LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2020

SUSTAINABLE SIPS

Ontario spirit makers are installing “smart” irrigation systems and solar panels, planting trees and reusing hot water—easing the load on resources as they go. Distilling can be a resource-intensive process, which Ontario spirit makers are working to counter. For instance, many—including Still Waters in Concord (makers of Stalk & Barrel whiskies)—try to reuse as much of the hot water from the distilling process as possible.    Because spirits are distilled from agri- cultural products—potatoes and grains, for instance—sustainability starts on the farm. Viritus Organic Vodka is Certified Organic and is made using 100-percent organic Canadian corn.    Beattie’s Vodka is made on an Alliston potato farm that uses water from an on‑site well, has a “smart” irrigation system for crop watering, and uses eco-friendly features such as solar panels and thermal heating.    Kinsip House of Fine Spirits, which is nestled in Prince Edward County and limits chemical spraying on the grains it grows there, recycles its spent-grain mashes as feed at a local dairy farm. And all of its tasting‑room bottles are reused to hold products by Harrowsmith’s Farmacy Bath & Beauty.    That’s not all: Top Shelf Distillers, makers of Reunion Moonshines, expects to plant up to 300,000 trees in Ontario this year through its #moretrees initiative (look for the logo displayed on bottles at the LCBO). Distilling wisdom

MOO-RE VODKA!

An inedible waste product from Ontario dairy farms, the unused sugars called milk permeate, are turned into deliciously smooth, gluten-free vodka using a process that requires half the energy of traditional distilling. Using lighter, Ontario-made glass reduces the footprint of its unique bottle, too. Vodkow LCBO 11573, $36.00

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King’s Lock Craft Distillery

The King’s Lock energy tab is equal to or below many average household bills.

JOHNSTOWN, ON | KLCRAFTDISTILLERY.CA

Spent organic corn and rye grains from this distillery (all sourced from within 75 kilometres) go back to local farms to feed dairy cattle or fertilize land. Renewable electricity and natural gas come from Bullfrog Power, a Canadian company specializing in renew- able and low-impact energy solutions. The distillery has carbon- footprint-reducing features like LED lighting and in-floor heating, and completes processes such as bottling and labelling by hand instead of by machine, to minimize energy use.

KING’S LOCK IMAGE BY DIVERSE DESIGNS

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SPRING 2020 FOOD & DRINK