\u2019s alcohol by volume is 40%. Two versions of gin are on offer: a London Dry type with an alcohol by volume of 43% and a \u201cNavy Strength\u201d style with a whopping 57% alcohol by volume. Sipping it made me feel my chest was on fire. She also created some new tipples including Au Currant Cr\u00e8me de Cassis, Chocoholic Cr\u00e8me de Cacao, Cranberry Gin and Strawberry Gin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that she has produced many batches of spirits, Kala is happy to have added distilling to her reservoir of talents. \u201cIt\u2019s fun,\u201d she said. \u201cI love learning new skills. It\u2019s a challenge and it\u2019s creative.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\"Matt
Matt Phillips (supplied photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Phillips Brewing<\/a> and Malting Co. and Fermentorium<\/b><\/h3>\n

Brewer\/distiller Matt Phillips started his career as a brewmaster and has based many of his brewing and distilling talents on his Mount Allison University\u2019s degree in microbiology. It seems like microbiology is a prerequisite for becoming a brewer\/distiller. \u201cIt\u2019s a great base,\u201d he said. \u201cFor example, it helps my knowledge of brewer\u2019s yeast. I know that when the yeast is happy, I\u2019m happy.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The road to success for this entrepreneur was built on tenacity, risk taking and the willingness to live without comfort\u2014at least for a while. Wanting to perfect his knowledge of the art and science of beer brewing, he came west: BC was <\/span>the<\/span><\/i> place for craft brewing. He worked at Whistler Brewing and Spinnakers, and then decided to open his own place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2001, Phillips opened his first 1,300-square-foot brewery in Esquimalt, on the second floor of an industrial building. Lacking cash flow, he bedded down (illegally) at the brewery for two years; fortunately, he could shower at a nearby gym. It was a completely do-it-yourself enterprise. He brewed the beer, bottled, labelled, packaged and delivered it to various liquor stores in a rented U-Haul truck. His beers were bold and unorthodox, especially for the times: Espresso stout, raspberry wheat ale and a boldly-hopped IPA.<\/span><\/p>\n

With growing success, Phillips moved twice, eventually settling into much larger premises on Government Street in 2008. Always looking to experiment, Matt had obtained a distilling licence while still in Esquimalt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Phillips'
Phillips’ Fermentorium Origins Pack (supplied photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Matt chose the name \u201cFermentorium\u201d for the distillery (a Phillips Distillery already existed in Minnesota). Along the way, he\u2019d obtained a huge old pot still. No one knows for sure when it was constructed\u2014I\u2019ve been told a variety of dates, but most agree it\u2019s at least 90 years of age. It\u2019s part of the copper still\u2019s mystery and mystique.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was nicknamed \u201cOld George\u201d and was moved in pieces to its new premises, where it languished. \u201cWe lacked the manpower to set up the old still,\u201d said Matt. Beer sales were so successful that distilling was put on the back burner. \u201cIt was after the government asked why we weren\u2019t using the still and threatened to revoke our licence that we went back to the idea of distilling.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Laurent
Laurent Lafuente with his whisky thief tasting a dram at Phillips Fermentorium (photo: Marianne Scott)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To begin the distilling process, Phillips obtained the services of master distiller Laurent LaFuente, who learned wine-making in Switzerland and subsequently specialized in distilling. Of French origin, Laurent sees poetry in local distilling. \u201cMaking spirits is creative,\u201d he told me. \u201cWhat I want to reach is \u2018creativity in a bottle.\u2019 When you drink craft spirits with friends, you know it\u2019s a special occasion. And when you buy a bottle of craft, you buy a piece of the soul of the people who created it. It brings little bits of happiness. Part of the spirit is the connection to the place we live. It\u2019s spiritual. We need roots. When we buy local, we\u2019re rooted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Laurent consults with many distilleries\u2014both start-ups and mature ones. He started the processing of Phillips\u2019 gins and whiskies in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt is highly pleased with having launched the distillery. \u201cIt\u2019s been a blast,\u201d he said. \u201cThe brewery is very busy and that gives us patience to wait for spirit maturity. It\u2019s not a stretch to distill. It\u2019s fun, challenging and a good add-on. We have the equipment that can cross over to some degree. We don\u2019t need to sell liquor for cash flow so we can take our time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The whiskies are being stored in casks previously containing bourbon, beer or pinot noir. \u201cWe crank out 250-300 barrels a year,\u201d Matt continued. \u201cOnce mature, these whiskies are barrel blended. Blending is a whole separate art. For the gin, every batch is slightly different. We mature it in barrels too. It\u2019s an art, a fun art, for both the nose and the mouth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Phillips
Phillips Maltworks (photo: Marianne Scott)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The barley the Fermentorium uses is grown on the Saanich Peninsula and the rest of Vancouver Island. Phillips added its own malting plant in 2015\u2014the colossal towers are located behind the brewing\/distilling building. Malting is the process when grains germinate or sprout in water. The wetted grain is then dried and when put in a mash tun produces the needed <\/span>enzymes and sugars for brewing and distilling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople don\u2019t often realize that barley must be malted before you can use it in making alcoholic beverages,\u201d Matt said. \u201cWe\u2019re now one of only three or four craft breweries\/distilleries in North America with its own malting plant.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the people who worked\u2014and trained\u2014with Laurent LaFuente is Damon Bell, now Phillips\u2019 main distiller. \u201cWe added a made-in-Germany Mueller Brennerei pot still in 2014,\u201d he told me.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wearing a baseball cap and plaid shirt and sporting a trimmed black beard, Damon hails from Manitoba. \u201cI learned distilling on the job,\u201d he said. \u201cI got pointers from Laurent LaFuente. He\u2019s very European, very romantic about distilling, very hands-on. I also read \u2018endless\u2019 treatises on the theory of distilling, but for me, having a mentor, someone with great distilling experience, is much better than going to school in Scotland.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n