| LCBO

Ontario Craft Distillers

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Discover the Local Talent

Ontario’s small-batch distillers are known for creating incredible spirits with amazing quality and distinctive flavours. Meet three local producers handcrafting spirits definitely worth exploring.


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Spring Mill Distillery: A Family Tradition of Excellence

The Sleeman family’s brewing heritage goes back to 1834, when John H. Sleeman opened a brewery in Guelph, Ont. His great-great-grandson John W. Sleeman resurrected the family brand in 1988 and rebuilt the legacy to become the third largest brewer in Canada. In 2019, inspired by the growing trend of craft spirits, Sleeman revived another part of the family heritage: distilling. He founded Spring Mill Distillery in a restored historic stone building in Guelph and approached spirits with the same authenticity that led to his family’s brewing success. Sleeman embraced traditional distilling techniques, investing in handcrafted copper stills from the renowned Forsyths in Scotland — which makes stills for Scotch giants like Glenfiddich — using barrels and authentic mash bills from Kentucky and bottling spirits by hand. “It’s really important to our family that our last name stands for quality,” says Sleeman.

Of course, to be considered Canadian, whisky must be aged for three years, so while waiting for the first Spring Mill whiskies to mature, the distillery released its lineup of white spirits, starting with its premium Spring Mill Distillery Gin and Vodka. “We are grain-to-glass and like to buy our grains from local farms to support local. We use red winter wheat from Western Canada to make our spirits softer,” says Sleeman. The Ward Series liqueurs, named for Guelph’s Ward neighbourhood, followed. “Our head distiller, Doan Bellman, has incredible skills. He created a spiced liqueur for the holiday season that was so good people requested we make a liqueur for summer. Bellman came up with a coffee liqueur made with 100 per cent ethically sourced beans, and it’s popular on ice.”

What’s next for Spring Mill? In addition to its recently released Traditional Straight Whisky and Rye, the distillery is launching four more whiskies, including a 100% rye whisky aged in Canadian oak barrels, a sherry cask-finished single malt, an American bourbon-style whisky using Canadian rye grain, and a single cask release of its traditional straight whisky finished in cherry wood.

Wolfhead Distillery: Spirited Innovator

Essex County’s Wolfhead Distillery has a much-loved stable of innovative products, including its crowning achievement, Coffee Whisky Liqueur. Crafted with fair-trade Costa Rican Rainforest Alliance coffee beans, locally roasted in Windsor, its bold coffee essence is balanced by premium corn whisky and hints of natural cane sugar and vanilla. The result is a masterfully blended liqueur that’s rich, velvety and complex. It’s versatile enough to enjoy it straight, over ice, or at room temperature, and stirred into everything from your morning coffee to hot chocolate or an Espresso Martini.

Wolfhead Distillery: Spirited Innovator



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Local Spirit Distilling Co.: A Toronto Trailblazer

Lost Craft Brewery has been a Toronto institution since 2015. Owner Shehan De Silva fell in love with the craft brewing scene while working for a European bank, travelling and learning about brewing. When it was a success, he started Local Spirit Distilling Co., realizing his dream of launching a line of uniquely Canadian spirits crafted with local ingredients.

Purity is a hallmark of De Silva’s spirits. “For our Gin 7, the aromatics and flavours evoke the sensation of being in a forest.” It’s so piney and unique, De Silva recommends adding nothing but soda. “Our spirits stand alone,” he says. “You don’t need to add anything.”

Local collaborations are an important part of Local Spirit's philosophy: The distillery’s spirits are featured in premier cocktail bars and renowned restaurants in Toronto, including Project Gigglewater, Canoe and Jump. Giving back to the community is also a priority and the Local Spirit Distilling actively supports several community organizations such as the Musical Stage Company, Lung Health Foundation, and BIPOC TV & Film.