Two Cowboys: The Spice Must Flow with Alberta Steak Spice in Canmore, Alberta, Canada

It’s the Spice

Someone once said that you can never have too much spice in your life. We agree. As we get older and our palates develop, some would say mature, we definitely lean towards discovering new and bolder flavors for cooking. Spice is one of the go-to options to add more flavor. It allows us to broaden our culinary repertoire. We have our favorites but we are always open to discover new ones.

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There are a lot of places in the world known for spice production and its use in specific cultures and cooking. Mexico for chilies, India for curries, and Asia immediately come to mind with a mind-numbing array of bold spicy flavors. We didn’t think that the Province of Alberta was one of them until we discovered that it is the New World’s main producer of mustard! This opened our eyes to the adventures of Alberta’s spice masters.

We were fortunate enough to have met one of them, Larry Gale, at the Canmore Uncorked Food Festival a couple of years ago. Today, he is the inventor, proprietor and general cheerleader of Alberta’s newest and most adventurous journey into spice production - blending spice. According to Larry, Alberta has a unique demand for a  foundational spice that goes well with its world-renowned Black Angus Alberta beef.

However, he didn’t stop there. Once the foundation was laid he discovered that it worked with a lot more than Beef. It spiced up chicken, ribs, seafood, vegetables. In fact, Larry will canvas for the use of his spice even on Ice Cream!

The real opportunity came for Larry’s product when he hunted for a name for his spice. At first he settled on the unassuming and generally accepted convention for plain and simply referring to it as Alberta Steak Spice. Alberta’s people are Prairie farm folk. Simple folk. It is better to make it clear what the stuff in the bottle is for.

Then it struck him. Larry invented “ASS”! Or, more commonly referred to as Alberta’ ASS. The acronym for (A)lberta (S)teak (S)pice is ASS. This opened up all kinds of wicked marketing possibilities which he hasn’t even started to explore.

Observations

The novelty of the name may be the first thing that attracts someone to ASS. However, once you tried ASS you want to use it a little more in your daily cooking. We’ve used it on our steak and we’ve liked it more and more.

The blend is course, yet versatile, and a little on the peppery side - the way folks like it here in Alberta. It is a base blend which allows you to add more of your own adventures like a little more cyan pepper, mustard for pork, all spice fr chicken or even brown sugar for caramelization. Larry mentioned that he is adding to the ASS repertoire with a finer version of ASS (Alberta Seasoning Spice). He is doing it because folk have been using ASS on so much of their food and so many different kinds of food that there is scope for something with even more use.

We can see this only the beginning for this novel idea. It has our support. Where will you be able to get your own ASS, I hear you ask.

You can buy it online for worldwide shipping, in your local supermarket in Alberta (soon British Columbia and the rest of Canada). It is also available in the Two Cowboys Store. (http://www.twocowboysstore.com)

Hendrik van Wyk

Spice Cowboy

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Traveling Cowboys: Trying Out New Hat Styles at Calgary's Only Custom Hat Manufacturer, Smithbilt Hats

It's a Fedora

Some people will call just about anything with a brim and a fixed crown a “fedora”. For the purist, a fedora is a felt hat with pinched sides and a lengthwise crease down the crown. It gives the front a familiar wedge-like shape.

One of the big advantages of a fedora and one of the reasons for the style's popularity is the wide flexible brim. Fedora brims are flat with no constructed edge or curl. The brim can be bent up or down as the wearer pleases.

The crown and the brim can both be moulded to the wearer’s taste. It means one can extract a lot of personality from these hats. The shape of the hat always communicates personality. So does the way it is worn. For example, it can be tilted down over the eyes which gives a mysterious "I mean business" look. It can be angled slightly upward for a more open and approachable form.

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We love wearing out Cowboy hats. Brian Hanson from Smithbilt Hats shaped them for us and over the years it's become a part of who we are and a key element of our brand.

There are many practical reasons for wearing a hat and we don't need fashion to convince us to do it. We wear hats because without it we're not dressed properly. It enhances our personality, keep the sun out of our eyes and it means business.

