Lunenburg gets Spirited Away

LUNENBURG, N.S. — All of Nova Scotia’s nine craft distillers got involved in Spirited Away in mid-October, the province’s inaugural craft distilling festival.

“This is the first time all of the distillers were ever in the same room together, so it was a great opportunity for them to meet each other and learn about what everybody else is doing,” said organizer Pierre Guevremont, who opened Ironworks Distillery with Lynne MacKay in 2008.

“The artisan distilling movement everywhere in North America is growing rapidly,” said Guevremont. “We realized that in Nova Scotia, there were now nine distillers and we thought it was time to announce to the world that this industry had arrived in Nova Scotia and give people a chance to try the products and learn more about the industry.”

Participating producers included: Caldera Distilling, Coldstream Clear Distillery, Glenora Distillers, Steinhart Distillery, Tangled Garden, Still Fired Distillers and Halifax Distilling Company, which is yet to open.

Key to the event, said Guevremont, was bringing together local producers and local mixologists.  

The weekend-long event saw about 250 guests attend the gala at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. The event also incorporated dining, workshops, tastings and a battle of the cocktails.

In the end, the votes were disregarded and each mixologist earned a new title: Jenner Cormier was awarded for Grace Under Pressure in Difficult Circumstances; Jeffrey Van Horne, Most Outstanding Representation of the Season, with the Ambiance of Mad Men; Anne-Marie Bungay-Larose was deemed to have had the Most Heartfelt Presentation of Nova Scotia Hospitality; Shane Beehan, Best Historical Eloquence; and Jacques Allain, Best Capture of the Spirit of Simplicity and Local.