94butterfly pea flower. Add tonic
and citrus, and watch the palette
(and palate) change from a deep
indigo to soft pink. The crazy
but brilliant concoction of rose,
ginger, coriander, grapefruit
peel, cinnamon and the iconic
Fairmont Empress Blend tea (in
collaboration with the Fairmont
Empress Hotel) certainly makes
for a high tea.
victoriadistillers.com
East Van Vodka,
Odd Society
Vancouver
This small-batch vodka is made
in the heart of east Vancouver.
It’s a spirit dedicated to the “odd
ones”—the dreamers, inventors,
makers and doers. And if you’re
not any of those things, I’m sure
it’s still OK for you to drink.
Made from 100 percent malted
barley from Prince George
(malted in Armstrong, British
Columbia) and filtered and
blended with Vancouver water in
a copper pot still, East Van Vodka
will be still your beating heart.
oddsocietyspirits.com
Saddleback Maple
Bacon Canadian Whisky,
Proof Brands
Toronto
The 2017 release made for an
instant fan club. The “smoky
fusion of sweet and salty
deliciousness” delivered as
promised. As Michael Riley,
the blender at Proof Brands,
suggests, “You can almost hear
the bacon sizzling in the glass.”
The 50th anniversary of the
Saddleback, the best hog for
bacon, was celebrated in 2017.
Proof Brands’ website assures,
“No pigs were harmed in the
making of this product”—which
is a good thing, because it’s the
Chinese Year of the Pig. The
classic stubby 500 mL bottle is
a punchy combo of Canadian
prairie rye and wheat. So, cheers
to the Saddleback, the Year of
the Pig and keeping it local!
saddlebackwhisky.comFOOD & RECIPES: BLIND PIGS AND THE ANGEL’S SHARE
RD CANE (EAST VAN VODKA); PROOF BRANDS (SADDLEBACK WHISKY)