Enhancing personalities with hats is something Smithbilt has done for almost a hundred years. They've done it for many, many celebrities and visitors alike to Canada's largest western city. We are glad to be counted among them and glad that we can support one of the last hat makers in our country.

There's a saying that goes, "Never touch a Cowboy's hat". We are quite happy with ours, so don't even try touching or interfering with the way we look. However, Brian invited us to find out more about some of the other, more contemporary, styles of hats manufactured and shaped by this iconic company. We were introduced to the Baby Grizzly and the iconic Fedora.

If you want to see more of the "newer" style hats we recommend a visit in person to their new more contemporary building. If you cannot make it in person, check out their hat collection and accessories in their recently launched online store.

Observations

We wear hats and we encourage more people to do so. Remember, that when you wear a hat there is an etiquette.

For example, it used to be polite to take your hat off when entering a building, but the loss of hat-check girls (what an era!) and hat racks means this is no longer a rule. No one wants to put a hat that costs hundreds of dollars on a seat a greasy countertop or hold it in your hands trying to go about their business.

Take your hat off when eating. A real cowboy still takes it off in the presence of a lady, or in church. Tip your hat to a gentleman the first time you meet him and to a lady every time you greet her. Tipping your hat to a man thereafter becomes "weird". For a lady, it continues to be a sign of respect.

One last and important rule, never touch another cowboy’s hat. That’s just asking for trouble.

Hendrik van Wyk

Cowboy

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The Hat

Fedora

Celebrities

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Cowboys

Two Cowboys: Discovering Alberta's Own Cheese at Sylvan Star Cheese in Red Deer, Alberta

It's the Cows

There is an old saying that money doesn't grow on trees. It also doesn't sprout when you put it in the ground. In today's age of mass food production, processed and manufactured produce, we sometimes forget where food is supposed to come from.

At places like Sylvan Star Cheese, we are reminded of the principles of quality food production. It is as simple as this. Good seeds are planted in fertile soil to sprout beautiful fields. Fields feed happy dairy cows. Dairy cows produce delicious milk and milk make fantastic cheese. Happy cows eating well is the key to world-champion winning cheese. It all depends on the cows according to John Schalkwyk, who's been making cheese for over fifty years.

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When the Schalkwyk family from The Netherlands wanted to start a farm with more space and more of a future, they decided to take a look at Canada. Dairy has been in the family for generations. However, it became too hard as small entrepreneurs in The Netherlands to survive in the restrictive regulatory climate that favors large corporations in the European Union.

The Schalkwyks traveled all over Canada and found that Alberta has space and scope for dairy. Quebec and British Columbia may be known for dairy production and Alberta for its barley and oil. However, what Alberta lacked were a few healthy and happy dairy cows. According to John, you can make cheese wherever you can produce dairy, and there are not many places in the world where you cannot milk a cow.

In 1995 they found a nice place between Sylvan Lake and Red Deer where they settled and started their dairy farm with a herd of Holstein's. It sounds idyllic. However, within Canada's restrictive supply managed dairy environment it is probably one of the hardest business in the country to start and grow. Alberta doesn't have many dairy farmers. Not because it is cold. Because someone in Government decided that Canada has enough dairy and new entrants to the industry are discouraged.

While launching their dairy farm, the Schalkwyks had a hard time finding an excellent piece of cheese in Canada, so they decided to go back to an old family tradition, making good Gouda cheese. John has a long history of Gouda making which he inherited from his mother. He's been making cheese in The Netherlands for 30 years prior to coming to Canada. The next natural progression was to add value to the dairy they produced, and in 1999 they ordered equipment from Holland and started Sylvan Star Cheese.

Now 16 years later Sylvan Star Cheese is renowned for its farm-made Gouda. They have won numerous Canadian awards as #1 Gouda, Extra Aged Gouda and smoked Gouda. Their extra aged gouda, also known as "Grizzly" because of its bite and power, is ranked #4 in the world. Clearly, John followed in his mother's footsteps. In 1952 she also won first prize in The Netherlands with her Gouda for which she received a prize from princess Wilhelmina!

