Okanagan Spirits makes an award-winning line of European-style eaux de vie and spirits.

Okanagan Spirits Vernon, B.C.
OUR FAVORITE SPIRIT Poire Williams eau de vie, made from ripe pears. HOW IT'S MADE Frank Deiter crushes and ferments 20 pounds of Okanagan Bartlett pears for each litre, cutting it with pure local spring water to reach 80-proof strength. Tasting notes Natural full fruit aroma. OTHER TIPPLES TO TRY Crab Apple Canados, Taboo Absinthe, Gewurztraminer Grappa, Cranberry Liqueur, and, coming soon, single malt barley and rye whisky. ALSO FIND THEM At British Columbia and Alberta wine shops and on wine lists.
2920 28th Ave., okanaganspirits.com

Tugwell Creek Honey Farm & Meadery Sooke, B.C.
OUR FAVORITE SPIRIT Vintage Sack, made from three honeys and then spiked with Kickass Currant mead. HOW IT'S MADE Bob Liptrot ferments, fortifies and ages (for nearly two years in French oak) the sack, which becomes almost Sauternes-like as it ages. TASTING NOTES s Honey, chocolate, caramel and vanilla with
rich floral notes. other tipples to try Harvest Melomel, spicy Wassail Gold Sparkling and ginger-infused Solstice Metheglin meads. ALSO FIND THEM On Vancouver Island and Vancouver-area wine lists and at wine shops.
8750 West Coast Rd., tugwellcreekfarm.com

Forbidden Fruit Winery Cawston, B.C.
OUR FAVORITE SPIRIT Crushed Innocence Dessert Wine, made from three varieties of white-fleshed peaches. HOW IT'S MADE Dominic Rivard, Steve Venables and Kim Brind’Amour crush and ferment organic Blushing Star, White Lady and Raritan Rose peaches from their organic orchards. Tasting notes Honeysuckle and wildflower perfume, peaches underscored by citrus. Tastes even better than a Bellini.OTHER TIPPLES TO TRY Adam’s Apple off-dry table wine, Pomme Desiree Iced Apple and Caught Apricot Mistelle desert wines. ALSO FIND THEM On British Columbia wine lists and at B.C. and Alberta wine shops and liquor stores.
620 Sumac Rd., forbiddenfruitwines.com

Chinook Arch Meadery Okotoks, Alberta
OUR FAVORITE SPIRIT King Arthur’s Dry, a classic honey mead lightened with pure local water. HOW IT'S MADEArt Andrews ferments six-and-a-half pounds of honey for each 10 litres of mead, which ages in American oak for 3-5 years. TASTING NOTES Off-dry, with top notes of honey and undertones of oak. Smooths with aging. OTHER TIPPLES TO TRY Ginger Snapped and Bodacious Black Currant meads or Cherry Mi Amor dessert wine infused with Okanagan Bing and Alberta Evans cherries. ALSO FINE THEM At the Millarville Farmers’ Market in Calgary in summer.
Southwest corner of Hwy. 7 and 16th St. W, chinookhoney.com.

En Santé Organic Winery & Meadery
Brosseau, Alberta
OUR FAVORITE SPIRIT Saucy Saskatoon Wine, made with the eponymous, quintessential prairie berry. HOW IT'S MADE Winemaker Xina Chrapko macerates, ferments and stainless-steel ages Saskatoonberries to perfection. TASTING NOTES Subtle berry nose and finish. other tipples to try Green Envy alfalfa wine, Mellow Gold mead, cranberry-flavoured Kalyna Princess or Calypso rhubarb wine.ALSO FINE THEM At Alberta farmers’ markets, shops and on wine lists and Saskatchewan liquor stores.
Corner of Range Rd. 15 & Township Rd. 564, ensantewinery.com

Field Stone Fruit Winery
Strathmore, Alberta
OUR FAVORITE SPIRIT Bumbleberry Wine, made with home-grown Saskatoonberries, rhubarb, raspberries and strawberries. HOW IT'S MADE Marvin Gill macerates and ferments frozen fruit into a wine that manages to taste subtly of all four distinct fruits.TASTING NOTES A fresh, fruity, off-dry and aromatic aperitif. OTHER TIPPLES TO TRY Cherry Fruit Wine, made with four prairie cherry varietals, and new Black Currant dessert wine.ALSO FINE THEM At the Calgary Farmers’ Market, Alberta farmers’ markets and shops.
16 kilometres south of Hwy. 1 on Hwy. 817, May to September, fieldstonefruitwines.com

Cypress Hills Winery
Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan
OUR FAVORITE SPIRIT Saskatchewan Sour Cherry Wine, made with Saskatchewan Carmine Jewel cherries. HOW IT'S MADE Marie Bohnet chaptalizes and ferments sour cherries in an underground winery. TASTING NOTES Intense cherry aroma and spicy cinnamon nose, crisp and acidic, long astringent finish. OTHER TIPPLES TO TRY North Slope Red Wine made with Saskatchewan-grown cold-climate grapes, White Grape & Rhubarb Wine; coming soon, Prairie Sunrise dessert wine, with late-harvest sour cherries blended with mead.ALSO FINE THEM On wine lists in Maple Creek and Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Saskatchewan.
20 kilometres southwest of Maple Creek on Hwy. 271, cypresshillswinery.com

Rigby Orchards Estate WiNery Killarney, Manitoba
OUR FAVORITE SPIRIT Rigby Orchards Estate Winery Aperitif & Dessert Boyne, made from organic Morden raspberries.HOW IT'S MADE Grant Rigby ferments organic fruit with cane sugar. TASTING NOTES Raspberry nose, bowl-of-berries intensity with a tart edge. Served at Queen Elizabeth II’s 2002 Jubilee banquet. OTHER TIPPLES TO TRY Mead Cassis honey wine and Dry Boyne raspberry table wine.ALSO FINE THEM At Manitoba wine shops. wl