Long before it became trendy to “eat local,” farmers in the Comox Valley had been feeding area families and the local economy for more than a century. While some producers have remained committed to a particular farm product such as milk, beef, eggs or vegetables, others have—often out of necessity—diversified their operations. Shelter Point Farm and Distillery, located halfway between the Comox Valley and Campbell River, is a prime example.
With the Oyster River bordering the farm to the south, and 2,000-metres of oceanfront on beautiful Oyster Beach and the Strait of Georgia to the east, Shelter Point is one of Canada’s few remaining oceanfront farms. For decades, this 405-hectare (1,000-acre) property was known as the University of British Columbia’s Oyster River Research Farm. In 2005, UBC made the decision to divest some of its collection of 14 different land titles that had been bequeathed to it in 1962 by New York stockbroker Barrett Montford. Marking the end of an era, the Oyster River operation was one of the properties that the University elected to put up for sale.
Having spent his entire life in the Comox Valley, Patrick Evans was familiar with the farm and he and his family jumped at the chance to buy it. Evans is no stranger to farm life and he foresaw a great future for this land.
Together with the support of his family and operations manager, James Marinus, a bold vision for a new type of farm was created. They dreamed of a property where wild areas, native animals, and birds would co-exist with humans and farming; where fish habitat and natural ecosystems would be restored and preserved; and where innovative value-added agriculture would allow for a financially viable farm for future generations… a production model with a sophisticated ‘farm gate’ retail side. A true testament to thinking outside the box, Evans and Marinus decided to focus on producing single malt Scotch, earning Shelter Point Distillery the distinction of being only the second of its kind in Canada!
For Evans, a third generation farmer, this foresight comes naturally. He is a descendant of a family of visionary pioneers who had settled in the Comox Valley in the early 1900s. His great grandparents acquired land from the original Soldiers Settlement in the Tsolum River area and the family has operated Evansdale Dairy Farm for generations. It is interesting to note that, after close inspection of the original deeds following the family’s purchase of the farm, Patrick Evans discovered that his grandfather had once owned a quarter section of land encompassing a portion of this property.
Marinus also brought a wealth of experience to the venture. He has been employed in the agricultural industry for almost 25 years, working with the Evans family on multiple key projects over the years. This experience, combined with a love for architecture and an eye for detail, would soon be evident in every facet of the Shelter Point Distillery’s development.
First on the agenda for these ‘farm-preneurs’ was a new name.
“We wanted a name that would reflect the farm’s unique geographic location on Vancouver Island,” explains Evans. “The name ‘Oyster River’ did not resonate with us and,” he pauses to show me Kuhushan Point on an aerial-view map of the property and says with a smile: “while we respect this historic name, we worried that people would not know how to pronounce it, so its marketing potential was limiting! Ultimately, we decided on Shelter Point Farm.”
The idea to build a whiskey distillery at Shelter Point came about after several meetings with John Watson, executive director of the Comox Valley Economic Development Society. “Economic Development has a mandate to support agricultural diversification,” explains Marinus. “But farmers, in general, can get stagnant and complacent by focusing solely on what has worked in the past. We wanted to think well beyond the parameters of traditional farming operations and move from niche farming to a mixed operation that produced a product with a high return on investment.
“Through our on-going conversations with John, and a group of Scottish investors, the concept for a distillery was conceived. Blessed with a near perfect mix of fertile soil, sunshine, abundant fresh water and mild weather, the ingredients to produce a true ‘Field to Flask’ single malt whisky were already in place. The idea of a unique, high-value beverage that would be produced completely on the farm, and where the used barley waste from the production process would become food for dairy cattle, spoke to our vision of environmental sustainability.”
Shortly after the land purchase, Evans, his wife Kimm and their four daughters, and Marinus, along with his wife Pamela, two daughters and son, moved into two existing farmhouses on the property. The planning for the construction of a distillery and planting of crops began in earnest. Andrew Curry, a distiller from Scotland, and Jay Oddleifson, a chartered accountant and a consultant on several local development projects, were instrumental in the development of the project.
Crop trials in 2006 produced a bumper crop and proved the viability of growing malting barley on site.
Along with the special strain of barley, which will eventually provide the basic ingredient for the distillery, raspberries have also been planted for the fresh fruit market and potential use in other distilled spirits. Winter wheat and grasses are now sown in the fields, for the benefit of the many visiting waterfowl that overwinter on the farm. Some areas remain in forest, providing alternative habitat for resident species of wildlife, as well as a sustainable source of wood for future building projects on the farm.
The architectural design for a distillery building that, according to Evans, is “reminiscent of an old dairy barn,” took years to perfect. After three years of construction, the distillery was completed in December 2010. The towering, 7,500-square-foot building that now stands near the front of the property is sure to become a local landmark.
While the building may have the outward appearance of a dairy barn, if cows were to be housed here it would be considered five-star bovine accommodation! The Shelter Point Distillery ‘barn’ is solid timber frame construction, built with lumber harvested from the property and accented with an abundance of stonework and a copper roof. Where possible, construction materials were sourced from Vancouver Island suppliers and skilled craftsmen from the Comox Valley—including father and son team, Chris and Kyle Henderson, and Hans Deneer—were contracted to do the work. About the only items in the building that aren’t local are the oak barrels, ordered from bourbon distillers in Kentucky, and the custom-made copper pot stills imported from Scotland.