Observations

Today the next generation is taking over. Son, Jeroen runs the dairy farm with a herd of about 240 Holstein's, while John and his wife are devoted to making cheese.

Regardless of their success, you will find John at the local Farmers' market where he sells directly to his customers. As a small producer and entrepreneur he continues to survive and grow because, according to him, it's all about happy cows.

According to me, it is because of the hard-working pioneering and persevering spirit of someone that wakes at four in the morning to take care of his first love, his cows, regardless of what some bureaucrat, lawmaker, and tax collector, somewhere in the doldrums government decide about his future.

Makers have no choice. They are compelled to continue to produce. If it becomes too hard in one place, they will move elsewhere. We have no choice but to keep telling their stories. We are proud to support the Schalkwyks, and we enjoy our Sylvan Star cheese.

Hendrik van Wyk

Dairy Cowboy

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Making Cheese 

Poutine Ingredients

Winners

Everyone Helps

Resting

Spicy Cheese

It's the Cows

o-CNN: Getting New Zealand Lamb at One of Auckland's Original Family Owned Butcheries in Swanson, NZ

Family

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There are not many companies around after a hundred years. There are even fewer small businesses that make it to generation three and four.

Destination butchers are struggling, and those surviving are doing so because of their hard-earned reputation.

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We've found one in West Auckland that is our go-to place for the best New Zealand lamb when we are in that part of the world. Part of their story is that nothing much has changed for the last century except that it is passed on from one generation to the next.

Calvert's Butchery has been in the same spot and the same building since 1924 (70 Swanson Rd, Swanson, Auckland 0612). The business is older than the building. Brad Calvert is generation four that took over from his father, John. John himself spent more than fifty years at the company's well-worn butcher's block.

Young Matt knows his way around deboning and butterflying a lamb shoulder. He has done it for the last fifteen years, and he is not a Calvert. He just looks like he is family.

Observations

You are greeted by name when you step in the door. The Calverts remember the names of the Two Cowboys from Canada and is always inquiring about the welfare of Henry (our Camera).

There is surprisingly little on display except for their sharp wit and dry Kiwi humour. You have to ask for what you want. Brad or Matt will cut rump steak, lamb shoulder, pork roast right there for you. It is the way it used to be done, and how they still do it today. You are getting your meat from the best produce New Zealand has on offer. Every carcass is personally selected for their customers. It is not supermarket quality meat. Much, much better.

There is no make-believe in this business. It is as authentic as it comes. If you are out of place, it is probably because it feels like you have stepped into the twilight zone at Calvert's Butchery. You have. Places like these don't exist anymore. Calvert's is in a timeless spot that hasn't changed in a hundred years, while the world around it moved on.

I will bet that they will be there in another one hundred years doing the same thing, in the same way. Why mess with it when it works? If we are around, it will be our preferred stop for our New Zealand lamb fix.

Hendrik van Wyk
Kiwi Cowboy

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Concentration

Old-School

Lamb!

Two Cowboys: Local Production and Community Support with Dave's Hot Pepper Jelly in Invermere, British Columbia, Canada

Your Maker

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People start businesses for all kinds of reasons.

As idyllic as some may make it sound, starting a business and working for oneself is not for everyone. Some people are born entrepreneurs. Others are not cut out for it. There are a few lurking surprises that may easily trip up budding and aspiring entrepreneurs.

First of all, it requires a massive investment - money, many hours of hard work, dedication, commitment, innovation and patience. All of these need to be orchestrated and delicately balanced, coupled with an enormous amount of luck for success. Then sometimes there is the bitter realisation that one might not make a whole lot of money from a specific endeavour after all. It is this last part that some entrepreneurs find particularly difficult to navigate.

