Shuswap Highland Stills owner Simon Koczwarski gets to mark his first year in business with a pair of awards.

Two products from the Salmon Arm distillery, the Wee Nip Coffee Spirit and the Gneiss Vodka recently earned medals in the 2023 Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition. The coffee spirit received a bronze medal in the Infused or Flavoured Vodka category. Gneiss was awarded a gold medal in the Vodka-Contemporary category.

Having opened last March, Koczwarski said the awards, determined by judges across the country, were a sign he香蕉视频直播檚 on the right track.

香蕉视频直播淭hat was definitely the number takeaway,香蕉视频直播� said Koczwarski. 香蕉视频直播淲e sort of felt legitimized 香蕉视频直播� Ok, you香蕉视频直播檙e doing it right!香蕉视频直播�

Prior to becoming a distiller, Koczwarski was involved in the wine industry. He said he became interested in distilling when he was working at a winery in New Zealand. He said he was working in the tasting room and at the back of the winery was a 香蕉视频直播済igantic, handmade Portuguese still香蕉视频直播� that the assistant winemaker was learning how to use.

香蕉视频直播淚 had to do tours and describe what distilling was to all these paying customers, and I kind of was learning the crash course of how to make all this stuff just talking about the process of distilling,香蕉视频直播� said Koczwarski.

When he returned to Canada, Koczwarski said he went to work at a winery in West Kelowna that also had a distillery. He said he was was pouring in the tasting room for a couple whose son started a distillery. He learned the son 香蕉视频直播渉ad a very good palette and he created a very good gin and everyone loved his gin and now he香蕉视频直播檚 a distiller.香蕉视频直播�

Koczwarski said he thought, 香蕉视频直播極h, that sounds doable. I think I should do that.香蕉视频直播�

In the summer of 2019 he took a course in Oregon and in 2019 he incorporated the business. Next came the purchase of a piece of agricultural property in Salmon Arm.

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香蕉视频直播淲e got this farm with the idea to grow what we were going to supply our distillery with,香蕉视频直播� said Koczwarski. 香蕉视频直播淚t was an apple orchard with some really old trees on it and we have some other fruit 香蕉视频直播� plums, cherries 香蕉视频直播� and I turn it all into different types of spirits.香蕉视频直播�

The Gneiss Vodka is an apple-based spirit, as is Wee Nip. Koczwarski said he uses four varieties of apples grown on his property and from neighbouring orchards. He said he香蕉视频直播檚 gone as far as Vernon for a batch of apples but, as far as ingredients go, he tries to keep things local.

The chocolate-infused coffee spirit uses beans provided by Shuswap Coffee Company.

香蕉视频直播淲e do a three-day cold brew with the Shuswap Coffee Company beans, just kind of in a big 55-gallon drum, stir it away and make a fairly caffeinated coffee 香蕉视频直播� it gets diluted in the process but, it definitely kept me up a few nights doing the tester batches,香蕉视频直播� laughed Koczwarski.

Recently, Koczwarski opened a tasting room that is currently open to the public between 1 and 4 p.m. He hopes to expand opening hours in the spring and summer. Koczwarski can also be found selling Shuswap Highland Stills products at farmers markets. His spirits can also be purchased at independent liquor stores throughout the Shuswap.

Shuswap Highland Stills is located at 4540 50th Street NE (Highway 1). For more information, go to the business香蕉视频直播� Facebook page or shuswaphighlandstills.com.

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