In addition to the all-important purpose of making whisky, the building has been designed to accommodate tours and special events. This past summer, the first year they have opened their doors to the public, more than 150 groups toured the facility and an average of 400 people were guided through the distillery every weekend.
Visitors discovered meeting rooms and offices lavishly decorated with enormous leather chairs and wrought iron furnishings. The walls boast a collection of exquisite photographic art—all shot on the farm by local wildlife photographer Lee Simmons, whose work is also featured on the distillery’s website.
In the wall that separates the meeting/banquet room from the distillery area is a series of nine etched glass windows and a set of double doors that feature the work of local artist Robert Lundquist. The etched glass art walks you through the distilling process step-by-step; starting with barley in the field and ending with the founders raising glasses in a celebratory toast.
As impressive as the building is, it is the immaculate distillery system that is most extraordinary. You enter though frosted glass doors to find a high vaulted ceiling under which two enormous copper pot stills and five copper and stainless steel fermentation tanks glisten under the bright lights. All are connected via a network of stainless steel tubing that runs behind the walls and under the floor to carry liquids in various stages of distillation from one tank to another. All of this is controlled by a state-of-the-art computer system.
In July 2010, when they were ready to start their first batch of whisky, Mike Nicolson, a master distiller, joined the team to lend his expertise. The art of whisky distilling is very much in Nicolson’s blood. Both of his grandfathers were distillers on Islay, Scotland, and his father was a Lowland Grain Distiller. Scottish-born Nicolson himself learned the trade over three decades at some of Scotland’s finest Scotch distilleries. In 2003, he was recognized for lifetime industry achievement with a prestigious award from Whisky Magazine. What a fortunate co-incidence that he had semi-retired and relocated to Vancouver Island and was able to lend his expertise to the Shelter Point Distillery!
Over the past few months, Nicolson has been teaching Evans and Marinus the art of traditional Scottish distilling methods. They are using the best ingredients available and some of the purest water in the world with the intent of creating a medium-bodied premium single malt Canadian whisky. It is being distilled batch by batch in the traditional copper ‘pot stills.’
As exciting as the whole process is for them, they will have to be patient before they see a finished product. In an age when technology changes at rapid pace, their focus is on slowing down to do everything right from the beginning. It will be August 2014 before they can make the premier release of Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky.
“Under Canadian law,” says Marinus, “whisky can’t be called whisky until it has been stored in an oak barrel for three years and a day. In the meantime, because of our connections with other distilleries, we have been able to purchase small lots of specially selected whiskies to blend on site and bottle for the enjoyment of our customers.”
The whisky-making process starts with up to one ton of barley being ground and mashed for five hours in a ‘Mash Tun,’ as up to 6,000-litres of hot water are filtered through it to extract the barley sugars from the grain. The spent grain that is created is then removed and transported to Evansdale Dairy Farm to be fed to the cows. The sugar water or ‘wort’ is then pumped into one of five 5,000-litre fermentation tanks.
Yeast is added to the stainless steel tank to kick-start the fermentation process and, after five days ‘rest,’ it moves into the wash still where it is distilled for eight hours. After the distillation and vaporization process the liquid—now called ‘low wines’—is about 25 per cent alcohol.
From there, the liquid is moved back into the spirit still where the magic of the final distillation process turns it to liquid gold—a product that can not yet be called ‘single malt whisky’ but is now more than 65 per cent alcohol.
The liquid is then siphoned through a testing station where the ‘head, heart and tail’—or in layman’s terms, the beginning, middle and end—of the draw is monitored for alcohol strength. The ideal strength, explains Marinus, is about 63.5 per cent, which is generally at the ‘heart’ of the liquid stream. The ‘head and tail’ go back in spirit still to be re-distilled and the premium product is pumped into a holding tanking before it is poured into single use oak barrels to age for a minimum of three years, plus a day. That one ton of barley will ultimately produce about 900 750-ml bottles of single malt whisky.
“That’s an amazing return on investment… if you can hold your breath long enough!” says Evans.
While they wait for their first batches to come of age, Evans and Marinus are developing a range of other Vancouver Island spirits. In addition to the single malt whisky produced from 100 per cent malted barley, products in development include aged custom-blended whiskies and fruit and berry-infused spirits and cream liqueurs made from berries grown in their fields and fruit grown on local farms.
“Shelter Point Distillery is designed to be an artisan distillery,” explains Evans. “Right from the start, the concept has been quality over quantity, and we have put an emphasis on sourcing as many of the ingredients directly from the farm or the surrounding region as possible. This in itself will establish us in the industry, considering that distilleries that grow their own barley and distill it on premise are very rare.”
When asked how they maintain their patience, having to wait several years before they can begin to bottle and sell Shelter Point Scotch, Evans smiles and says: “Playing the waiting game is what farmers do best! On a dairy farm you have to wait at least two years from the time a calf is born before she can produce milk. With berry crops you have to wait three to seven years before you get a decent harvest. Forests take 80 to 100 years.
