“ sweeter ” vodka . Coutts agrees : “ You can taste the wheat .” Coutts waxes poetic about the aromas of wheat and yeast and the flavour profiles they impart with the air of a chef explaining their latest dish .
For both business owners , home brewing was the gateway to the distillery world . Kang ’ s winemaking hobby as a young adult — generating libations for his extremely sociable friends — started it all . When he became interested in spirits , his expertise was bolstered by plenty of background reading , supplemented by trial and error . Kang ’ s university background in mechanical engineering came in handy when building his own still .
Now , Capital K produces its Tall Grass vodka — which is also the basis for its gin — and has begun production on whiskey , though the liquor has to age for three years before it can be labelled and sold as such . Over at Patent 5 , Coutts ’ also began as a homebrewer , but it was craft beer that drove his hobby . At the time Coutts was working in IT and travelled frequently to Boston , where he sampled the output of the city ’ s booming craft beer scene . Seeing a distillery on one such trip sparked a new fascination . This passion coupled with a background in science ( namely an undergraduate degree in micro-biology chemistry ) led him to deep-dive into the world of fermentation yeast , microbes and fractional distillation ( the separating of compounds by their different boiling points ).
Coutts put together a business plan for a craft distillery in 2013 , even though the liquor licensing legislation at the time did not allow for it . Watching the legislative changes in other provinces , Coutts bet Manitoba would eventually follow suit . The fight to find a location was a long process involving public hearings and convincing 13 departments to change zoning in a vacant Exchange District warehouse to accommodate a distillery with an on-site tasting room . He persevered , and Patent 5 opened in 2018 .
Capital K foodsources
Patent 5
The art of craft
Both distillers have put in a lot of hard work , but in the end the proof is in the , well , proof . “ Just because a product is made as a craft product doesn ’ t mean it tastes good ,” Coutts points out . At the heart of both ventures is the ambitious quest for world-class flavour .
The goal is to put Manitoba on the map , using two resources the province is known for : grain and water . And it ’ s paid off : Patent 5 took home awards from the Canadian Artisans Spirits Institute and American Distilling Institute , and Capital K has won big at the Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition .
At Capital K , Kang notes that the small operation means he ’ s able to exercise hyper control , preceding product launches with market research to determine which flavour trends Winnipeg beverage connoisseurs are seeking in their tipples . Top sellers for the brand are espresso vodka and cranberry gin .
Flavours are added by infusion and range from the charmingly simple to complex blends . Whether it ’ s simply espresso beans or a mix of horseradish , dill , cucumber , and peppercorn ( for dill pickle vodka ), “ it ’ s important to create a high quality product with quality ingredients ,” says Kang . Fresh dill from local Fertile Farm goes into the dill pickle vodka , and Manitoba sour cherries and saskatoons from a small local farm are infused into gin .
Patent 5 keeps it local as well , from a sour cherry liquor to saskatoon berry-infused gin . The brand ’ s popular Purple Blossom Gin makes use of the trendy butterfly pea flower , which changes colour from indigo to light purple when mixed with citrus — but even this exotic sipper incorporates Manitoba violet petals for local flavour .
Between equipment , ingredients , and build out , distilling is an expensive business to be in . Not to mention that local brands are competing against the marketing power of international brands with name recognition and promotional budgets to entice the hospitality industry .
ciao ! / summer / two thousand twenty-two 11