LCBO Food & Drink Early Summer 2023

WORTH THE TRIP

THE DALBY P. 135

Elora Distilling Great Expectations Gin LCBO 23141, $47.95 Locally hand-foraged

ELORA DISTILLING COMPANY, ELORA ELORADISTILLINGCOMPANY.COM While you’re enjoying the Ontario Craft Gin Trail, raise a toast to Marty Van Vliet. The whole thing was the brainchild of this distillery co-founder, who “wanted to find a way we could support each other” in the region. “Our big thing is we are all local,” he says proudly. Van Vliet and his part ner, Mark Anderson, are aficionados of the world’s fine hotel bars, a passion that shows in the glam decor of a beautifully curated distillery shop, two bars (the Royal Room, overlooking the distillery, and the King George Bar, in a heritage building next door) and the history-rich cocktail classes Van Vliet hosts. From stills named for iconic literary and Holly wood stars to a bottle of gin designed like a thick book on a shelf, Elora Distilling pours on the vintage charm.

botanicals like sweet gale and burdock create lovely floral aromatics. Sumac, long used by Indigenous peoples to add tart flavour, lends tangerine notes.

LOCAL BITES

Stay, eat and sip at the Elora Mill (eloramill.ca), where craft cocktails incorporating Elora Distilling Company Spirits are on the menu. The chefs like to pair a composed salad of salt crust roasted beets on a savoury pine-nut purée with The Dalby.

SILVER FOX DISTILLERY, ARTHUR SILVERFOXDISTILLERY.CA

In a quirky tasting room decorated with Dr. Who props, Lisa (owner and proprietor) and Mark (distiller) Townsend create a huge array of gins and other award-winning spirits from local grains, fruits and herbs. Try Cucumber Mint Gin in a refreshing summer Caesar. Make it a meal by buying a distillery-branded wooden board then head over to nearby River’s Edge Goat Dairy (goatmilkproducts.ca) farm store for inspired accompaniments: goat feta, rosemary- or truffle-infused chèvre and sheep-goat blue cheese, plus artisanal goat-milk chocolate.

118 FOOD & DRINK EARLY SUMMER 2023