The best Montreal-made spirits worth stocking up on

Montréal-made gins

Montréal's distilleries have made gin their signature. Here's where to start: 

• Cirka Sauvage: A silky and elegant gin that releases aromas of the Québec boreal forest. It combines fruity, floral and coniferous notes.
• LOOP Lime and Ginger: A dry, lime and ginger flavoured gin made with potato scraps left over from the production of Yum Yum potato chips. Eight upcycled potatoes per bottle!
• BleuRoyal: A floral gin with subtle notes of juniper berries, cardamom, coriander, wildflowers and butterfly pea flowers (which give it its unique, 100% natural blue colour).
• Portage: A classic London dry gin, it makes for the perfect gin and tonic.
• Royalmount*: Produced in small batches, this Montréal gin releases floral and citrus notes, and comes in one of the most Instagrammable bottles out there.  
• Madison Park Pink: A delicate, elegant and refreshing floral gin with notes of citrus fruit. With a lovely shade of pink obtained through the distillation of wild hibiscus flowers, this dry gin reflects Montréal’s joie de vivre.
• Romeo’s Gin: Each bottle of this fresh yet bold gin showcases the artwork of local and international artists. The popular melon-flavoured Romeo’s Gin X features the work of Montréal artist Miss Me.
• Rosemont Gin de Montréal: A genever-style gin from Distillerie de Montréal with a pronounced cucumber freshness that makes it a natural fit for a classic gin and tonic.
• Oshlag Gin Hibiscus: Pretty in pink, this gin is macerated with hibiscus flowers and pink grapefruit, which create the perfect blend of spicy and floral flavours.
• Madame Gin: A sunny gin from the makers of Rosemont Gin de Montréal with bright notes of clementine and cardamom.
• Oushkabé Tourbé Vieux: An aged version of Oushkabé’s classic Tourbé, this unique, deeply peated gin leans in flavour toward Scottish whisky notes.

Craft vodkas from Montréal distilleries

Clean, creative, and distinctly local. These Montréal vodkas earn their shelf space:

• Cirka Terroir: Subtle aromas of licorice and caramel characterize this artisanal spirit.
• Aupale: Distilled seven times from glacier water sourced in Northern Québec, this vodka is exceptionally clean and smooth either neat or as the base of a well-made martini.
• Pur Ultra Premium: The most award-winning Canadian vodka in the world!  
• Oshlag Hopped: This non-traditional vodka is crafted with Cascade hops, macerated post-distillation, which give it its distinctive bitterness and yellow veil.
• White Keys: A very distinctive vodka made with Canadian grain and De l’Aubier organic maple sap water.
• Rosemont Vodka de Montréal: This smooth, crystal-clear vodka is distilled with the finest maple sap.
• MVodka: An exceptionally smooth, clean-tasting premium vodka, micro-distilled in small batches, with an “M” for Montréal.

Local rums with Québec flair

Québec ingredients and local creativity give these Montréal-made rums their edge:

• Rosemont Spiced: This pinkish amber rum, infused with cranberries and flavoured with Kampot pepper, bird’s eye chili, cardamom and sumac, is blended with a caramel syrup for a sweet finish.
• Rosemont White Rum: A double distilled white rum with floral and herbal notes, and a long-lasting taste of molasses.
• Sainte-Marie: This rosy-hued spiced rum was named after an old Montréal neighbourhood, the Molasses District. It’s infused with Québec cantaloupe and cranberries as well as star anise, Szechuan pepper and allspice.
• Acolytes Épicé: A spiced rum that leans heavily on the vanilla, making it the perfect mixer for a luscious rum ’n’ cola.
• BluePearl Tropical: A Québec-made flavoured rum with bright notes of passion fruit and coconut. Easy enough to sip on ice, and a natural fit for summer cocktails.

Montréal-made spritz and aperitifs

For your next 5 à 7, these Montréal aperitifs and spritz-ready liqueurs do the job:

• Les Îles: A Montréal version of the Apérol apéritif, this gentian-based spritz has notes of orange and mandarin.
• Distillerie de Montréal Orange Électrique: A sharp gentian-based bitter liquor for another Montréal take on spritz.
• Rosemont Sureau de Montréal: This punchy elderberry liqueur makes for a sassy spritz when mixed with soda.
• Amermelade: A gentian aperitif that brings sea buckthorn, sumac, and sweet gale to the Aperol Spritz formula. Less sweet and more bitter than its Italian counterpart.
• Volaré Classique: A red gentian aperitif with bitter-sweet complexity and a distinctly Québec character. Good value, and a solid base for a local spritz.

Whiskies and aged spirits from Montréal producers

Small-batch and unhurried. Montréal's whisky producers are worth the wait:

• Distillery 1769 Small Batch 3 Years Old: The first Montréal-made artisanal Canadian whisky, this spirit has sweet notes, with a hint of spice. Perfect for an Old Fashioned.
• Cirka No. 4: With every passing edition Cirka’s whisky takes on depth, and with No. 4, we’ve got a smooth, round flavour with spice, cherry burnt sugar on the nose.
• Fraser & Thompson Whiskey: Cirka distillery and none other than Michael Bublé have teamed up to create a whisky that offers a uniquely complex flavor thanks to a blend of Canadian whisky and American bourbon.
• Distillerie McAuslan Whisky Canadien Supérieur: The brewery best known for St-Ambroise turns its hand to whisky with this smooth, well-rounded Canadian expression.

Pastis

A local take on a French summer classic:

• Rosemont Pastis de Montréal: A fresh anise-flavoured spirit to be served with ice and water for a Montréal twist on French pastis.

Eau-de-vie

Standouts from Montréal's eau-de-vie category:

• Rosemont La Pomme*: An apple brandy reminiscent of calvados.
• Rosemont El Chapleau: Agave taken into unexpected territory with a barrel-aged eau-de-vie, somewhere between tequila and brandy.
• Rosemont Laurentia 3 Years Old: A three-year-aged maple eau-de-vie, amber in colour and one of the more unique local spirits worth seeking out in store.

Sodas and ready-to-drink cocktails

Whether you're mixing or sipping straight, these Montréal-made sodas and ready-to-drinks belong in the rotation:

• 1642: Unique sodas created with natural sugars, spring water and flavours. They make great mixers, especially the tonic water!
• Bec: Fresh, organic sodas, sweetened with Québec maple syrup. Rum ‘n’ cola, anyone?
• Oshlag: In addition to a selection of alcohol-free seltzers and lemonade, Oshlag make readymade gin-based cocktails like the Hibiscus Ginto and Nectar Ginto.
• Romeo’s Gin: This distillery’s gin-based readymade cocktails include beguiling flavours like blood orange and rhubarb, and watermelon and lime. They also have tasty mocktails.
• Chicas Framboise Melon d'Eau: A raspberry and watermelon spirit cooler from Station 22, low in sugar and light on the alcohol.

Montréal's distilleries are making bottles worth knowing by name. Next time you're stocking the bar, start here.