The recent explosion of microbreweries and locally made craft beer has reached a similar level of affection that BC wine has held for some time. But did you know BC is also home to world-class distilleries? From locally sourced ingredients to hand crafted distilling methods, BC spirits are on the cusp of being the next big thing.
Go try them for yourself! Each of these distilleries offers public tours and tastings and are located in some of the province's most beautiful cities, towns and .聽Check out one or two on your next weekend getaway, or plan an epic road trip to see them all. Remember to enjoy responsibly - drink in moderation and always have a designated driver. Happy sipping!
1. 鈥� Sidney, BC
Victoria Distillers crafts award winning gin, vodka, whisky and bitters from their waterfront distillery in Sidney, BC. Despite being rooted in history as one of Canada鈥檚 oldest, small-batch spirits companies, they focus on creating unique 鈥榣iquid bar tools鈥� for lovers and creators of innovative cocktails. Victoria Distillers鈥� old-school features food, live music and experimental cocktails and is the only place you can try their Sidney Spiced spirit, made from organic vanilla beans, orange peel, ginger root, and star anise seed.聽Book a tour or tasting .
Victoria Distillers - 9891 Seaport Place, Sidney, BC
2. 鈥� Campbell River, BC
Shelter Point Distillery is situated on 380 acres of farmland in Oyster River, BC. It鈥檚 on this land that they grow the organic barley used to distill their signature whisky and vodka. As one of the few distilleries that grow their own barley and distill on the same site, their guiding concept aims at sourcing high-quality local ingredients and taking the time to do things right. Their whisky is aged for five years in oak barrels, but you can try it now.聽Book a tour or tasting .
Shelter Point Distillery - 4650 Regent Road, ?Campbell River, BC
3. 鈥� Saanichton, BC
DeVine crafts distinctive gin using BC wine grapes instead of grain from their German copper pot still. The spirit is triple distilled with wild-gathered botanicals for a smooth finish that carries flavours distinct to their location in Saanichton, BC. Their has a breezy west coast charm and is child and pet friendly. Bring the whole family!
DeVine Spirits - 6181B Old West Saanich Road, Saanichton, BC
4. 鈥� Duncan, BC
Ampersand Distilling Company is a family run craft distillery located on a gorgeous 5-acre organic farm in the Cowichan Valley. Their rustic tasting room features a beautiful douglas fir bar and the same iron piping that powers their stills.聽Book a visit to their tasting room .
Ampersand Distilling - 4077 Lanchaster Road, Duncan, BC
5. 鈥� Oliver, BC
鈥楧ubh Glas鈥� is Gaelic for 鈥榝rom the dark water鈥�, which refers to the distillery鈥檚 pure 鈥榙ark鈥� water that is fed by an underground aquifer through the Okanagan Valley. Whisky is the priority at Dubh Glas and is made from the finest raw products available. Their quaint tasting room peeks right into their operations area, so you can see the magic in action.聽 are offered Friday to Sunday from 11:00am 鈥� 6:00pm.
The Dubh Glas Distillery - 8486 Gallagher Lake Frontage Road, Oliver, BC
6. 鈥� Slocan, BC
Photo: slocancity.com
As charming as it gets! Kootenay Country Craft Distillery is a small, family-run distillery that follows the 100-Mile Diet philosophy. From heirloom wheat to seasonal fruits, flowers and botanicals, everything used at Kootenay Country is sourced from鈥� Kootenay Country! In addition to their farm-to-bottle philosophy, the distillery only uses spring water from Selkirk Mountain, which they believe is key component of their clean, lightly sweet spirits.聽Book a tour or tasting .
Kootenay Country Craft Distillery - 7263 Gustafson Road, Slocan, BC
7. 鈥� Summerland, BC
Okanagan Crush Pad has been producing incredible wine from the picturesque vineyard since 2011, but they have since ventured distilling high quality grape-based spirits. Their vineyard and distillery is absolutely gorgeous and is open seven days a week.聽Book a group tour or private tasting .
Okanagan Crush Pad - 16576 Fosbery Road, Summerland, BC
8. 鈥� Kelowna, BC
Although located in wine country, Urban Distilleries has certainly made a name for themselves in the spirit world. They practice traditional and sustainable distillation methods and offer complimentary single tastings of their 鈥淪pirit Bear鈥� spirits daily. Proceeds from their tasting flights go to the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition and their cocktail and martini bar is the perfect place to relax after touring their incredible craft distillery and winey.聽Book a tour or tasting .
Urban Distilleries - 325 Bay Avenue #6, Kelowna, BC
9. 鈥� Penticton, BC
While their hand crafted spirits are worth the visit alone, Old Order Distilling Company鈥檚 tasting room features an inventive and rotating cocktail menu that features local, seasonal produce, house-made artisanal mixers and of course, excellent spirits. Visitors are also welcomed to tour the distillery where they can view the massive German handcrafted copper pot still.聽Book a tour or tasting .
Old Order Distilling Co - 270 Martin Street, Penticton, BC
10.听 鈥� Pemberton, BC
Pemberton Distillery is the province鈥檚 only Certified Organic Distillery. Their spirits are made in small batches using traditional methods and 100% BC grown raw materials.聽 They grind their potatoes, they mill their grains, they distill using hand-operated copper pot stills and they bottle every spirit by hand. Visit their tasting room and get a glimpse of what hand crafted really tastes like.聽Book a tour or tasting .
Pemberton Distillery - 1954 Venture Place, Pemberton, BC
Beyond distilleries, you鈥檒l find loads of other interesting places and attractions to stop at around our province. Ready to explore more of British Columbia? Visit for more info.