“When you look at the big picture, three years—plus a day—for whisky to mature in an oak barrel isn’t so long to wait for a product that will retail for $50 to $80 a bottle.”
For more information visit: www.shelterpointdistillery.com.
Long before it became trendy to “eat local,” farmers in the Comox Valley had been feeding area families and the local economy for more than a century. While some producers have remained committed to a particular farm product such as milk, beef, eggs or vegetables, others have—often out of necessity—diversified their operations. Shelter Point Farm and Distillery, located halfway between the Comox Valley and Campbell River, is a prime example.
With the Oyster River bordering the farm to the south, and 2,000-metres of oceanfront on beautiful Oyster Beach and the Strait of Georgia to the east, Shelter Point is one of Canada’s few remaining oceanfront farms. For decades, this 405-hectare (1,000-acre) property was known as the University of British Columbia’s Oyster River Research Farm. In 2005, UBC made the decision to divest some of its collection of 14 different land titles that had been bequeathed to it in 1962 by New York stockbroker Barrett Montford. Marking the end of an era, the Oyster River operation was one of the properties that the University elected to put up for sale.
Having spent his entire life in the Comox Valley, Patrick Evans was familiar with the farm and he and his family jumped at the chance to buy it. Evans is no stranger to farm life and he foresaw a great future for this land.
Together with the support of his family and operations manager, James Marinus, a bold vision for a new type of farm was created. They dreamed of a property where wild areas, native animals, and birds would co-exist with humans and farming; where fish habitat and natural ecosystems would be restored and preserved; and where innovative value-added agriculture would allow for a financially viable farm for future generations… a production model with a sophisticated ‘farm gate’ retail side. A true testament to thinking outside the box, Evans and Marinus decided to focus on producing single malt Scotch, earning Shelter Point Distillery the distinction of being only the second of its kind in Canada!
For Evans, a third generation farmer, this foresight comes naturally. He is a descendant of a family of visionary pioneers who had settled in the Comox Valley in the early 1900s. His great grandparents acquired land from the original Soldiers Settlement in the Tsolum River area and the family has operated Evansdale Dairy Farm for generations. It is interesting to note that, after close inspection of the original deeds following the family’s purchase of the farm, Patrick Evans discovered that his grandfather had once owned a quarter section of land encompassing a portion of this property.
Marinus also brought a wealth of experience to the venture. He has been employed in the agricultural industry for almost 25 years, working with the Evans family on multiple key projects over the years. This experience, combined with a love for architecture and an eye for detail, would soon be evident in every facet of the Shelter Point Distillery’s development.
First on the agenda for these ‘farm-preneurs’ was a new name.
“We wanted a name that would reflect the farm’s unique geographic location on Vancouver Island,” explains Evans. “The name ‘Oyster River’ did not resonate with us and,” he pauses to show me Kuhushan Point on an aerial-view map of the property and says with a smile: “while we respect this historic name, we worried that people would not know how to pronounce it, so its marketing potential was limiting! Ultimately, we decided on Shelter Point Farm.”
The idea to build a whiskey distillery at Shelter Point came about after several meetings with John Watson, executive director of the Comox Valley Economic Development Society. “Economic Development has a mandate to support agricultural diversification,” explains Marinus. “But farmers, in general, can get stagnant and complacent by focusing solely on what has worked in the past. We wanted to think well beyond the parameters of traditional farming operations and move from niche farming to a mixed operation that produced a product with a high return on investment.
“Through our on-going conversations with John, and a group of Scottish investors, the concept for a distillery was conceived. Blessed with a near perfect mix of fertile soil, sunshine, abundant fresh water and mild weather, the ingredients to produce a true ‘Field to Flask’ single malt whisky were already in place. The idea of a unique, high-value beverage that would be produced completely on the farm, and where the used barley waste from the production process would become food for dairy cattle, spoke to our vision of environmental sustainability.”
Shortly after the land purchase, Evans, his wife Kimm and their four daughters, and Marinus, along with his wife Pamela, two daughters and son, moved into two existing farmhouses on the property. The planning for the construction of a distillery and planting of crops began in earnest. Andrew Curry, a distiller from Scotland, and Jay Oddleifson, a chartered accountant and a consultant on several local development projects, were instrumental in the development of the project.
Crop trials in 2006 produced a bumper crop and proved the viability of growing malting barley on site.
Along with the special strain of barley, which will eventually provide the basic ingredient for the distillery, raspberries have also been planted for the fresh fruit market and potential use in other distilled spirits. Winter wheat and grasses are now sown in the fields, for the benefit of the many visiting waterfowl that overwinter on the farm. Some areas remain in forest, providing alternative habitat for resident species of wildlife, as well as a sustainable source of wood for future building projects on the farm.
The architectural design for a distillery building that, according to Evans, is “reminiscent of an old dairy barn,” took years to perfect. After three years of construction, the distillery was completed in December 2010. The towering, 7,500-square-foot building that now stands near the front of the property is sure to become a local landmark.
