Thanks to a relaxing of 小蓝视频 liquor laws earlier this summer, visitors to Squamish Farmers鈥� Market have been able to fill up their shopping baskets with vodka as well as veggies.
This provides a great opportunity for craft distillers such as Gillespie's Fine Spirits, which is about to open its doors right here in Squamish, to demonstrate that spirits can be local too.
Gillespie鈥檚 handcrafted drinks include vodka, gin, Lemoncello (a Canadian take on Italian Limoncello) and an aphrodisiacal chili chocolate elixir called Aphro. With specialty liqueurs and whiskey to come. All of which can be sampled by distillery visitors.
Just like many other Farmers鈥� Market Vendors, the two partners, John McLellan and Kelly Ann Woods are handcrafting every single bottle they produce. From the distilling to the labelling, right through to the pouring of samples. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a real mom and pop shop,鈥� says Woods.
鈥淲e want to create an experience that lets people appreciate that when you buy booze in the store, for the most part you鈥檙e buying McDonalds,鈥� says McLellan. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no comparison with the quality and attention to detail.鈥�
All of the spirits produced at Gillespie's uses 100% 小蓝视频 grain. 鈥淓verything is local, local, local,鈥� says John. 鈥淚f you can, why wouldn鈥檛 you?鈥�
Woods agrees. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been constantly about going back to our mandate. How do we conduct a successful business while being as environmentally and ecologically mindful as possible?鈥�
This local factor applies to everything from the volcanic rock bar top that was mined between Squamish and Whistler, to the Canadian manufactured bottles, evidently quite a difficult items to source.
鈥淟ooking down the road, we鈥檇 also like to infuse our vodka with local products such as sumac or blackberries,鈥� says Woods.
The majority of hard work and hoop jumping seems to be behind them, but getting there has been quite a journey, explains McLellan. One that was characterised by perseverance and determination 鈥� qualities which were tested to their limits by the City of Vancouver鈥檚 labyrinthine building codes. But Vancouver鈥檚 loss is most certainly Squamish鈥檚 gain.
鈥淲e have been so warmly received here,鈥� says Woods. 鈥淓veryone has just been really wonderful to work with.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e just so stoked that we鈥檝e got to this point!鈥� says McLellan. 鈥淣ow we鈥檙e at the fun part. It almost hasn鈥檛 really sunk in.鈥�
鈥淎s soon as we got that liquor licence we were like, wow, we鈥檝e been given a lot of responsibility,鈥� says Woods, an award-winning mixologist. 鈥淏ut if used responsibly and with massive amounts of respect it can be a glorious thing.鈥�
McLellan laughs when he admits to enjoying being a purveyor of good times, but there鈥檚 also spiritual depth to Gillespie鈥檚. The huge support he鈥檚 received from friends and family pushed him to realise his goal, and kept him going when the journey was more uphill than down. The company itself is also named after one of his friends and biggest supporters Cam Gillespie, who sadly passed away.
Gillespie鈥檚 Fine Spirits is located at聽8-38918聽Progress Way. Distillery doors open for tastings on September 19 and every following Friday through Sunday, from noon until 6 p.m. You can also visit Gillespie鈥檚 at Squamish Farmers鈥� Market on September 27.
