Harrowsmith Fall 2019 | 229TRAVEL & CULTURE: WHY WE LOVE AYRWillibald Farm Distillery
and Kitchen
1271 Reidsville Rd.
Built on the site of a former
dairy barn, three whisky-loving
university grads made Christine
Sismondo’s “ice bucket list” in
an August 2018 Toronto Star
article. She suggested that
Willibald be added to the radar
of any discerning lister for the
experience of a “smart cocktail at
a hipster-ish bar, made with gin
distilled on site, essentially in the
middle of a farmer’s field.”
Cam Formica and brothers
Jordan and Nolan van der
Hyden have hit pay dirt with
their daydream. They are all
under 30, and their shiny toy is a
German-made 1,000-litre (264
gallon) hybrid copper pot still
where they distill gin. Willibald
is actually the van der Hydens’
grandfather’s middle name, and
the historically rooted art of
distilling is their nod to Seagram,
the pioneer distiller of the area.
Aged in American oak quarter
casks, the firewater, made from
100 percent Ontario grains, is
blended with cardamom and
caraway with a grapefruit peel
twist. Also made from 100
percent Ontario grains, the
Winter Liquor is aged in ex-
bourbon barrels and infused
with fresh apples and winter
spices. The trio hope to grow
most of their own grains and
have planted rye on the van der
Hyden family farm, where 59
acres are currently undergoing
“conditioning.” The hope is to
become a certified-organic grain-
to-glass distillery.
The kitchen now offers a made-
from-scratch local menu with
farmhouse-style dishes for two
or four people, as well as “burger
night” specials. Local support
is obvious: on the distillery’s
opening day, 600 people turned
into their laneway. Now, that’s
small-town spirit at its best!
drinkwillibald.comThe Lavender Farm
769 Drumbo Rd.In 2011, former pig farmers
Bob and Barb Gillies planted
600 lavender plants, including
‘Grosso’, ‘Phenomenal’, ‘Hidcote’,
‘Seal Sachet’, ‘Melissa Lilac’ and
‘Violet Intrigue’. The farm has
been in Bob’s family bloodline
since 1882. The couple began
their farm career on the same
land that Grandma and Grandpa
Gillies tilled and toiled, with a
few head of cattle before moving
on to hogs. When the industry
started to shift, Bob
and Barb opened a barn
equipment dealership in 1989,
but in 2002 they opted to sell it
all. Enter lavender and the smell
of sweet success.
The 75-year-old heritage bank
barn on the property is now