Unique local flavours make great sipping
“They say the closer you get to sea level, the better the distillation process.”
The Newfoundland Distillery Company facility can be found hugging the shores of Clarke’s Beach, overlooking the stunning vistas of Conception Bay. Clarke’s Beach has long been a favoured retirement area for Newfoundlanders and come-from-aways alike. However, for friends William Carter and Peter Wilkins, it was less about winding down and more about winding up.
William (aka Bill) had been working as a very successful Cordon Blue-trained chef in Ottawa for the previous 20-plus years. It was an auspicious career that included cooking for three former American presidents.
Peter was no slouch himself. He had enjoyed a very interesting career that involved world travel, exploring cultural approaches to alcohol for British television. Peter also happens to be a renowned artist whose works have been exhibited internationally. Creativity is certainly not lacking from their business partnership.
When Bill decided to return to Newfoundland, he did so with a plan to make whiskey. He asked Peter if he would like to team up and Peter was more than enthused; however he also recognized that it would take three years to properly age their whiskey, so he asked Bill if he knew how to make gin—which he did. It was fantastic—so fantastic that to their surprise, they ended up building and running a distillery!
Peter and Bill began Newfoundland Distillery Company in 2016 and produced their first salable product, a vodka, in May of 2017. Their line of products has continued to expand to now include gin, rum and aquavit; and in a full-circle moment from that original discussion, the pair laid Newfoundland’s first barrels of whiskey in 2020.
The distillery has won numerous awards for its products, which draw on many local flavours; they use juniper and botanicals that are picked locally, as well as interesting ingredients such as chaga mushrooms in their rum (a product that won them best spiced rum in Canada). This dedication to unique local flavours including cloudberries (bakeapples) and partridgeberries has set them apart from everyone else. They are also the first craft distillery in Newfoundland to use locally-grown barley as a base.
The most popular items the team produces are their Seaweed Gin and the Gunpowder and Rose Rum; although they feel that the rum may surge ahead as it is now available in Quebec and Ontario. The entire range of products are available through the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation; the Seaweed Gin and Gunpowder and Rose Rum will be in NS soon, with expansion into New Brunswick and PEI in the near future.
We asked Peter what he hopes the future for the Newfoundland Distilling Company looks like.
“We hope it looks bright!” he says. “We’ve been very lucky and have been growing steadily each year and entering new markets. Last year was Alberta and Quebec. This year we are now in Ontario, and this summer we should also be in the UK. We love what we’re doing and the idea of lifting people’s spirits up with some very fine spirits.
“Most of all we want to ensure people will enjoy our spirits and the only way we can really do that is by making sure the tasting and sampling of the spirits make us happy. Then we hope everyone agrees with us!”