The Best B.C Spirits: Our Top 5

1. Esquimalt Vermouth & Apéritifs

Esquimalt Vermouths have officially become a staple in the bar at our restaurant, Little River. Made by Michaela and Quinn Palmer, who are based in Nanaimo, Esquimalt creates some of the most unique and terroir driven aperitifs in British Columbia. Terroir is a French term often used in the wine world, meaning how a particular region’s climate, soils and terrain affect taste. We carry eight of their vermouths behind the bar and each holds its own special place in our menu. Vermouths are often used to add complexity to cocktails.

Esquimalt’s vermouths stand out because of their unique base. While most vermouths rely on wine, Michaela and Quinn craft theirs from mead made with blueberry-blossom honey. They source the honey from the Peace River Region of B.C. We love the honeyed backbone flavour that it brings to the spirit. Plus, they’re supporting local beekeepers. Beyond the delicious base, they build complexity by incorporating ingredients that are both local and seasonal. Esquimalt also integrates sustainability into every step of their process. Even the citrus peels come from a local juice company they partner with, ensuring nothing goes to waste.

The small team at Esquimalt are truly pushing boundaries. They were the first vermouth producers outside of Europe to receive the World Best Vermouth award. The honour went to both their Semi-sweet Rosso and Dry Vermouth!

Their ‘Cascadia’ aperitifs have especially captured our hearts and tastebuds. Michaela and Quinn collaborated with Vancouver Island foragers to create a vermouth using 100% Vancouver Island native botanicals. These apéritifs are a pure expression of the abundance of our Pacific Northwest forests. When you visit the bar at Nimmo Bay, you’ll experience the Smoked Cascadia vermouth in our signature cocktail the “Renew”. It’s a bright and woodsy sour that highlights cedar-infused gin, seasonal berries, and lemon.

2. Ampersand Distillery

Ampersand Distilling Co. Gin and Per Se Vodka are some of the bottles that we find ourselves reaching for most often. This distillery is a true family operation, run from the Schacht family’s five-acre organic farm in the Cowichan Valley. What we find so impressive is that father and son duo, Stephen and Jeremy, both trained engineers, combined their passion and knowledge to build something of their own. Literally. The two of them designed and hand built their own custom and unique pot and column stills. Now, they’ve been crafting spirits for 10 years.

Ampersand uses organic B.C-grown wheat and water from a freshwater spring discovered under their own property in their spirits. The result of innovation and the care that goes into the ingredients makes their gin and vodka so incredibly smooth and clean. The simplicity is key here. Our team loves to let them shine in a classic martini or gin and tonic. They also make the perfect base for infusing. The team gets inspired by the locally foraged botanicals and farm fresh fruits that arrive to create unique and delicious custom spirits. You’ll have the opportunity to taste cocktails infused with the essence of the Great Bear Rainforest.

3. Wayward Distillery

Found in the Comox Valley, Wayward is a small but mighty distillery. Their uniqueness comes from the fact that they were the first distillery to use 100% B.C honey as the base for all their spirits. On top of making incredibly delicious spirits, what really gets us, though, is how much they care about the bees behind it all. Wayward not only uses honey, but they also actively support pollinator health through various bee programs. They aim to help protect and restore local bee populations. We love their passion for the land, the ecosystem, and the creatures that help it all thrive.

We’re big fans of their Drunken Hive Rum. While traditional rum uses molasses from sugarcane, theirs uses molasses made from caramelized B.C honey. It’s rich, floral, and beautifully spiced. You’ll find that it ads something very special to our Awaken cocktail. This signature cocktail also features Esquimalt’s Bitter Orange Vermouth and farm fresh Okanagan stone fruit. It truly tastes like summer in a glass!

4. Shelter Point

Shelter Point Distillery is a true Vancouver Island treasure nestled on a family farm in Black Creek. The distillery is owned by Patrick Evans, a third-generation local farmer. From the beginning their goal was simple, craft whisky that truly captures the spirit of the land.

To make their signature estate whiskies, Patrick and his team grow their own barley right on the farm and use crystal-clear aquifer water drawn straight from the rock beneath their feet. The copper pot stills work their magic while the whisky ages just steps from the salty ocean air, giving each bottle a subtle hint of coastal character.

One of our favourites to sip by a warm fire is Smoke Point, a single malt whisky aged in barrels smoked with driftwood found on shores nearby. The whisky is rich and briny with the essence of salt and seaweed from the driftwood, capturing the spirit of the island. Smoke Point has that classic, slight toffee sweetness on the palette. It also has an incredibly smooth mouthfeel and a warming, earthy peatiness.

5. Arbutus Distillery

Arbutus is yet another distillery grounded in careful craft and love for wild, local ingredients. Michael Pizzitelli is the founder of Arbutus and has a background in science and biology. After studying distilling and brewing in Scotland, Michael came home to Nanaimo with a mission. He set out to build a distillery on the island that would break beyond normal conventions. They are in pursuit of creating unconventional, truly unique, flavour-forward spirits and cocktails. One of their core values is they only use 100% B.C grown fermentables (grains and fruits) in their spirits. As well, many of the botanicals they use come straight from their own gardens or local wild patches. We commend this dedication to sustainability; it gives these spirits a flavour punch that represents the coast of Vancouver Island.

We carry many of their delicious spirits and liqueurs in Little River, but we’re especially fond of the Amaro #4. They have layered the amaro with incredible ingredients from Vancouver Island, like wild bitter, gentian roots, and Oregon grape. The most prominent flavour though is a quintessential B.C berry, salal. Wild salal grows abundantly around Nimmo and we cherish it’s earthy and sweet blueberry-like taste. The Arbutus Amaro #4 is extremely smooth, citrusy, and has the perfect bittersweet balance. When you’re sitting outside on the dock, enjoying the summer sunshine, we would recommend it in a spritz. Or, once you’re fully stuffed after a world-class dinner, we’ll bring you a glass, neat, as a digestif.

More Than Spirits

From Duncan to the Black Creek, these Vancouver Island distilleries are creating more than just exceptional B.C spirits. They’re crafting a deeper connection to place, sustainability, and story. Each bottle on our bar shelf at Nimmo Bay represents the people, passion, and landscapes that shape this coast. Whether you’re sipping a cedar-infused gin cocktail after a long day of adventure or enjoying a glass of amaro under the stars, our team invites you to taste the spirit of the island with every pour.

If you’re looking for a full culinary experience, check out our Taste the Wild enhancement. The Front of House and Culinary Teams will work together to bring the flavours of the Great Bear Rainforest to life on the plate and in your glass.

Cheers to keeping it local, thoughtful, and delicious.