Distillerie du Square
On a spring day when the mercury has unexpectedly risen beyond the comfortable, the huge distillery system at Distillerie du Square in Old Chelsea has decided to have a meltdown. Richard Wagner, distiller-in-chief, is himself bathed in sweat as he vents and cools the huge tanks and the copper still that he uses to create the neutral grain spirit made from Quebec corn, then the bespoke Gin du Jardin, variations of which include Chelsea Dry Gin and a Méditerrannéen version.
It turns out that the ambient heat, combined with distilling and mashing is just too much for the equipment to handle at the same time. But no harm has been done and Wagner is shortly back to creating magic in a bottle at the only regional distillery on the Quebec side of the river. Wagner, who is learning from Montreal-based master distiller and consultant Luc Bordeleau, explains that each system has its own character. It takes a little time to learn one’s way around a new one. Distillerie du Square opened in December, so this system is in its relatively early days.
Distillerie du Square uses municipal water, which it first purifies using a reverse osmosis technique, before starting from scratch to make a neutral alcohol base. The flavours come later, and many of them come from local farms in the region. One such is Ferme et Forêt in Wakefield, which supplies juniper berries and rosemary. The Méditerrannéen uses a unique “fat wash” technique, whereby alcohol is infused with a fatty substance. In this case, it’s a smooth olive oil from La Belle Excuse, produced by Aristo Stavropoulos, a Greek ex-pat who lives in Lanaudiere, Que.
Stavropoulos imports oil from his family’s olive groves, located in Chora in the Triphylia region south of the Peloponnese. This oil is added to Distillerie du Square’s gin, where it is simmered at a low temperature, then frozen to separate the components. This allows the liquid to absorb the flavour of the olive oil, without making it oily in the mouth. “It’s almost buttery,” explains Wagner. Then the botanicals and other flavours are infused, producing a gin that speaks of the Mediterranean, with tones of black olive, pistachio and lemon. The Chelsea Dry Gin is “more juniper forward, more boreal and more traditional,” says Wagner, “with hints of sage, mint and cantaloupe.”
Distillerie du Square has also created an aperitivo, named after and inspired by the famous song “Bella Ciao.” Similar in colour to Aperol, it offers notes of blood orange, bitter orange peel, gentian root, cardamom, sage, rosemary, hawthorn, star anise, ginger, juniper berry, clove and salt, for creating a spritz or negroni.
“There are a lot of women working here,” explains Distillerie owner Manuela Teixeira, the powerhouse behind the development of the Old Chelsea square, just outside the distillery. “We wanted to create a product that infused determination and entrepreneurship with a feminine touch. That's how Bella Ciao! Aperitivo was born. It's a tribute to women around the world who rise up in the face of injustice.”
Other spirit products are in the works. Teixeira is planning a vermouth made using wine from Vignoble Les Collines in nearby Luskville, an amaretto, already bottled, called A La Vita! and a collection of ready-to-drink cocktails such as Archangel, which will include cucumbers, Bella Ciao!, the Gin du Jardin and lime juice; Bellagroni, made from Chelsea Dry Gin, Bella Ciao!, orange bitters and Cinzano; and an espresso martini infused with maple and sea salt to be released in the fall. All of these will be available in the on-site lounge bar called La Cocktailerie, where Distillerie du Square hosts cocktail workshops, tastings and a small museum with panels that explain the history of distilleries in Quebec and tell the story of bootlegging and spirit-making in the region.
There’s good reason that Hull was known colloquially as Le Petit Chicago, and a framed petition from 1901 supporting prohibition is testament to the strong feelings of locals about the trade in the region. La Cocktailerie has the feel of a speaskeasy: subdued light, dark walls, leather sofas, wood tables, vintage metal chairs and the feeling that if they haven’t happened yet, some great parties will fi ll this space overlooking Old Chelsea Square. It’s another piece of Teixeira’s puzzle. Prominent on every page of her website is Teixeira’s mantra: “Our mission: To make sure that Old Chelsea Square is always your feel-good place.”
Distillerie du Square
248 Chem. Old Chelsea, Chelsea, Que.
distilleriedusquare.ca | @distilleriedusquare
Archangel (see photo above)
An easy-to-make cocktail that blends the flavours of fresh cucumber, bitter orange and aromatics for a refreshing cocktail.
1½ ounces Gin du Jardin
½ ounce Bella Ciao! Aperitivo
1 ounce lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
Fresh cucumber slice
Pour all ingredients, except cucumber, into a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled glass using a fi ne strainer. Garnish with a cucumber slice.
