When Charles Tremewen and his wife Rita took some time off to explore Portland, they were struck by the fact there were 44 craft distilleries in the-city-Vancouver-most-wants-to-be-like.
Vancouver already had a variety of craft beer makers, coffee roasters and tea adventurers. It even had its own artisan sake maker. But someone who could make craft vodkas and gins? That bottle had yet to be poured.
Rita ruled out their garage as the distillerys location. Since the distillery would double as a retail outlet, they needed someplace central and yet large enough for the large copper and aluminum machinery. They found it in a former art gallery on Hornby between Pacific and Beach Avenues.
It took much longer (the BC Liquor Control and Licensing branch isnt called a bureaucracy for nothing) and twice as much money than they expected, but earlier this month the Tremewens opened Long Table Distillery, this citys first and BCs 8th artisanal distillery.
In the intervening months, Tremewen honed his skills at his newly purchased still, sourced a variety of natural botanical ingredients, including berries picked by First Nations people in the Coast Mountains, and created his own London Dry Gin and Texada Stoned Vodka. (The Stoned refers to the polished limestone from Texada Island that the vodka is filtered with. How could anyone think theres another inference?)
Im feeling very Portlandyish right now, he told a group of journalists recently. His accompanying smile was hard won and, based on the taste of his efforts (especially the vodka), well deserved.
Right now, hes using a grain neutral spirit from California as his base, but hes hoping to do everything from grain to bottle on site in the future.
Hes heartened by how much Vancouver has cultivated its cocktail culture, thanks to its award-winning bartenders and innovators such as Lauren Mote, whos making and selling artisan bitters (Bittered Sling) with her partner Jonathan Chovancek. Asked about Vancouverites willingness to devote a significant percentage of their disposable income on the alcoholic arts, Tremewen says, Its not so much Does Vancouver drink a lot? Its that Vancouver is interested in good drinks and good ingredients. It really is a foodie town.
Thats why youll find him experimenting with a whisper of lemongrass and a hint of cardamon. I love a strong juniper nose on my gin, he says of why he goes to such reaches to source the best organic juniper.
Tremewen honed his sense of taste and smell during his years in the food industry, and also studied artisan distilling at Michigan State University. But when it comes to sniffing out even minute ingredients, he says smell has always been a part of the way he experiences life.
Ever since I was a kid I was attuned to smells and odors around me, he says. When I went into the food industry, I was always asked to go on tasting panels. I train to do this and when youre working at [deciphering different smells and tastes], youre actually working at it.
At present, the two inaugural batches are only available at the distillery, where you can lean your elbows on a gorgeous 14-foot natural-edge Sequoia Redwood table, and at The Whip at 6th and Main and Forage on Robson. As these batches sell $50 for a 750ml bottle of gin and $45 for the vodka hell be bringing on a wider selection.
Distillery tours will be every Saturday (a small fee may apply) and the tasting room is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 6pm and Monday through Thursday by appointment.
LongTableDistillery.com | @LT_Distillery | 1451 Hornby
