by JoAnne Wang

Dillon's vodka, white rye and unfiltered gin

Dillon’s vodka, white rye and unfiltered gin

The rumours started last summer, with the renovation of an old truck servicing depot on the North side of the QEW in Beamsville.  The building was painted and the name went up:  Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers.  A craft distillery, here?  In wine country?  Sure enough, their doors opened in early December 2012 and the buzz has been brilliant ever since.

Proprietor Geoff Dillon takes clear pride in producing craft spirits with truly local ingredients (heck, they couldn’t find a local source for sloe berries, so they decided to grow their own bushes).  There’s a lot more in store for those with the patience to wait.  Dillon’s first batch of rye, made with 100% rye mash, is aging in barrels, ready for sipping in 2015.  In the meantime, we can content ourselves with their crystal clear white rye, as well as their spectacular vodka and unfiltered gin made from Niagara grapes.

Take a look as Geoff gives Good Food Revolution a tour of the distillery and sipping room.

 

 

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JoAnne Wang JoAnne is a Chicago-born Torontonian putting down new roots in Niagara-on-the-Lake.  Exciting things are afoot in the Niagara region, and JoAnne is doing her darndest to eat and drink her way through all of them.