While the building may have the outward appearance of a dairy barn, if cows were to be housed here it would be considered five-star bovine accommodation! The Shelter Point Distillery ‘barn’ is solid timber frame construction, built with lumber harvested from the property and accented with an abundance of stonework and a copper roof. Where possible, construction materials were sourced from Vancouver Island suppliers and skilled craftsmen from the Comox Valley—including father and son team, Chris and Kyle Henderson, and Hans Deneer—were contracted to do the work. About the only items in the building that aren’t local are the oak barrels, ordered from bourbon distillers in Kentucky, and the custom-made copper pot stills imported from Scotland.
In addition to the all-important purpose of making whisky, the building has been designed to accommodate tours and special events. This past summer, the first year they have opened their doors to the public, more than 150 groups toured the facility and an average of 400 people were guided through the distillery every weekend.
Visitors discovered meeting rooms and offices lavishly decorated with enormous leather chairs and wrought iron furnishings. The walls boast a collection of exquisite photographic art—all shot on the farm by local wildlife photographer Lee Simmons, whose work is also featured on the distillery’s website.
In the wall that separates the meeting/banquet room from the distillery area is a series of nine etched glass windows and a set of double doors that feature the work of local artist Robert Lundquist. The etched glass art walks you through the distilling process step-by-step; starting with barley in the field and ending with the founders raising glasses in a celebratory toast.
As impressive as the building is, it is the immaculate distillery system that is most extraordinary. You enter though frosted glass doors to find a high vaulted ceiling under which two enormous copper pot stills and five copper and stainless steel fermentation tanks glisten under the bright lights. All are connected via a network of stainless steel tubing that runs behind the walls and under the floor to carry liquids in various stages of distillation from one tank to another. All of this is controlled by a state-of-the-art computer system.
In July 2010, when they were ready to start their first batch of whisky, Mike Nicolson, a master distiller, joined the team to lend his expertise. The art of whisky distilling is very much in Nicolson’s blood. Both of his grandfathers were distillers on Islay, Scotland, and his father was a Lowland Grain Distiller. Scottish-born Nicolson himself learned the trade over three decades at some of Scotland’s finest Scotch distilleries. In 2003, he was recognized for lifetime industry achievement with a prestigious award from Whisky Magazine. What a fortunate co-incidence that he had semi-retired and relocated to Vancouver Island and was able to lend his expertise to the Shelter Point Distillery!
Over the past few months, Nicolson has been teaching Evans and Marinus the art of traditional Scottish distilling methods. They are using the best ingredients available and some of the purest water in the world with the intent of creating a medium-bodied premium single malt Canadian whisky. It is being distilled batch by batch in the traditional copper ‘pot stills.’
As exciting as the whole process is for them, they will have to be patient before they see a finished product. In an age when technology changes at rapid pace, their focus is on slowing down to do everything right from the beginning. It will be August 2014 before they can make the premier release of Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky.
“Under Canadian law,” says Marinus, “whisky can’t be called whisky until it has been stored in an oak barrel for three years and a day. In the meantime, because of our connections with other distilleries, we have been able to purchase small lots of specially selected whiskies to blend on site and bottle for the enjoyment of our customers.”
The whisky-making process starts with up to one ton of barley being ground and mashed for five hours in a ‘Mash Tun,’ as up to 6,000-litres of hot water are filtered through it to extract the barley sugars from the grain. The spent grain that is created is then removed and transported to Evansdale Dairy Farm to be fed to the cows. The sugar water or ‘wort’ is then pumped into one of five 5,000-litre fermentation tanks.
Yeast is added to the stainless steel tank to kick-start the fermentation process and, after five days ‘rest,’ it moves into the wash still where it is distilled for eight hours. After the distillation and vaporization process the liquid—now called ‘low wines’—is about 25 per cent alcohol.
From there, the liquid is moved back into the spirit still where the magic of the final distillation process turns it to liquid gold—a product that can not yet be called ‘single malt whisky’ but is now more than 65 per cent alcohol.
The liquid is then siphoned through a testing station where the ‘head, heart and tail’—or in layman’s terms, the beginning, middle and end—of the draw is monitored for alcohol strength. The ideal strength, explains Marinus, is about 63.5 per cent, which is generally at the ‘heart’ of the liquid stream. The ‘head and tail’ go back in spirit still to be re-distilled and the premium product is pumped into a holding tanking before it is poured into single use oak barrels to age for a minimum of three years, plus a day. That one ton of barley will ultimately produce about 900 750-ml bottles of single malt whisky.
“That’s an amazing return on investment… if you can hold your breath long enough!” says Evans.
While they wait for their first batches to come of age, Evans and Marinus are developing a range of other Vancouver Island spirits. In addition to the single malt whisky produced from 100 per cent malted barley, products in development include aged custom-blended whiskies and fruit and berry-infused spirits and cream liqueurs made from berries grown in their fields and fruit grown on local farms.
