I don’t use this term loosely, but The Woods Distillery fits the bill for a “hidden gem”. This is a local small business unexpectedly located in an industrial alley with something unique to offer, that you can’t get else where.
No other distillery in Vancouver focuses on Italian spirits made using nuts and herbs that isn’t vodka, whisky, or gin. It is through them that I learned that you can ferment a lot of nature to make it into an alcoholic spirit.
The Woods uses a unique vacuum distillation method to preserve all their spirits, this coupled with lowering the pressure inside their stills allows them to control the boiling point, which results in their line of delicate yet flavourful spirits. You get more herbal and floral flavours without the sting of alcohol, unexpected spirits ideal for sipping on and mixing with.
And in time for the winter feasting and gift giving season, The Woods has released a new hazelnut liqueur, which is their first cream-based spirit. This is ideal in any coffee or chocolate cocktail, with a more elevated milky finished compared to larger brands like Bailey’s, plus a-lot more affordable at $35 a bottle.
So to celebrate this launch I have teamed up with The Woods for a date night giveaway. To give one person, and their guest the ability to try their bar’s new Crema Nocciola. Each person gets to choose 2 cocktails from their featured Crema Nocciola menu, for a total of 4, share a whole sourdough pizza, then walk away with your own bottle of Crema Nocciola to get creative with in their own home bar. A prize valued at $100, which you can enter to win on my Instagram page. You do this by liking the corresponding post, following both our accounts, and tagging 2 friends for an entry.
The following is my experience with the prize, including tasting notes.
Their Crema Nocciola featured drink menu has 3 options, including Crema-Chatta with Crema Nocciola & horchatta. However, my guest and I both went for the heavier spirited offering of the martini and rum cocktail at a reasonable $15 per glass.
The Hazelnut Rum Flip is Crema Nocciola, dark rum, chocolate bitters, and a whole egg. It had a creamy spiked egg nog feel without the medicinal taste of egg nog, and a mild nuttiness from the Crema Nocciola instead.
The Crema Martini was my favourite of the two, where you also get to taste The Woods’ own Vodka along with Crema Nocciola, coffee liqueur, and double espresso. A coffee martini, made more mocha. Classic, milky, and festive by the tree.
Considering that they have a full fledged bar program with 8 regular bespoke cocktails, it is nice that they are now offering some food to those who want to make a day of their visit.
And it is actually good and fairly tasty, considering their makeshift kitchen. A whole medium sized pizza for $20 in either margarita or fungi. With a light sourdough crust this ate like flatbread, making it the perfect accompaniment to our cocktails. We ordered the mushroom and cream pizza for its Unami flavours, figuring it would match with The Woods’ nature forward spirits more organically.
We took our time, sat and chatted by their seasonally decorated, cozy bar. Moody with dim lights and the twinkle of a Christmas tree. Cozy with faux fur and cow hide. From winter to summer, I would love to see them transition with the seasons given their name. An enchanted fairy forest for spring, a camping scene for summer, and a snowy chalet for winter next year.
For now, a hidden gem in North Vancouver for a one of a kind taste of local herbology and distilling. For a completely free first experience, visit my Instagram page at @magmei, enter the giveaway and possibly win date night for two at The Woods.
