Nova Scotia's 'Gin-aissance' celebrated at new festival

A new festival in Lunenburg celebrates a new and thriving distillery industry in Nova Scotia. 

It's a "gin-aissance," says Lynne MacKay, co-owner of Ironworks Distillery in Lunenburg. 

"Vodka was the drink-du-jour about ten years ago and gin is now taking over," MacKay said.

The festival, called Spirited Away, begins Friday evening with a gala at the Fisheries Museum and continues Saturday with a gin-making workshop, a visit to a cranberry bog and a rum runners tour on a schooner. It wraps up in the evening with a cocktail contest with five mixologists.

• See the full schedule for Spirited Away in Lunenburg​

Nova Scotia has seen a "resurgence" in interest in locally-made alcohol, starting with wine and craft beer, MacKay's husband and business partner Pierre Guevremont said. 

"The artisan distillery movement is really the 'third wave' of that phenomena," he said.

"You're going to be able to come to Nova Scotia and go to various parts of Nova Scotia and taste very unique spirits and liquors that you can't get elsewhere in the world — and you can't sometimes get elsewhere in the province."

More opening soon

Gin, which is based on the juniper berry, is flavoured with various "botanicals" such as rose hips or cucumber. Rhubarb-flavoured gin is a favourite at Ironworks because many people have fond memories of grandparents growing the plant, Guevremont said.

Nine distilleries are currently open in the province, most in rural towns, he said.

"The beauty of this industry, as with the winery industry, is that it very much is going to impact in terms of jobs and the economy on rural Nova Scotia," Guevremont said. 

A small distillery could open with $250,000 of capital investment, but many seeking to distribute more widely would need closer to $1 million to start, he said. Despite start up costs, several more are set to open this year, he said.

"The artisan distilling industry in Nova Scotia is alive, well and growing rapidly," Guevremont said.