'Super exciting': Vancouver Island distilleries, wineries and breweries win international awards
For Michela Palmer who is the owner of Esquimalt Vermouth and Aperitifs, this is validation.
"We won World’s Best Semi Sweet Vermouth and the World’s Best Dry Vermouth and the World Vermouth Awards," said Palmer on Thursday.
The international awards were held in London, England.
The recognition has put her company on the world stage, a company that has only been distilling its product for four years.
"It’s super exciting, I think, primarily because we are the first non-European producer to win in the vermouth category," said Palmer.
Vancouver Island breweries, wineries and distilleries have been cleaning up on the world stage throughout the past few years.
Last week, the Sooke Brewing Company took home a gold medal at the World Beer Cup.
"We just found out that we won gold at the Beer Cup for our barley wine," said John Adair, owner and head brewer of Sooke Brewing Company.
The World Beer Cup is the biggest beer competition in the world.
Meanwhile, in April, Macaloney’s Island Distillery won World’s Best Pot Still whiskey at the World Whiskey Awards in London, England.
"Those are the biggest, most prestigious, most competitive awards on the planet," said Graeme Macaloney, president and founder of Macaloney’s Island Distillery.
That’s just three examples of many recent island wins.
The question is, what makes Vancouver Island-based alcoholic beverage producers so good?
"I think it’s kind of a two-part scenario," said Adam Bradshaw, spirits curator at the Strath Liquor Merchants in Victoria.
"We’re probably close to the top in Canada [for] amount of breweries, distilleries and wineries per-capita on the island here," he said.
Bradshaw also points out that there is no shortage of awards out there to be won. So if you cast a big enough net, you’re bound to catch something sooner or later.
"There’s award ceremonies every third day of the week, I think. It’s crazy," he said.
That is not to take away anything from these island-based producers, especially since they have all beat international competitors at some of the world’s biggest competitions.
"We’re getting recognition from every angle here on Vancouver Island," said Bradshaw. "We have a lot to be proud of with our local scene."
Palmer says she knows she's in good company, and says the key to Vancouver Island's beverage success is the community that has built around it.
"Massive shout-out to all the other local producers who have won really prestigious awards," she said.
"If you foster this incredible, supportive, welcoming community, you’re going to bring incredible people in who are especially passionate about what they’re doing," Palmer said.
"I think that’s really translating through in the products we are creating."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.