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Facing reality and having to change course regularly is not easy for most people. It is paramount for a successful entrepreneur. If you are an entrepreneur, it can cost you your livelihood if you are too stuck in a particular frame of mind. These people are the ones that push on against the odds with, for example, an unrealistic profit goal as the primary motive for their labour. Their return on effort becomes a huge disappointment and usually continues to be, the longer they persevere. The harder they try, the worse it can become. The more they persevere, the more costly it becomes financially and emotionally.

Money, and more accurately, profit should not be the reason for being in business. It removes the agility that should naturally come with entrepreneurship. When people with an overbearing money motive become entrepreneurs, it is often out of necessity. They may not succeed in finding employment or be in a place that doesn't offer other opportunities to earn or enough for their standard of living. They are likely to be hampered by a lack of passion for what they do and for what it takes to succeed.

Financial reward should be the result or outcome of a successful business with the right foundational values. If a company exists for the right reasons, then profit becomes a by-product of an entrepreneur's overall success.

What then are the right reasons for being in your own business?

Makers and Connectors

Some people have a desire to become involved in all aspects of a company's operation. We call them the pathological learners. They are the makers and creators. One position, one job, product, a single career is not enough to stimulate their curiosity. Having their own business give these entrepreneurs an opportunity to do and try a lot of different things.

Their primary motive for being in business is to learn, explore and experience. They find new and innovative ways to accomplish goals. They are the inventors, engineers, creators and experimenters. Their success heavily relies on their ability to gather a team around them to fill the gaps they leave. They move from one fascinating opportunity and project to the next.

Other people start businesses with the desire to put a personal touch back into doing business. People are motivated by meaning and purpose and the synergy it provides with others. They are the connectors and value creators. Having one's own business intimately involves the owner with staff and with customers. It offers a chance to connect with people and with a cause that may not have been possible otherwise. Sometimes the reason goes beyond the business operations and involves a larger community or purpose.

We often get feedback from entrepreneurs that their single biggest reward from their business is the recognition they get from others. They are motivated by the contribution and value they provide to the lives of others. This gives them a feeling of accomplishment. They feel that they are offering a valuable service to their customers, and they pride themselves on doing the best job possible. The best part of doing it as an entrepreneur is that they get to choose the people with whom they associate.

If a business is founded on innovative production and the value it provides to stakeholders such as community, customers and staff, then it is on a solid foundation. Revenue and profits will come because the entrepreneur will be equipped to navigate the complexity of the endeavour and make the changes that ultimately unlocks value, and ensures the business' success.

The business then has a higher purpose.

Observations

We met up Dave and Kathy from Dave's Hot Pepper Jelly in Invermere, British Columbia, to learn about the foundations of their jelly business. Kathy and Dave is one of the first sponsors of the work we do to promote local producers. It is about time we tell their inspiring story.

The company was motivated by Dave's love of hot and zesty foods. After trying a flavoured Jalapeno jelly, Dave thought he could do better and began experimenting with his own flavours. He started cooking up batches of Jalapeno jelly more than 20 years ago. Originally, Dave would give it away to his friends and acquaintances. After giving away several hundred jars, he realised there was probably a market for his creation. He set up his first outlet with the Invermere Farmers' Market.

When he met his wife Kathy, who was also a devotee of all things spicy, they decided to turn their collective passion for hot foods into a family business. The result is the ten flavours of Dave's Hot Pepper Jelly, many markets and lots of travel later, several retail speciality stores and supermarkets stocking the treat.

The next chapter in this business is still to be written. We have a feeling it has the potential to make a significant social and community contribution in the Invermere area. It may be the catalyst to inspire more makers to start businesses possibly with social value. This business is not just about jelly. It can be a whole lot more. When we listen to Kathy's passion, we are betting it will be.

We have two favourite applications, other than the obvious uses for Dave's Hot Pepper Jelly. The one is with fried Camembert cheese. Put the Camembert (or Brie) in a pan. Top it with your desired flavour from Dave's jelly and watch the cheese melt and the jelly caramelise. Eat with toast or on a South American arepa. Delicious!