“Shelter Point Distillery is designed to be an artisan distillery,” explains Evans. “Right from the start, the concept has been quality over quantity, and we have put an emphasis on sourcing as many of the ingredients directly from the farm or the surrounding region as possible. This in itself will establish us in the industry, considering that distilleries that grow their own barley and distill it on premise are very rare.”
When asked how they maintain their patience, having to wait several years before they can begin to bottle and sell Shelter Point Scotch, Evans smiles and says: “Playing the waiting game is what farmers do best! On a dairy farm you have to wait at least two years from the time a calf is born before she can produce milk. With berry crops you have to wait three to seven years before you get a decent harvest. Forests take 80 to 100 years.
“When you look at the big picture, three years—plus a day—for whisky to mature in an oak barrel isn’t so long to wait for a product that will retail for $50 to $80 a bottle.”
For more information visit: www.shelterpointdistillery.com.
Long before it became trendy to “eat local,” farmers in the Comox Valley had been feeding area families and the local economy for more than a century. While some producers have remained committed to a particular farm product such as milk, beef, eggs or vegetables, others have—often out of necessity—diversified their operations. Shelter Point Farm and Distillery, located halfway between the Comox Valley and Campbell River, is a prime example.
With the Oyster River bordering the farm to the south, and 2,000-metres of oceanfront on beautiful Oyster Beach and the Strait of Georgia to the east, Shelter Point is one of Canada’s few remaining oceanfront farms. For decades, this 405-hectare (1,000-acre) property was known as the University of British Columbia’s Oyster River Research Farm. In 2005, UBC made the decision to divest some of its collection of 14 different land titles that had been bequeathed to it in 1962 by New York stockbroker Barrett Montford. Marking the end of an era, the Oyster River operation was one of the properties that the University elected to put up for sale.
Having spent his entire life in the Comox Valley, Patrick Evans was familiar with the farm and he and his family jumped at the chance to buy it. Evans is no stranger to farm life and he foresaw a great future for this land.
Together with the support of his family and operations manager, James Marinus, a bold vision for a new type of farm was created. They dreamed of a property where wild areas, native animals, and birds would co-exist with humans and farming; where fish habitat and natural ecosystems would be restored and preserved; and where innovative value-added agriculture would allow for a financially viable farm for future generations… a production model with a sophisticated ‘farm gate’ retail side. A true testament to thinking outside the box, Evans and Marinus decided to focus on producing single malt Scotch, earning Shelter Point Distillery the distinction of being only the second of its kind in Canada!
For Evans, a third generation farmer, this foresight comes naturally. He is a descendant of a family of visionary pioneers who had settled in the Comox Valley in the early 1900s. His great grandparents acquired land from the original Soldiers Settlement in the Tsolum River area and the family has operated Evansdale Dairy Farm for generations. It is interesting to note that, after close inspection of the original deeds following the family’s purchase of the farm, Patrick Evans discovered that his grandfather had once owned a quarter section of land encompassing a portion of this property.
Marinus also brought a wealth of experience to the venture. He has been employed in the agricultural industry for almost 25 years, working with the Evans family on multiple key projects over the years. This experience, combined with a love for architecture and an eye for detail, would soon be evident in every facet of the Shelter Point Distillery’s development.
First on the agenda for these ‘farm-preneurs’ was a new name.
“We wanted a name that would reflect the farm’s unique geographic location on Vancouver Island,” explains Evans. “The name ‘Oyster River’ did not resonate with us and,” he pauses to show me Kuhushan Point on an aerial-view map of the property and says with a smile: “while we respect this historic name, we worried that people would not know how to pronounce it, so its marketing potential was limiting! Ultimately, we decided on Shelter Point Farm.”
The idea to build a whiskey distillery at Shelter Point came about after several meetings with John Watson, executive director of the Comox Valley Economic Development Society. “Economic Development has a mandate to support agricultural diversification,” explains Marinus. “But farmers, in general, can get stagnant and complacent by focusing solely on what has worked in the past. We wanted to think well beyond the parameters of traditional farming operations and move from niche farming to a mixed operation that produced a product with a high return on investment.
“Through our on-going conversations with John, and a group of Scottish investors, the concept for a distillery was conceived. Blessed with a near perfect mix of fertile soil, sunshine, abundant fresh water and mild weather, the ingredients to produce a true ‘Field to Flask’ single malt whisky were already in place. The idea of a unique, high-value beverage that would be produced completely on the farm, and where the used barley waste from the production process would become food for dairy cattle, spoke to our vision of environmental sustainability.”
Shortly after the land purchase, Evans, his wife Kimm and their four daughters, and Marinus, along with his wife Pamela, two daughters and son, moved into two existing farmhouses on the property. The planning for the construction of a distillery and planting of crops began in earnest. Andrew Curry, a distiller from Scotland, and Jay Oddleifson, a chartered accountant and a consultant on several local development projects, were instrumental in the development of the project.
Crop trials in 2006 produced a bumper crop and proved the viability of growing malting barley on site.
Along with the special strain of barley, which will eventually provide the basic ingredient for the distillery, raspberries have also been planted for the fresh fruit market and potential use in other distilled spirits. Winter wheat and grasses are now sown in the fields, for the benefit of the many visiting waterfowl that overwinter on the farm. Some areas remain in forest, providing alternative habitat for resident species of wildlife, as well as a sustainable source of wood for future building projects on the farm.
