What’s one of your favourite distilleries or spirits besides your own, or what’s your next planned distillery visit?
From a whisky perspective, Two Brewers is great. They do a peated malt which you could put in a line up against Islay whiskies and it would stand up.
We had the chance to visit Vancouver Island a few years ago, and Ampersand Distilling stood out to me as a really cool place. I liked that they did a lot of their design and build themselves.
Both their vodka and gin are some of the best I’ve tried.
Image courtesy of Wildlife Distillery
What is the vision for your distillery and why did you start it?
We wanted to start a distillery which focused on local products which drew upon [Alberta] agriculture. We’re committed to the lifestyle of the Bow Valley and wanted our business to be here.
What, if anything, are you putting in barrels lately?
We have four different kinds of whisky that we putting in barrels: wheat, rye, single malt and peated single malt. It comes to market this fall. We are building a new facility this year, and with the new production capacity we won’t have to switch between clear spirits and whiskies, so we won’t be held back on production.
What's the most important skill or attitude you feel a distiller needs to be successful?
Resilience. You think you’re starting a distillery but what you’re really starting is a marketing, hospitality and manufacturing company. That's a lot of hats you wear day to day, and you’ll only get as far as the work you’re willing to put in.
What do you love about your branding?
Wild Life is a bit of a pun, a play on "it’s a wild life" and also on adventure with the outdoors. Our brand is not a fabrication. It’s a personification of [co-founder Keith Robertson] and me. It’s not forced or faked.
I remember reading about your "friendship agreement." Can you me about it?
Friends and colleagues and business advisors said be careful about getting into business with your friend. I originally wrote [the agreement] as a joke, put it on Keith’s desk, and asked him to sign it—and he did. It’s a commitment to not take the business more seriously than our friendship. It stays in the back of our minds. We both acknowledge it exists, and helps us to prioritize what’s important.
A lot of distilleries set out with the idea of sourcing their ingredients entirely locally, but run up against challenges. How difficult was your Alberta Botanical Gin to achieve?
It was difficult in terms of a flavour profile: there are other places in the world that provide easier botanicals to work with. But we don’t try pretend it's something it’s not. If you’re looking for a citrus forward gin, for example, it’s not that. What you will find is savory, herbaceous, truly Albertan. We celebrate what it actually is.
Where do you see the artisan distilling industry in the next five years, and where does your distillery fit in that?
One of my big hopes is that excise reform for smaller producers actually happens, and we get some tax relief. It would open the door to grow with some of that monthly tax burden reduced.
We also recognize that while we focus and celebrate the local aspect of our products, on the shelf, price will always be a factor. We’d like to see more transparency in the industry along with support for local producers, so that people can make informed decisions and support their local producers.
Finally, I hope to see some kind of regional protected designation and standards, similar to what bourbon is in the U.S. or Scotch in Scotland.
Image courtesy of Wildlife Distillery
What's a great cocktail that highlights one of your spirits?
One of my favourites is a Bees Knees:
2 oz Wild Llfe Distillery Classic Gin
3/4 oz honey syrup
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
Shake on ice and strain into a glass.