The second application may be more traditional. We've put it on barbequed salmon while cooking on the grill with a little herb D'Provence, salt and a lot of lemon juice. It introduced spicy sweetness with a definite bite and cuts through the fattiness of the fish. Highly recommended!

Dave and Kathy have been supporters of our cause from the start, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for valuing the work we do. We hope we can return the favour manyfold as we encounter them on our travels through Alberta, BC and beyond. We encourage you to support them and their business.

Hendrik van Wyk
Hot (Pepper) Cowboy

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Brave Soldiers

Survival Pack

Lonely Jelly

Community Support

Two Cowboys: Every Kiwi Kid's Dream at Rayglass Boats in Auckland, New Zealand

Dreams On the Water

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There's a modesty that comes with the Kiwi culture that is striking. New Zealand's producers are doing phenomenal things on the international stage with innovative products and services. They set the tone for, and lead innovation in many industries.

The source for this success is quite simple. Make the things you love, and keep making it better. However, when you ask them about it, the most you get out of them is. "Yee-na, Mate. We're just doing what needs to be done until she's right." Simple!

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There is one industry that is in the blood of every Kiwi. The boating and fishing business is big business Downunder. They love fishing whenever weather permits and is working daily to refine this art and the tools of the trade. The best fishing is in a Rayglass boat on the water, we're told.

We checked in with Dave Larsen and his team at Rayglass Boats. The company's products are well known in New Zealand and abroad as a premium option for leisure craft. The dream of every fisherman on the Islands is to have a Rayglass boat for his weekend fishing "trup".

Not many people know that their Protectors range is also an option of choice for hard work on the water. They've found favour with companies and law enforcement in most parts of the globe. Especially in Europe, United States, Canada, Australia, Scandinavia, Russia, Asia and throughout the Pacific, they are used to travel quickly, safely and comfortably in virtually any conditions. They serve as patrol and rescue boats, as support vessels for international yacht racing teams, as fast pleasure cruisers and sports fishing boats and as superyacht tenders.

Dave and his team are living the dream by making the boat ownership dreams of others come true. Their reputation for excellence in design, construction, finish and performance is the result of a total commitment by everyone at Rayglass to quality. Their boats are the product of extensive research and development to constantly improve the designs, ride, seaworthiness and all round family comfort.

Observations

We've asked Dave about this extensive research and development and was surprised by his answer. I am not going to repeat his words, but it comes down to the fact that they have so much knowledge and experience of what works on the water, and so many years of refining the offering that they remain untouched by their competition. They set the standard by listening to their customers and iterating quickly to be responsive to meeting these needs. Their exceptional on-water performance comes from the utmost attention to quality and detail.

The highest endorsement of Rayglass’ performance came from the organisers of the world’s most prestigious yacht races - the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup - who have chosen on several occasions to have a fleet of Legend and Protector boats for on-water patrol and umpiring vessels.

Rayglass manufactures all their boats in Auckland New Zealand and sends it the world over. According to Dave, none are at the bottom of the ocean. Of all the units that have been manufactured in almost three decades, none have ever sunk. "They are unsinkable!" When I enquired about the colours in which the boats are available I was politely informed that the latest craze in Kiwi boat fashion is a "racing green stripe" (see photo below).

Talk about modesty and simplicity! The best unsinkable fishing boat in the world with a racing green stripe.

Hendrik van Wyk

Captain Cowboy

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Rayglass in Glass

Boat Finishing

Protector Protecting

Perspective

Racing Green

Two Cowboys: Advanced Composite Manufacturing for Hand-Built Personalized Fishing Rods at Maven in Auckland, New Zealand

Happy Places

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Marry art, design and modern composite material manufacturing and what do you get? A husband and wife team in New Zealand that works together to make beautiful, one-of-kind, purpose-built fishing rods!

According to Gayleen Pratt, the driving force behind the Maven brand, it is as much about fishing, as it is about engineering beautiful, functional pieces of art. You'll believe her when you see the care she takes to apply a thin layer of lacquer to the windings of a beautiful custom fishing rod. A piece for a lucky customer somewhere in the world. She does it several times over several days to complete a fishing rod that can take up to two weeks to make.

