Tonight it was gin for our last and latest Vancouver Cocktail Week seminar. Keeping it local with Sheringham, self-described as “a small distillery with big dreams”.
This feature comes feels timely given the US-Canada tariffs and the renewed desire to focus on local products. Having already won the world’s biggest gin competition, Sheringham is now pushing the boundaries of what Pacific Northwest spirits can be.
Guests were invited to dawn “on our tiniest toque and finest plaid to experience west coast Canadiana through music, food, and cocktails created by Sheringham brand ambassador Gareth Jones and beverage director Dylan Riches.” (As per the event information).
We were welcomed in to the Pax Romana. This is a newer bar on Commercial Drive, serving Mediterranean tapas from Spain, France, and Italy. An already narrow bar, the event was held in a further narrowing corridor of seating.
We settled in with the Pacific North-Best French 75 cocktail to start. This was a stiff drink, robust with lemon, indicative of a gin based cocktail.
The hour long seminar began with how gin is made and how it has evolved alongside food culture. The botanicals used are based on what is available locally and can be done within 24 hours.
Produced on the island, Sheringham Distillery is named after the lighthouse in the district of Shirley. Their production focused on sustainability, which is a large part of their culture. So much so that they have won awards for this. They are now a local staple, thanks to their strong West Coast branding. For Sheringham Distillery the focus is on contemporary flavours, where they minimize the use of juniper and citrus which is most common in gin, and instead look to more florals and fruits. Everything is fully macerated in 100% corn, a neutral grain spirit, where the botanicals are steeped directly into the still for the boldest flavour possible.
New to their portfolio is making their own bitters. Typically bitters are made from vodka or rum. So a gin-based bitter from the head of their distillate is pretty unique. We got a drop of their two flavours on the back of our hands to taste. One, an angostura-like orange and the other an orange rosemary. Both were very syrupy with no additives, for a cleaner flavour profile. This would be great in an Old Fashioned and/or a gin and tonic.
For the spirit tasting portion we began with their flagship Seaside Gin, described as being “refreshing as a seaside stroll” and “West Coast in a bottle”. It won World’s Best Contemporary Gin in 2019, an impressive achievement when you realize that they were distilling this in a home garage. The owner was a chef in his previous life, so has created the profile of their gin in the same way he looks at flavours on a plate. Made from low levels of juniper to avoid bitterness, rose, lavender, citrus, coriander, cardamom, and kelp. The sustainably harvested winged kelp is what gives this gin its subtle taste of the ocean.
Beacon Gin is a rebranding to better match their West Coast theme. The desire was to create a soft and delicate, elegant blend of botanicals. Juniper, cherry blossom petals, and yuzu peels; plus green tea leaves and florals grown by Westholme Tea Company, located in Duncan, BC. Sheringham is the only distillery that is allow to use their tea as a botanical.
Beacon was created as a homage to Japanese style gin, with the cherry blossoms being a nod to BC. It is very floral with rose hip, whereas the grapefruit peel and yuzu citrus help to cut into all the perfume. This was recommended as a great cocktail gin and could be used in a gin based negroni.
The Raincoast Gin was curated to be “an expression of fresh rainfall”. Our host painted the picture of a forest after it has rained and the gin hit this mark. Traditional juniper, lemon citrus, oak moss and nettles. It is grassy on its own and offers enough bitter brine to be the focal in a classic martini.
Sheringham also does liqueurs with higher ABVs for sipping. The Fresh Lemon Gin was like liquid lemon from a meringue pie. There was enough zest to have this replace lemon juice in any cocktail or exemplify fresh lemon. Mostly tart, slightly sweet thus is a London style dry gin made simple and clean with only lemon and sugar.
In contrast was the tart and green Fresh Rhubarb Gin. It was described as sweet and warm, like beckoning summer. However I got more bitter and a chilly fall. This I would use as a savoury substitute for any upripe berry flavour in a cocktail. It starts as a classic gin base distilled with premium rhubarb grown in British Columbia. During the maceration process star anise and lemon skins are added to create a balance of tart, sweet, and subtly vegetal notes. The star anise give this a black liquorice character, earthy and juicy with an aspartame sugar not lingering on the back of the throat. This was recommeded to help add interest to a whiskey sour.
Fun fact: Sheringham actually started off as a whiskey distillery with the desire to create an exclusively BC grain whiskey. However Whiskey takes time and they needed to go to market sooner than later. This has a mash bill of rye, wheat, and malted barley. Distilled in small batches and aged for at least three years in new American white oak barrels. It posses characteristics that the owner wanted to drink himself. If looking for a local bourbon option, this is it. Deep and complex rye spice with notes of pepper, vanilla, cooked fruit, brown sugar, and a subtle hint of leather. A young whiskey at 45% ABV.
In closing, this was a great seminar that gave us a peek behind the curtain into what makes a standout West Coast spirit. Those who attended also got earlier access to the Pacific Northwest Party that they were throwing immediately after.
Pax Romana
1670 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L 3Y4
paxromana.ca