The architectural design for a distillery building that, according to Evans, is “reminiscent of an old dairy barn,” took years to perfect. After three years of construction, the distillery was completed in December 2010. The towering, 7,500-square-foot building that now stands near the front of the property is sure to become a local landmark.
While the building may have the outward appearance of a dairy barn, if cows were to be housed here it would be considered five-star bovine accommodation! The Shelter Point Distillery ‘barn’ is solid timber frame construction, built with lumber harvested from the property and accented with an abundance of stonework and a copper roof. Where possible, construction materials were sourced from Vancouver Island suppliers and skilled craftsmen from the Comox Valley—including father and son team, Chris and Kyle Henderson, and Hans Deneer—were contracted to do the work. About the only items in the building that aren’t local are the oak barrels, ordered from bourbon distillers in Kentucky, and the custom-made copper pot stills imported from Scotland.
In addition to the all-important purpose of making whisky, the building has been designed to accommodate tours and special events. This past summer, the first year they have opened their doors to the public, more than 150 groups toured the facility and an average of 400 people were guided through the distillery every weekend.
Visitors discovered meeting rooms and offices lavishly decorated with enormous leather chairs and wrought iron furnishings. The walls boast a collection of exquisite photographic art—all shot on the farm by local wildlife photographer Lee Simmons, whose work is also featured on the distillery’s website.
In the wall that separates the meeting/banquet room from the distillery area is a series of nine etched glass windows and a set of double doors that feature the work of local artist Robert Lundquist. The etched glass art walks you through the distilling process step-by-step; starting with barley in the field and ending with the founders raising glasses in a celebratory toast.
As impressive as the building is, it is the immaculate distillery system that is most extraordinary. You enter though frosted glass doors to find a high vaulted ceiling under which two enormous copper pot stills and five copper and stainless steel fermentation tanks glisten under the bright lights. All are connected via a network of stainless steel tubing that runs behind the walls and under the floor to carry liquids in various stages of distillation from one tank to another. All of this is controlled by a state-of-the-art computer system.
In July 2010, when they were ready to start their first batch of whisky, Mike Nicolson, a master distiller, joined the team to lend his expertise. The art of whisky distilling is very much in Nicolson’s blood. Both of his grandfathers were distillers on Islay, Scotland, and his father was a Lowland Grain Distiller. Scottish-born Nicolson himself learned the trade over three decades at some of Scotland’s finest Scotch distilleries. In 2003, he was recognized for lifetime industry achievement with a prestigious award from Whisky Magazine. What a fortunate co-incidence that he had semi-retired and relocated to Vancouver Island and was able to lend his expertise to the Shelter Point Distillery!
Over the past few months, Nicolson has been teaching Evans and Marinus the art of traditional Scottish distilling methods. They are using the best ingredients available and some of the purest water in the world with the intent of creating a medium-bodied premium single malt Canadian whisky. It is being distilled batch by batch in the traditional copper ‘pot stills.’
As exciting as the whole process is for them, they will have to be patient before they see a finished product. In an age when technology changes at rapid pace, their focus is on slowing down to do everything right from the beginning. It will be August 2014 before they can make the premier release of Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky.
“Under Canadian law,” says Marinus, “whisky can’t be called whisky until it has been stored in an oak barrel for three years and a day. In the meantime, because of our connections with other distilleries, we have been able to purchase small lots of specially selected whiskies to blend on site and bottle for the enjoyment of our customers.”
The whisky-making process starts with up to one ton of barley being ground and mashed for five hours in a ‘Mash Tun,’ as up to 6,000-litres of hot water are filtered through it to extract the barley sugars from the grain. The spent grain that is created is then removed and transported to Evansdale Dairy Farm to be fed to the cows. The sugar water or ‘wort’ is then pumped into one of five 5,000-litre fermentation tanks.
Yeast is added to the stainless steel tank to kick-start the fermentation process and, after five days ‘rest,’ it moves into the wash still where it is distilled for eight hours. After the distillation and vaporization process the liquid—now called ‘low wines’—is about 25 per cent alcohol.
From there, the liquid is moved back into the spirit still where the magic of the final distillation process turns it to liquid gold—a product that can not yet be called ‘single malt whisky’ but is now more than 65 per cent alcohol.
The liquid is then siphoned through a testing station where the ‘head, heart and tail’—or in layman’s terms, the beginning, middle and end—of the draw is monitored for alcohol strength. The ideal strength, explains Marinus, is about 63.5 per cent, which is generally at the ‘heart’ of the liquid stream. The ‘head and tail’ go back in spirit still to be re-distilled and the premium product is pumped into a holding tanking before it is poured into single use oak barrels to age for a minimum of three years, plus a day. That one ton of barley will ultimately produce about 900 750-ml bottles of single malt whisky.
“That’s an amazing return on investment… if you can hold your breath long enough!” says Evans.
