Natham Flim is the founder of The Fort Distillery, the Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, distillery behind the Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year 2024, Mountain Pass Whisky. Julia Le is the Master Distiller.
Favourite way to enjoy Canadian whisky:
JL: Chilled as much as possible, over a large ice cube.
Tell us a bit about you, and your vision as founder of the distillery?
NF: Honestly, I started it because I wanted to get into business of some kind, and this seemed like a good idea! The vision now is to become a major producer of high-quality spirits and cocktails that we distribute across the world. We currently have distribution in three provinces, and 11 states in the U.S.
I have a degree in chemistry from The King’s University in Edmonton. I started the distillery back in 2018 after reading an article about a bunch of chemists opening a distillery in Ontario, and I have been loving it ever since. We focus on our two main brands, which are Tumbler & Rocks cocktails, and of course, Mountain Pass Whisky.
What will winning the Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year award will mean to the brand?
JL: Mountain Pass Whisky Batch 1 won the Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year award, and this will set the standard for all the small-batch Mountain Pass Whisky to come. Mountain Pass Whisky will continue to be produced at the highest quality using only Albertan grains. We have lots of exciting things coming down the pipeline, some cask strength [releases] at 42 per cent and some unique grains like oats. We also have some locally peated stuff that will be wonderful when it is ready.
You are one of the northernmost distilleries in Canada: does this play into that unique sense of place (terroir) in your products?
JL: The Canadian prairies have some of the best farmland in the world. Specifically in Fort Saskatchewan, we are surrounded by some of the best farmland in the country. The majority of our grain is grown within 100 miles (160 kilometres) of the distillery. Some of our grains are grown so close that the farmers throw a tote on a tractor and [in] a couple of hours, it’s with us. The high-quality grain results in high-quality spirit. Alberta has some of the highest quality water in the world. We are closer to the mountains and truly take advantage of the glacier water that goes into each of our spirits.
Lots of independent spirt customers—and producers— like the idea of supporting local. Is that important to your business?
NF: Supporting local is of course a great idea. When we support local, we are supporting families, organizations, and employees that live where we live. We are proud to source local ingredients and to hire local employees.