"''"*3&4r#64*/&44
A DISTILLERY PROJECT TO MAKE HAWKESBURY PROUD
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
Pierre Mantha wants to give Hawkesbury something to be proud of with his new craft distillery project. “I want to make Hawkesbury proud,” he said during a phone interview Monday. “I want Ontario proud. I want Canada to be proud.” The owner and founder of the Artiste in Residence distillery (AiR) in Gatineau is happy to see the steel girders going up now on the Tupper Street site of the Hawkesbury addition to his craft distillery operation. The project is two years behind schedule because of the pandemic and some delays with provincial government permit approvals, but now Mantha is confident about seeing his new Hawkesbury operation ready to begin production of his signature gin, vodka, and whiskey by September this year. “For me it’s good news,” he said, “be- cause now we something going on, now we’re moving and things are going.” Project schedule The plan now is to see the main distillery building finished in July and the custom-made distillery equipment installed and ready to begin production by the end of August or the beginning of September. The equipment will be the same as is used at the Gatineau dis- tillery. Mantha expects all of the equipment, made in Germany and China, should arrive on the project site in June. Mantha emphasized that his Hawkesbury distillery is a multi-phase project that will take about 10 years to complete. First phase is setting up the main distillery facility and getting it operating. The following phases will see erection of additional buildings for storage and production and also for an on- site bistro-style restaurant with a greenhouse addition to provide fresh produce year-round for the menu, and a shop that will offer on-site sales of all the AiR products. Mantha’s goal for his Hawkesbury ope- ration is future production of the full line of spirits and liqueurs now available from his Gatineau operation. That includes gin, vodka, whiskey, and a variety of liqueurs. He plans to set up both a bottling and a canning operation at his Hawkesbury site.
Le rêve de Pierre Mantha, promoteur d›une distillerie, est de faire de son projet de distillerie à Hawkesbury une source d’emplois et de fierté pour la municipalité. —photo Gregg Chamberlain
The canning operation will allow AiR to offer its own brand of soda and tonic for use in mixing drinks and also enter the growing market for blended liqueurs and spirits. Destination business During previous interviews, Mantha has stated that he wants his Hawkesbury distil- lery operation to be part of the community’s own destination tourism industry. The on- site restaurant and a planned distillery tour program are part of his plan for Hawkesbury AiR to become a local attraction for visitors. His goal is for AiR to become known as Canada’s finest craft distillery. His future plans, once the Hawkesbury operation is in full operation, is to look at setting up another EJTUJMMFSZJO7BODPVWFS #$-BUFSPOIFXJMM look at expanding AiR’s production ability into UIF6OJUFE4UBUFT TUBSUJOHJO1FOOTZMWBOJB and in the future operations in Colombia and Mexico for rum and tequila. Employment and investment When all eight phases of the Hawkes- bury distillery project are complete, Mantha
Nous invitons les lecteurs à nous faire parvenir leurs lettres qui ne doivent pas dépasser 300 mots. Nous nous réservons le droit de les modifier ou de refuser de les publier. L’expéditeur doit inclure son nom, prénom, adresse et numéro de téléphone. Readers are invited to send us their letters that must not exceed 300 words. We reserve the right to modify them or to refuse to publish them. The writer must include their names, address and telephone number. Publié le mercredi par • Published on Wednesday by: La Compagnie d’édition André Paquette Inc. Imprimé par • Printed by: Imprimerie Prescott et Russell, Hawkesbury, ON # convention : 0040012398 1100, rue Aberdeen Street, C.P. / P.O. Box 1000, Hawkesbury, ON K6A 3H1 613-632-4155 • 1-800-267-0850 Fax.: 613-632-6383
Pierre Mantha is doing what he loves, working on a new distillery project in Hawkesbury, and making plans for similar future projects elsewhere, all with the goal of making Canada a name in the craft distillery industry. — photo Marie-Anne Gaudreault
BERTRAND CASTONGUAY Président • President bertrand@eap.on.ca YVAN JOLY Directeur des ventes Sales director yvan@eap.on.ca
estimated that the facility should employ between 60 and 75 people. A made-in- Hawkesbury AiR brand whiskey will be an important factor to the future success of the facility. “I think whiskey is the future,” said Man- tha, regarding his craft distillery plans. )FOPUFEUIBUUIF64 4DPUMBOE BOE other countries have signature whiskeys famous throughout the world. Canada, he observed, does not have a signature whiskey of its own and he wants AiR to be the craft distillery that puts Canada on the list of premium whiskeys “at a reasonable price that people can enjoy.” #VUBRVBMJUZXIJTLFZUBLFTCFUXFFOUISFF and five years to age before it is ready to market. So gin and vodka will be the first and
main sale products during the first year or two of the Hawkesbury distillery’s operation. Whiskey production will begin this year but the resulting bottled product will go into storage for at least three years before going on the market. The cost for the entire project is projected at between $20 million and $25 million. For now Mantha and his company are responsible for all of the investment costs but once the Hawkesbury distillery is in full production, Mantha will be open to outside investment in both the Hawkesbury facility and other future projects. “Every three years I want to start a new distillery,” he said. “I like to build. I love what I do.”
GREGG CHAMBERLAND Rédacteur en chef intérim Acting Editor-in-Chief gregg.chamberland@eap.on.ca GILLES NORMAND Dir. Production et Distribution Mgr. gilles.normand@eap.on.ca MARCO BLAIS Infographie et prépresse / Layout & Prepress infographie@eap.on.ca Publicité • Advertising: yvan@eap.on.ca
Représentation nationale • National representation Sans frais • Toll free : 1-800-361-6890
Toute reproduction du contenu est interdite à moins d’autorisation écrite au préalable. No content may be reproduced without prior written permission. Avis : En cas d’erreur ou d’omission, la responsabilité du journal ne dépasse, en aucun temps, le montant de l’espace de l’erreur en cause. Attention: In case of error or omission, in no way will the publisher be liable for more than the amount charged for space concerned.
Nouvelles • News: nouvelles@eap.on.ca CLASSÉES • CLASSIFIED: nicole.pilon@eap.on.ca denise.sauve@eap.on.ca
www.editionap.ca
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online