While they wait for their first batches to come of age, Evans and Marinus are developing a range of other Vancouver Island spirits. In addition to the single malt whisky produced from 100 per cent malted barley, products in development include aged custom-blended whiskies and fruit and berry-infused spirits and cream liqueurs made from berries grown in their fields and fruit grown on local farms.
“Shelter Point Distillery is designed to be an artisan distillery,” explains Evans. “Right from the start, the concept has been quality over quantity, and we have put an emphasis on sourcing as many of the ingredients directly from the farm or the surrounding region as possible. This in itself will establish us in the industry, considering that distilleries that grow their own barley and distill it on premise are very rare.”
When asked how they maintain their patience, having to wait several years before they can begin to bottle and sell Shelter Point Scotch, Evans smiles and says: “Playing the waiting game is what farmers do best! On a dairy farm you have to wait at least two years from the time a calf is born before she can produce milk. With berry crops you have to wait three to seven years before you get a decent harvest. Forests take 80 to 100 years.
“When you look at the big picture, three years—plus a day—for whisky to mature in an oak barrel isn’t so long to wait for a product that will retail for $50 to $80 a bottle.”
For more information visit: www.shelterpointdistillery.com.
It’s a typical Friday afternoon at Prontissima Pasta in ‘Tintown’—otherwise known as Rosewall Crescent in Courtenay. Customers are browsing the products in the storefront coolers and shelves, lining up to get ingredients for the evening dinner. Proprietor Sarah Walsh is preparing for the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market on Saturday, but being a master at multi-tasking, manages to satisfy everyone with a full shopping basket and a whetted appetite.
“The whole idea of Prontissima Pasta was born of busy nights, not feeling like cooking, but not wanting take-out food and not wanting to go to a restaurant,” says Walsh in between customers. “The idea is that it’s a quick gourmet meal that you put together at home but takes only 15 minutes total. Then you have a meal where you know all the ingredients are good and it hasn’t taken any time to put together. Pronto means ready, so Prontissima means ‘really ready’!”
A few minutes earlier Walsh was behind the scenes in the kitchen, labeling containers of Artichoke & Roasted Garlic Pesto. “This is our number-one-selling pesto,” she says, sticking the circular labels on multi-sized containers. “It’s our own creation, from a recipe just from my head. It turned out to be a great hit—we have to make it every weekend.”
Their products have a wide-ranging distribution. “We sell the pasta to Edible Island, the pesto to Butcher’s Block, Edible Island, Seeds Market in Cumberland, Healthy Way Organic Foods in Campbell River, Sunshine Organics, which is a home delivery of organic groceries, then we sell here and at the Farmers’ Market. We stay at the outdoor market until October 22, and then move indoors to the Native Sons Hall—we go all year round now.”
While the labeling continues, a couple of plumbers in the kitchen replacing a faucet seem to be getting distracted from their work as Walsh describes her products. Everything is natural with no preservatives. “We started with a traditional egg pasta,” continues Walsh, “then the Citrus Black Pepper, and the Chipotle and Lime, and the Spinach. The Spinach pasta has real spinach in it. A lot of fresh pasta will have dehydrated spinach powder, but ours, you can see the fibers of spinach.
Recent additions to their pasta menu include Paprika and Oregano, and Curry, but perhaps their most exotic pasta creation is flavored with squid ink. “We’re waiting for our shipment of squid ink to come in,” says Walsh, smiling. “The pasta becomes black—it’s not a strong flavor, but the oils from the ink give the pasta a really nice texture. You just put a little lemon and salt on it—it has a really silky flavor.”
The plumbers are definitely listening now. “You’re making me hungry!” says a voice from under the cabinet. Walsh has barely begun to describe the mouth-watering pasta and pesto combinations possible. “Some pastas we do seasonally, like the Pumpkin pasta—people wait for it. Our first batch was yesterday, so people were coming for it. We finish making that around March. We also do beet pasta; it gets the real beet flavor.”
With all these flavors, Walsh has trouble choosing a personal favorite. “If we’re having prawns, I really like the Citrus Black Pepper with the basil pesto,” she says. “With salmon, I love the Carrot and Dill pasta; with red meat, I would go with one of our tomato sauces like Sun-dried Tomato. The fun is making all the different combinations. Customers often tell us what they’ve done and give ideas.”
As if on cue, a flurry of customers entering the shop interrupts the descriptions. Walsh is instantly out providing suggestions to the first young woman for tonight’s dinner. “We made a batch of Pumpkin pasta yesterday—it’s very pumpkin-y! The combo with walnut pesto and fresh chopped parsley is really good.”
As the customer browses the shelves for other ingredients—including such delicacies as Bison Sausage, Black Truffle Purée and Apple and Sage Jelly—Walsh greets the next couple, who are regulars. They had Chipotle and Lime pasta the last time and want some recommendations on combinations. “I would go traditional or Spinach with tomato sauce so you get the flavor of the sauces,” Walsh recommends. “With the Curry pasta, I would do the Black Olive or Artichoke Roasted Garlic pesto.”
