Award winning BY TOM FIRTH
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ach year, I’m lucky enough to be one of the judges for the Canadian Artisan Spirits Competition. What that means in practice, is that several hundred blind sample bottles (of a few ounces each) in five or six boxes show up at my door. The bottles bear ominous labels, like 12/401*. The first number represents the category (i.e. gin, contemporary vodka, etc.), the second is the sample number, and the asterisk in this case indicates an additional criterion. This means that in a morning of judging, one should lump together a small flight of like products and get cracking. From experience, I’ll also share that tasting a flight of 10–12 gins is a hard way to start a morning. Taste, assess, repeat, and do so for as long as your palate and focus will last. Each judge is given several weeks to work through the blind samples, scoring using some templates and guides. It’s hard work, though it makes for an odd workspace when underway. What this competition really does is show the state of craft distilling in Canada, as each product has to impress enough of the judges from across the country who each might have a regional influence or preferred style. Does a prairie judge like rye? Does a certain liqueur alienate one judge but sway another? This is hard and diligent work indeed. The outlook is also looking great for Alberta, our very young craft spirit industry is kickin’ ass and taking names, as many did very, very well at the competition this year. Opposite, is a small snapshot of some of the best Alberta-made products from this year’s competition, complete results can be found at artisandistillers.ca. Prices are approximate, and some products might only be available from the distillery. Products with a CSPC code may be available from select retailers as well.
32 Culinaire | May/June 2020
