The Liberty Distillery is an artisan style local Vancouver award winning distillery that boasts handcrafted, traditional spirits. I was finally able to visit their old world, blended with new world, sampling show room in the heart of Granville Island, local tourist destination over this past holiday season.
Glad I did!
Granville Island is situated under the Granville Street Bridge, some would say centrally located, some not. I find it easily accessible on foot, transportation, or by car. Parking however is a challenge in this rather busy spot, so I would suggest leaving the car at home.
I’m big on aesthetics, and it was the shape of the Gin bottle and pretty colour of the light pink hue that caught my eye on an end-of-summer trip to Salmon Arm where I first discovered the brand. Yes…….. it took me that long to get my proverbial shit together to finally make a visit during a holiday shopping trip to the “island”.
Nestled in one of the original factory warehouses that dot Granville Island, the showroom is more than inviting. It’s a sexy atmospheric, place with deep mahogany wood charm, a gorgeous bottle filled bar, tables full of bar accoutrément, and the ardent spirits on sale.
The distillery is on site and visible through large glass windows off of the showroom, and for me, quite interesting to look at. I love process, and the distillation procedure, as I understand these things, looks as complex as it is intriguing. A process detailed on their website and a great place to indulge in some taste testing and those observations.
Ok, so I wasn’t much into the monitoring of that said process as I was more into the sipping of the gin in the cocktail lounge I decided to sample after thoroughly investigating their detailed menu.
The Endeavour Gin Pink, I had already decided on from when I first laid eyes on it in BC’s Shuswap. Pink is crisp, clean, and very fresh tasting, true to what a great Gin should be! I can only imagine the others from their collection as being equally vibrant.
I stayed for 3, or was that 4?
Who can remember such things lol? I did however, remember to make my purchase choices of the Pink Gin and the triple distilled Trust Southern Whiskey for my partner, a book on Negroni, and some bar tools.
I did mention that are an award winning distillery right? Multiple awards I might add;
“750mL – Limited Release
AWARDS
GOLD WITH DISTINCTION – Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition 2021
GOLD – Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition 2020
BRONZE – San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2019
BRONZE – International Wine & Spirit Competition 2017”
Each product has a highly detailed page description of what they have on offer. Not just Gin, but a 9 strong assortment of Whiskey in varying flavours, and ages. they also have 3 un-aged whiskies to choose from, 2 vodkas, and 4 different Gins, which includes the Pink I was relishing.
The Pink I was living for is described as below, taken from the product page;
“Inspired by a classic gin cocktail made fashionable in the mid-19th century, Endeavour Pink Gin begins with our triple-distilled, 100% Organic BC wheat spirit. An aromatic blend of (18) botanicals were slowly infused during re-distillation in our single copper pot still. These botanicals were carefully selected for their bouquet, consistency and colour.
Distiller’s Tasting Notes at the Still (72.8% alc./vol.):
The “Heart” cut begins with dominant floral notes with undertones of wild rosehips, then slowly evolves to finish with delicate aromas of wild rose.
In The Bottle (47% alc./vol.):
A compelling complex gin with rose and citrus notes. A variety of wild hip rosehips are combined with a juniper base to produce a stunning all-natural Pink Gin.
On the nose, Endeavour Pink presents delicate notes of floral rose and framboise. Traditional gin botanicals of juniper, coriander and citrus peel follow, and finishes with an intriguing hint of star anise.
On the palate, this is a forthright gin. It pushes the botanicals forward leading to a smooth, lingering finish. Powerful, yet easy to drink on its own; when blended it creates a bright, refreshing cocktail. Its beautiful vibrant pink colour will charm all, and at extra strength (47% alc./vol) will excite gin enthusiasts everywhere.
*Please note this is an all-natural coloured gin and will fade with time and exposure to direct sunlight.”
Service is top-notch from a more than friendly wait staff, and the room filled with happy chatty folks from far and wide. Just the kind of people Granville Island attracts.
You can order from the website, but they only ship domestically. The connoisseurs will find it a very informative website. A fantastic read to educate yourself about the subtle nuances of what goes into this kind of crafting, the history, location, what they have on offer. It’s a lot! I particularly loved their Mission and Values.
“From Grains to Glass. See the Full Story”
Next time your in the area, I highly recommend The Liberty Distillery. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon.
