the Wood Buffalo Brewing Company and micro distillery opened in Fort McMurray, and like Jasper, the summer of 2016 saw the rage of a wildfire that destroyed 2400 buildings. Although Wood Buffalo Brewing and its restaurant reopened after the community’s decimation, it did not survive the economic downturn that followed in the fire’s wake and closed in mid 2019. It did, however, leave behind a tiny legacy for one incredibly rare whisky release three years after its closing. Aptly named the Beast, after the wildfire that devastated the area of Fort McMurray, this whisky was not only a bottling of heavily peated Scottish malt but one that had survived and was influenced by the smoke of the 2016 wildfire. Head Distiller Bryce Parsons and Brewer Spike Baker decided to distill the malt and bottled the resulting whisky in 2022. The minute release of 50 bottles sold individually at auction with the proceeds donated to charities in the Fort McMurray area, including the Fort McMurray Fire
Fighters Charities Association. As I write this article, about a dozen bottles remain to still be auctioned. So far over $150,000 has been raised. Bearhill continues to march down the whisky trail with the Maligne range, and Distiller Bryce Parsons has another project of his own that will eventually join the march too - True Wild Distillery should be opening in November 2024. It may have taken 90 years for the craft distilleries to root themselves deeply into the fertile soil of Alberta, but just like good whisky should, in due time these wild wild spirits will come to the Canadian market and possibly knock your cowboy boots off.
Founded in 2004 by a group of Jasperites friends = Socrates Korogonas, Brett Ireland, and Alex Derkson they have spent over two decades building microbreweries in Calgary, Edmonton, Jasper, Banff, and Fort McMurray. In the spring of 2015 they also opened Last Best Brewing & Distilling in Calgary. Bearhill is also responsible for the new Maligne Range line of whisky - and the distillery with the same name that just opened in Jasper National Park. Their two whisky releases, Excelsior and Tekarra, which are specifically named after individual mountains in the range. Tekarra is a unique small- batch whisky release made from malt, wheat, and a bit of demerara sugar, bottled at 48%. Excelsior is a collaboration between Distiller Bryce Parsons and Kensington Wine Market, also bottled at 48%, and is made from peated malt/ malted wheat. Sadly - completely sold out. All their whiskies were distilled at Last Best Brewery and Distillery of Calgary. However the Maligne Range Distillery in Jasper is now open
and should be laying down casks soon. July 24th was meant to be the day the micro distillery and restaurant had their grand opening. Sadly that was the day Jasper was hit by a devastating wildfire that damaged or outright destroyed one-third of the buildings in their community. Luckily, the Maligne Range Distillery was not one of the fire’s many victims and their grand opening went forward on September 19th, 2024. Last month the label released its third whisky named after the Amber mountain range - Batch 01. The 46% ABV whisky is a blend of malted barley (distilled at Calgary’s Last Best) and unmalted Rye (undisclosed Alberta Distillery). It is a very well-balanced dram that shows an enticing combination of sweet fruit and soft spice notes, with the Rye and Malt components getting along like the best dynamic duos.
Tipping my hat to all the craft distilleries, - Evan
Unfortunately, this is not the first time Bearhill and its staff have had to deal with the threat of wildfires. In 2013,
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the whisky explorer magazine
the whisky explorer magazine
FALL 2024
FALL 2024
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