This approach starts in the barley fields surrounding Turner Valley. Known as "the best barley in the world", some is exported out to the United Kingdom, where it is used to make some of the finest whisky in the world. Eau Claire uses barley and rye to make their spirits. The grains are harvested the old-fashioned way, with horse and plow. When they arrive at the distillery, the grains are put into the grinder and the husks are broken apart, to remove the bitter flavour from the husk. Then the broken grains are moved to the mash ton, boiling water is added, and flavours are extracted from the grain for 4 hours. The spent grain is removed and shipped to a local dairy farmer to be used as cow feed.
The next step is the fermentation tanks, where a specific yeast is added to develop desired flavour compounds. The fermentation process takes 48 hours, and will generate an alcoholic content of 6-8%. From there, it's off to the copper pot still with 2 different types of "towers": the stripping column, where the alcohol is taken up to 85% abv, used for whisky. The vodka and gin moves on to the second column, and distilled up to 95% abv. Once this occurs, "backwater" from the Sheep's River, fed by the Rocky Mountains, is added to proof the spirit.
There are 3 parts to the spirit when it comes off the still: the first part is the heads, the middle part is called the hearts, and the last part is called the tails. Eau Claire Distillery uses the hearts for their final products, to ensure the best quality. They distill the tails once more and put them into barrels for later usage in the blending process.
Despite the vast humidity and climate differences between Alberta and Scotland, Eau Claire has found a way to mature their whisky on-site. The floor of their aging room is composed of consistent clay, gravel and sand, which is irrigated every day, creating humidity and therefore replicating an aging warehouse in Scotland. The humidity comes from the floor, creating floral notes in the barrels on the bottom, and more earthy notes in the barrels on top. The whisky will age for 3 years before it is released to the public.
Eau Claire Distillery currently offers 3 spirits on their tasting bar: Vodka, Parlour Gin, and the Equinox. The Three Point Vodka is very smooth and creamy, with notes of banana and vanilla. Easy to sip on it's own or mix with soda water. The Parlour Gin is full of botanical aromas, followed by an herbal and spicy kick that doesn't overpower in the mouth. Their seasonal offering, Equinox, was my personal favourite. Springtime flavours of peach and nectarine with Eau Claire's trademark smooth finish make this spirit fantastic for your own customized mojito on the patio!
Eau Claire Distillery's farm-to-glass approach with Alberta-born spirits takes the "Drink Local" trend to the next level. One sip reinforced for me the pride I have living on such great Alberta soil. The next time you're headed south of Calgary, stop by the distillery for a tour, a tasting and maybe a bottle or two. Click here for more information, or head down to Turner Valley for a tour, tasting and to purchase a bottle or two. As they say at the distillery: "May the Spirits be with You!"
