Sons of Vancouver Distillery Yields Golds at Canadian Whisky Awards
A Vancouver-based whisky distillery, Sons of Vancouver, has flexed its spirit muscles again this year. The company won several premium awards at the Canadian Whisky Awards held on January 19, 2024. The show brought many upsets but continueded to recognize the high standard of drinks being profuced by the distillery.
A small-batch whisky produced by Sons of Vancouver distillery made an impression on the national stage. The distillery won four awards at the Canadian Whisky Awards in Victoria in 2024. The producer also received awards for the best whisky in the country in 2023.
Sons of Vancouver Distillery Wins Four Gold Medals
The Vancouver-based company won three gold medals: Summer Road Trip Across the Midwest, Desert Grass and Blue Agave, and its 2023 bottling of last year’s grand champ, Palm Trees and a Tropical Breeze, as well as silver for Raiding Nonna’s Liquor Cabinet.
“Being recognized at the Canadian Whisky Awards makes you feel like you’re doing something right”, says Sons co-owner and distiller Jenna Diubaldo.
“Since the judging is done by a blind panel, it’s not an event where you enter and automatically expect to win, This one really validates that your whisky is up to snuff.”
Keeping with last year’s trends, independent producers dominated the 2024 Whisky Awards, Diubaldo said. In the past, larger players like Crown Royal and J.P. Wiser’s were usually the winners and stole the show year after year.
“That’s really how we’re going to see change in the industry – we’re going to start to see more small producers making really flavorful whisky with really interesting blends,” she added.
“The industry is on the right track.”
In discussing Sons’ whisky making over the past year, Diubaldo explained that it was hard not to get too sucked into the success of Palm Trees.
“We had to consciously decide, ‘Hey, we’re not going to start making whisky that we think will win awards. We’re just going to keep making whisky that we really like,’” she said.
Their first product since 2022’s Palm Trees bottling was Summer Road Trip Across the Midwest. Diubaldo called it an ode to whisky made in the American Midwest, relying on blending rather than barrel finishing to bring out its flavors.