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Maven was inspired by a childhood spent fishing the Firth of Thames. Gayleen grew up in the typical natural Kiwi kid playground of a jetty, on an ocean inlet somewhere on the coast of Aotearoa. It is the place where kids usually pass the time swimming, fishing, playing and generally living the good New Zealand life. It is also where they dream about their future. Gayleen and Stephen never knew that what they may have taken for granted growing up, will one day become an essential part of the inspiring story behind the Maven brand. Artful Fishing.

Maven was launched in Auckland in 2007. Gayleen and Stephen applied their passions for design, technology and off course, fishing, to create something beautiful, functional and unique. They brought it together for something equally at home on super yachts, as it is at the local lake, or a jetty in the hands of a Kiwi kid.

Maven rods blend purist design aesthetics and an impeccable technical pedigree to create a modern classic. Each features a retro-chic longitudinal pinstripe and arch pattern. "The lengthways pinstripe is a world-first for a fishing rod", according to Stephen. "We wanted to create something that would be truly treasured and bring many years of enjoyment. It should be a trusted friend, with which you share many happy moments, in happy places."

Observations

Maven's team works from a state of the art facility situated on the edge of native bushland in Auckland, New Zealand. Their products are jewels of engineering. If you can ever call a fishing rod a piece of art, then this is it.

I am sure some people can get wax-lyrical about their fishing rods. How it helped them to land the big one, or caused it to get away. Granted, Maven's products are beautiful, and they are state-of-the-art. However, we found something more profound than fishing rods during our visit. The real story behind Maven is the passion of two people for engineering and design. This is not so much a fishing rod business, as it is a business for beauty, function and ingenuity.

Stephen walked us through the manufacturing process, and he kept using familiar phrases. Words we've become used to hearing over the months we've been profiling high-achieving producers. "We needed a way to do this, so I made that." "This is different from what other's do, so I made a machine that can do it." "It is a special tool I made to solve that problem."

Stephen may as well be tinkering on the next Pagani or space rocket. The end product will be phenomenal because it is not really about the product. It is in the process, method and ultimately the joy in the journey to get there. No matter what he makes, it is simply a path to, and an outlet for his real passion. The art of engineering and design.

Here is another example. We all know Apple makes great computers and mobile devices. However, it is their design and engineering ingenuity that results in great computers and mobile devices. You can have the right idea, but without the means to pull it off, and the passion for the process of making it, it will forever remain elusive.

I have no doubt that Stephen and Gayleen can take the next project and pull it off as well as they are doing Maven's fishing rods because the smarts and rewards are in the process of designing the making. As with many businesses we discover in far-away little New Zealand, this is yet another example of world-class and remarkable. We are honoured to tell the story and hope you enjoy it with us.

Hendrik van Wyk
Fishing Cowboy

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Delicate

Perfection

Colours

Steady

Aotearoa Made

Two Cowboys: A Lifetime of Making at Wild Rose Jewellery & Gifts in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

New Home

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Garo Yanikyan was born in Armenia. At the age of twelve, he started with his apprenticeship pulling gold wire for his uncles. With his family members, he trained to become a Goldsmith. One day he would travel the world and settle in Okotoks, Canada.

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In those days and within those cultures, people were born into a vocation. One grew up with it and in it. It was who you were, even before you picked up your first implement to make your first ring. You were expected to do it. Your trade was you and your family's identity and association.

Years, even decades of work will pass to improve your techniques and hone your skills until finally, you became a Master Craftsman. It was the way to support and provide for your family. Until one day, it became your duty to lead and train new apprentices to follow your footsteps.

Passing on knowledge and experience to the next generation assured the continuation of the craft. It was the work that made it possible to earn a living and provide for one's loved ones. It is was also the work that contributed to the values of one's community and the beauty of one's life.

It was in this life where the journey started for Garo. It would eventually bring him to a small town south of Calgary called Okotoks. Here he became the master Goldsmith for Okotoks. He raised his family and contributed to this community. Yanik became Okotokian. Canadian. He is Wildrose Jewellery.

