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 on a Journey: Eau Claire Distillery, Turner Valley - Alberta

The Essence of Alberta

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Alberta is well known for its black gold. The Province is loved and loathed for its production of oil. It has been more 100 years since the discovery of oil and gas. Turner Valley was the first place in the province to become well known for the abundance of this valuable resource. 

There is another gold that made Alberta famous or infamous at the turn of the last century. This one came in a glass. During the 1870's there were many independent companies trading whisky to the Native peoples of the south-west part of the North-West Territories. In 1873, the Canadian government formed the North-West Mounted Police to reduce the use of alcohol as a trading currency. Prohibition ensued in 1916 to distill in 1923. However, the commercial production of whisky and beer and any form of liqueur remained under tight control of the Alberta Government, until relatively recently.

Today, the price and production of Oil is under pressure. Thousands of Albertans are forced to find alternative ways to make a living. Sooner or later history usually repeats itself. It is almost inevitable that the resourcefulness of these people brings them right back to the core products that are made possible by a strong agricultural heritage. Alberta's farming gold. Alberta produces some of the worlds best grains and honey. The grains make Alberta beef taste phenomenal. With honey, it is also the backbone and currency that drives a renaissance in the production of the best beer, spirits and mead. 

Alberta exports its honey, barley, malt and wheat without adding much value. It is sent to countries like Scotland where it is made into the world's best Scotch. Germans use their barley and wheat to brew their beer. This is about to change. A few outstanding entrepreneurial Albertans are taking the lead at using Albert's other gold to produce amazing products. 

Impressions

Alberta is slowly getting back into the liqueur business. The history is deep. Many say it is in their Alberta veins. David Farran and his team at Turner Valley's Eau Claire Distillery is one of the Producers that is putting Alberta on the world stage of craft distilling. Their Parlour Gin is delicious. We cannot wait to taste their whisky when it is ready in 2018.

Eau Claire's two young master distillers (one an import from Scotland) use the very best ingredients local Alberta has to offer. "It comes from my farm, fifteen minutes down the road," Farran says. They distil small batches with unique attributes of the terroir. A little bit of Turner Valley, some of Olds, and cacti from the Southern Prairies of Alberta (I will let you discover this one for yourself). 

Farm-fresh ingredients and historic hand-crafted methods define Eau Claire’s artisanal spirits that redefine taste, one ‘grain-to-glass’ experience at a time. When you have a sniff and a snort of Eau Claire's elixirs, you smell and taste the essence of Alberta. 

For now, it is also the only place where you can get it. Right here in Alberta.

Thank you, David, for sharing it with us. We are glad you are one of us.

Hendrik van Wyk

Producer

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