The WHISKY SPECIAL, featuring Davin de Kergommeaux, Eau Claire & Shelter Point

THE SHOW

Davin De Kergommeaux – The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries

“There is a movement stirring in Canada’s spirits world”

“There was a time, in the decades after Prohibition, when Canadian whisky was all the rage in America, when a bottle of Crown Royal sat on the bar cart of any serious imbiber. But by the time the renaissance in whiskey making and drinking began in the early 2000s, the Canadian product had long ago been dismissed as bland and bottom-shelf.” (NY Times 2018)

Davin has been featured on Tasting Room Radio a number of times.

He is the voice, face and author who best represents Canadian Whisky.

Check out his bio….

DAVIN DE KERGOMMEAUX is an independent expert who has been writing, talking, and teaching about whisky in all its forms and flavours for two decades. He is the world’s leading authority on Canadian whisky, and has been called “Canada’s unofficial whisky ambassador” as well as being named one of the most influential Canadians in Food and Drink by The Globe and Mail in 2016.

Davin de Kergommeaux

He is a former contributing editor to Whisky Magazine, and has contributed to or co-authored eight other books about whisky, spirits, and cocktails. He now writes full-time, and is regularly featured in many websites and publications, including Whisky Advocate.

De Kergommeaux is the founder and chairperson of the prestigious Canadian Whisky Awards and publishes comprehensive tasting notes on his website, www.canadianwhisky.org.

Penguin Random House has released his landmark book The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries with co-author Blair Phillips.

It begins:

“There is a movement stirring in Canada’s spirits world”

Davin de Kergommeaux is acknowledged as the man leading the movement.

When I first met him I admitted right away that I had no history with his spirits world. (Lemon gin does not count)

So he became my teacher and I hope through Tasting Room Radio he became yours as well.

This book is a huge read. There are over 200 distilleries mentioned… it may take you many months and many sips to read the whole book but what a journey.

Davin talks about tasting and discovering these fine craft Distilleries

Eau Claire – Turner Valley, Ab

Forty Creek – Grimsby. On

Two Brewers – Whitehorse, Yukon

Shelter Point – Campbell River, BC

Rheault – Hearst, On

IronWorks – Lunenburg, NS

Black Velvet – Lethbridge, Ab

Dairy – Almonte, On

Crown Royal

And others…

Two distilleries are featured in the last half of this week’s “Room”

Eau Claire Distillery – Turner Valley , Alberta – just south of Calgary.

Caitlin Quinn Eau Claire

They were the first hand crafted whisky in Alberta. Noted for old school horse farming, a wonderful single malt now in its third batch and their very popular Parlour Gin . Our guest is Glaswegian Caitlin Quinn, Master Distiller.

Eau Claire Single Malt

Shelter Point – Campbell River, BC

When we first started Tasting Room Radio years ago we heard about “this guy on Vancouver Island making whisky”

Shelter Point

That guy turned out to be owner/farmer Patrick Evans. He has 155 hectares to work with and a great team that includes Head Distiller Leon Webb and our guest Distillery Manager Jacob Weibe

Shelter Point

FYI – when asked by officials, they quickly turned their spirits into hand sanitizer for all of us to use. It’s a safeguard against the virus. That commitment alone should solidify OUR commitment to tasting their whiskeys, Gin and Vodka.

www.canadianwhisky.org.

https://eauclairedistillery.ca/

https://shelterpoint.ca/