In Okotoks, he watched life go by for more than thirty years. For a small oil town at the Foothills of the Rocky Mountains, that is more than a lifetime of change. It grew from a sleepy little farming community to one of the fastest growing and popular living destinations in Alberta, Canada.

A lot changed since Garo and his wife arrived in the early eighties. Not only did the town grow, but the people also changed. The world has changed for the Goldsmith. The appreciation for the millennium-old craft of goldsmithing declined as people's expectations increased.

Progress or Regress

The age-old demands of quick turnarounds and bold or delicate new designs prevailed. Only now, the distinction of the craftsman is getting replaced by a machine that does it faster, better and cheaper.

It is the birth of jewellery manufacturing. Rings are now designed on computers. Milling and casting machines fabricate faultless and perfect copies, on mass, in automated "factories". Machines do a better job at making jewellery, and it costs almost nothing to put out thousands of items. The smith's road is coming to an end. Garo's world is disappearing.

"People still need to get things fixed," Garo says. "That, machines cannot do, yet. It still makes me useful." While Garo's world is disappearing, the rest of us are also losing something profound. Soon we may be living in a world with no Goldsmiths. Old-world Artisans like Garo, are disappearing from our towns and communities that are now driven by automation and a fixation with consumerism. With them, they take thousands of years of knowledge and skills that were honed through generations of artistry. With them, they take away art. The evidence for civilisation.

By losing them, we are losing a kind of person. We are losing a producer, a maker and an artist. With this loss, we may be losing our very identity.

At least we will have our perfect rings.

Hendrik van Wyk
Wildrose Cowboy

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Two Cowboys: Park Distillery Lifting Festive Spirits in Banff, Alberta, Canada

Pure

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Where in the world can you drink the water from six glaciers?

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High in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, there is a place that many have on their bucket list. It makes the list for spectacularly close wildlife encounters, and breathtaking snow capped Rocky Mountain scenery. Banff and Lake Louise is this portal to heavenly skiing, hiking and only breathing. It is a place for all seasons that offers spectacular dining, luxury accommodations and foto-finish opportunities around every corner of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

There is another reason to add Banff National Park to your list. We thank Park Distillery for that. In 2013, the Alberta Government changed the rules to make room for "craft distilleries". Like craft breweries, these producers distill unique one-of-a-kind small batch elixirs, which they share with discerning local clientele. They produce the early and easy money makers like Gin, Vodka and Rye. Whisky takes time to mature and is scheduled for later.

Precious

You are also unlikely to find any of these spirits on the shelves of your local liquor store. Alberta's craft spirits are proving so popular that the production from the current six operational distilleries is often only available from them directly. Supply is limited. It is not for sale outside Alberta, Canada. To get your hands on a bottle, you have to get it yourself at your favourite distillery or tap one of the Alberta's Spirit Ambassadors (The people that snag a bottle and take it for family and friends in far off countries, like New Zealand.)

With local knowledge and relying on long-standing associations and friendships, you may be able to score a snort of the latest flavour Gin or Rye. If you are in excellent standing with the Master Distiller, you may get your name onto the secretive "Whisky list". Being on this list merely offers a chance to bid at a future auction for something to be released three to five years from now. Even this is no guarantee of success for getting a bottle of the first editions of Alberta's Craft Whisky.

Park Distillery took it one step further by placing their Still in the middle of Banff Town, on Main Street, in a large three-floor world-class restaurant. It is the location in the National Park for hand-crafted spirits, inventive cocktails, paired with mouthwatering Alberta produce from a top-shelf menu.

When I pushed Matt Hendriks, Master Distiller of Park Distillery on the reason for his success, he affirmed modestly. "It is in the water. Six glaciers, fresh, straight-up, no twist and pure as the air you breathe water is used to distill Alberta's finest barley and botanicals."

