Celebrate the Spirit Bear
We’ve all done vineyard visits, eh? It’s time for Road Trips Foodies to get serious about distillery tours!
One place to start is in British Columbia, Canada, where Urban Distillery, 325 Bay Avenue, Kelowna (map), celebrates the Spirit Bear.
The masters of the still at the distillery are known for their small-batch premium gins, vodkas, rums and whiskies. And now, they’re making a name for themselves by linking their signature pours to BC’s wild side, namely the province’s Spirit bear.
Noted as a distinct subspecies of the black bear, these creatures, also called Kermode bears, boast a cream-colored coat, thanks to a single recessive gene that must be inherited from both parents.
It’s a rarity to spot these magnificent beasts in BC’s wild environs, and it is that same rare quality that Urban Distillery hopes will define its latest pours: the handcrafted, triple-distilled, ultra-premium Spirit Bear Vodka; the full-bodied lavender and apple Spirit Bear Gin; and the Spirit Bear Espresso Infused Vodka, which marries locally roasted espresso from Kelowna’s Cherry Hill Coffee with gentle notes of chocolate and vanilla.
Each is crafted in the same manner as all other Urban offerings — the old-fashioned way, with premium grains and meticulously filtered spring water blended in a copper still. Drop by the tasting bar to sample for yourself, or sign on for a daily tour that will take you through the history of the distillery and its production process, complete with a flight of “spirited” gin and vodka sips.
Yes, distillery tours are available daily.
(Photo courtesy of Urban Distillery)
