A Sicamous moonshine distillery has received recognition for their clear spirits.

After Dark Distillery鈥檚 Monashee Mountain Vodka was awarded a silver medal at the 2019 Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year Awards, while their Copper Island Gin picked up a bronze.

After Dark鈥檚 vodka is described as smooth and clean tasting but packs heat 鈥� making it ideal for caesars. Louise Perry one of the distillery鈥檚 owners said like all of After Dark鈥檚 spirits, the vodka is made with corn and malted barley giving it a nice sweetness.

The Copper Island Gin is flavoured with haskap berries grown near Salmon Arm. Perry said the gin also draws some flavour from lemongrass and orange peel.

Perry said a survey After Dark put out to customers visiting their Sicamous storefront, suggests local gin drinkers prefer a lighter flavoured gin with less juniper berries in the mix.

鈥淚t just makes it less piney,鈥� she said

Although the distillery is still in their slow season, Perry said orders for liquor stores are beginning to pick up for the the coming months.

The small-batch distillery, located on Shuswap Avenue in Sicamous, has been open since March 2017.

Making even bigger waves than After Dark鈥檚 vodka and gin was a product from Monashee Spirits Craft Distillery, located just up the Trans-Canada Highway in Revelstoke. Monashee Spirits鈥� Ethos Gin was named the Canadian Artisan Spirit of the year with judges praising its citrusy, piney nose and residual sweetness among other attributes.

jim.elliot@saobserver.net
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