I think he is too modest. After 13 years as a prize-winning cocktail bartender, Matt knows his Gin from his Vodka and his Lime from his Lemon. He is also a pathological learner. With half a chance to embark on his next adventure, he took to distilling like a duck takes to water. Frankly, he is the kind of guy with the energy and drive that will make a success of anything that peeks his interest. It has been one great and successful journey since for the young entrepreneur, and we hope it will continue for quite a while longer.

In his words. "If I get my whisky right, I will still have a chance to drink my thirty-year-old, when I am sixty-five."

We congratulate him on his success and hope to have an opportunity to share it with him for a long time. In the meantime, we have another excuse to travel to downtown Banff.

Cheers!

Hendrik van Wyk
Tipsy Cowboy

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Two Cowboys: Small Businesses and Artisans at the Spruce Meadows Christmas Market 2016 in Calgary, Alberta

Horses and Reindeer

Rudolph is sleeping. That is what we were told when we visited the Spruce Meadows Christmas Market for 2016 on opening weekend. All the other Reindeer were there. They were getting ready for the annual Christmas Night marathon with Mr Clause. Rudolph may not be disturbed. He is preparing in his way. By meditating at Spruce Meadows.

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There isn't much snow around Calgary, Alberta yet. The temperatures are dropping for sure and that means winter is here. It also means that Christmas is near.

The market at Spruce Meadows is one of the biggest in Alberta. At the market, there are more than 250 Artisan vendors that come from as far as Quebec and Nanaimo. They all make their annual pilgrimage to Alberta's Prairie city to tap into the biggest opportunity offered by Canada's fastest growing city. Some consider the market as their significant opportunity for last-minute revenue before Christmas. Call it their Christmas bonus.

The International Christmas Market is held over three weekends. This year it is November 18-20, November 25-27 and December 2-4, 2016.

Hand-Made in Alberta

There were many familiar faces at the market. They are the vendors we've met during our year of covering the area's Farmers' Markets. It is encouraging to see so many of the local producers well represented. Some local producers use the market to launch a new product or new packaging. The agricultural producers like the cheese makers, beekeepers and maple syrup vendors, all bring their products to market after the year's good harvest.

There were also new vendors that launched their products for the first time. A Christmas market is a great opportunity for fledgeling producers to validate their offering. They can give prospective customers a first-hand taste or view of their goods and solicit immediate feedback. It is also they time when they discover just how much work goes into building their businesses.

The Christmas Market is the perfect place to unwind with friends and soak up the festive atmosphere. It is the perfect place to shop, dine and socialise. It is a great opportunity to support our local producers. Spruce Meadows is the ideal venue for the market with lots of indoor space, the agricultural setting, and ample parking.

If there is one item missing from the market it would be our mobile food vendors we encountered all over Alberta's markets. We understand that the weather doesn't always co-operate to have food vendors outside. On the other hand, we've covered amazing food producers that will jump at the opportunity to help feed the thousands of visitors at this market. We are Canadian after all. Who is worried about a little cold?

Calgary may not be the most optimistic city in Canada at the moment due to continuing economic pressures. The market showed little of the recession. While spending may be under pressure in the city, local production is up. People are making more things. Christmas cakes, gloves, chocolate, bags, cheese, perogies, woodcraft, shoe polish, and much, much more. If there are no readily available jobs in the city, there will always be enterprising folk that finds a way.

The Spruce Meadows Market is such a way where you can bring your wares to market, and you can support your neighbour. We are glad we made the trip. We are glad we can meet our friends and neighbours at the market. Most importantly, we are glad that our money spent is going towards helping a neighbour grow his or her local business.

Merry Christmas!

Hendrik van Wyk
Christmas Cowboy

Get rewarded for supporting our local Producers: Receive special offers and invitations from the Two Cowboys and our Producers when you subscribe to our email list.

We are a content company. We earn our livelihood from producing great content about inspiring people and their stories. We use Patreon to help us earn from our work. It allows us to have a closer relationship with our collaborators and grow our audience. If you Sponsor us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/twocowboys or Donate to our cause on GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/twocowboys we can do a lot more.

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Welcome

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