Along with the nuances of the dozen different pasta shapes, Walsh calls out the preparation instructions as they leave the shop: “The instructions are all on the package!” The next young woman, with a baby, is buying shell pasta stuffed with spinach, ricotta and basil. “It’s the same filling we put in the lasagna,” says Walsh, indicating the coolers packed with prepared servings. “It’s pre-made, but not baked—when you bake them it tastes just like you just made them.”
Many customers get their entire meal in this one location. “The storefront allows us to offer all the other things that go with pasta and Italian fine food. It’s basically about completing the meal,” says Walsh. “You can get everything from an appetizer to dessert, like Benino Gelato or Dark Side Chocolates. If you need olive oil, it’s here. Parmesan is here. Or if you want some meat with the meal… I try to keep all the meats local.”
Walsh appreciates the support of the Tintown community—many parents stop in after classes at the Motif Music School or Gemini Dance Studio. “Rosewall is a good location, a nice community,” she notes. “It’s the right location for a production area.”
The Freakin’ Coffee Shop on Rosewall Crescent is another supporter. “We make a pasta bake for them—a short pasta combined with a pesto and local Natural Pastures cheese that we sell, then they serve it up hot on a Friday and people can go and try it there. We’re not going to get into being a restaurant!”
Several restaurants already serve Prontissima Pasta products. “Locals Restaurant has been with us since the beginning,” says Walsh. “The Kingfisher, Atlas, Toto’s in Comox, the Royal Coachman in Campbell River, Strathcona Park Lodge, the Old House—they order every week. Then we have a Quadra following—my mom and dad live on Quadra so my mom picks up a Quadra delivery every week.”
Walsh’s husband, Wally, also helps with the deliveries, though he has another job. “He’s really a carpenter!” she says with a laugh.
Walsh’s career in pasta began as a result of the couple’s adventures traveling. After getting married in Canada in 2001, the couple sold their house in Dublin and headed to Spain to buy a sailboat. Their plan was to fulfill their dreams of traveling by sailboat and explore the different cultures and food of the Mediterranean.
Three years into their sailing adventure, they pulled into one of the most historic ports in history; Venice, Italy. It was there that they fell in love with Italy and met friends Toni and Anna, who inspired them and planted the seed of passion for Italian food. In addition to teaching them the Italian language—they had arrived knowing only a few words—Toni and Anna also taught them many traditional family recipes and the art of making fresh pasta, “La pasta fresca”. From their first lesson in Toni and Anna’s kitchen, they were convinced that fresh pasta was something special and delicious. A month later, their Venetian friends threw Walsh a birthday party and gifted her with her first fresh pasta machine.
When they returned to the Canada and the Comox Valley in 2005, they decided to put the skills Walsh had learned to good use, and started Prontissima Pasta. She still counts on the moral support of her friends and mentors, Toni and Anna. “We speak on the phone often—they get very excited about what we are doing. Anna is just a really great woman, and Toni always wants to know how many kilos of flour we go through!”
Today, Walsh shares pasta-making duties with Judith Storring, “our other ‘Pasta Master’.” Prontissima Pasta started out home-based before moving to Tintown a year ago. “The whole time we’ve been in business there’s been a steady increase every year,” says Walsh. “The whole local food movement has been a big hit.”
While well-known locally, the pasta will soon be known nationally. “We actually just found out on the weekend that we were mentioned in Chatelaine Magazine with Locals Restaurant,” says Walsh. “We didn’t know that was going to happen! The Chatelaine food writer went across Canada—they called it a ‘Tasty Road Trip’. They highlighted quite a bit of the Comox Valley, like Fanny Bay Oysters, and our Farmers’ Market. We were mentioned with Locals by Ronald St. Pierre who uses our pasta. So that was exciting! It’s the October issue, out now.”
Walsh notes only Canadian Durum Semolina flour is used in their pasta. “They can grow it in the Ukraine too, so in Italy, they would get it from there,” she says. “It’s an unbleached flour, ground from the kernel of the wheat so it’s considered a whole grain. It’s a slow release carb so it’s considered a good carbohydrate. Also it’s lower on the glycemic index, so can be in the diabetic diet once a week or so.”
A couple other specialty products are wheat free. “We make an ancient grain pasta with organic spelt and organic kaput,” says Walsh. “We want to do more products, more stuffed pastas—we eventually want to get a machine that makes ravioli, because you can be creative with the fillings, and it’s a nice frozen meal too.”
The entire range of pasta shapes are made from only two machines at the back of the kitchen. Walsh laughs. “That’s it! Our machines have all the different attachments—we don’t need a lot of space. We make up the pasta flavor and then decide what shape to make it—everything from fusilli to shells to penne to linguini or fettuccine. We can do sheets for lasagna and cannelloni.”
For now, local gourmets can not only get a taste at the restaurants, but at the Rosewall storefront. “We do ‘Sample Saturdays’ between 1:30 and 3:30, every Saturday but the long weekends,” says Walsh. “We give out free samples—different combinations of pasta and pesto. It’s a good way for people to try different combos.”
Remembering that tomorrow is Saturday, Walsh heads back into the kitchen. “I have to get back to work to make pumpkin pasta for tomorrow’s Farmers’ Market!”