Gin · Canada
Gin Distilleries in Canada
Tour 6 gin distilleries in Canada. Each offers visits, tastings or experiences you can book directly — including CIRKA Distilleries, Nickel 9 Distillery, Odd Society Spirits.
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About gin distilleries in Canada
Canada's craft gin movement has flourished by leaning into something the country has in abundance: distinctive local botanicals and a strong sense of place. From the rainforest fringes of British Columbia to the orchards of Niagara and the grain fields of Quebec, distillers have built gins around foraged, farmed and regional ingredients that taste unmistakably Canadian. On the west coast, Vancouver's The Liberty Distillery on Granville Island has handcrafted spirits from organic BC grain since 2013, while Odd Society Spirits in East Vancouver makes its Wallflower gin from BC-grown barley spirit using both maceration and vapour extraction. On Vancouver Island, Shelter Point folds hand-foraged island botanicals into its gin, and Odd Society champions a small-batch, urban-distillery ethos. East in Ontario, Dillon's Small Batch Distillers works with local ingredients and seasonal fruit from the Niagara region, and Toronto's Nickel 9 has crafted small-batch gin and rum since 2017. In Montreal, CIRKA Distilleries, Quebec's first grain-to-bottle distillery, distils gin from Quebec grain. Together they make a coast-to-coast trail defined by terroir.
Gin: styles & how it's made
Canadian craft gin is less about a single house style than about expressing local terroir. The base spirit matters: producers such as CIRKA distil grain-to-bottle from Quebec grain, while The Liberty Distillery and Odd Society build their gins on organic BC grain, giving them control from field to bottle. The botanical story is where regional identity shines. West coast distillers reach for forest and shoreline flavours, with Shelter Point hand-foraging Vancouver Island botanicals and Liberty using handpicked BC ingredients. In Niagara, Dillon's draws on the surrounding wine country's fruit, herbs and grain. Techniques vary too, from classic maceration and pot distillation to the vapour-extraction method Odd Society uses for its Wallflower gin, which marries two gin-making traditions in one custom copper still. The common thread is small-batch production and a clear link between the gin in the glass and the landscape it came from.
Where to taste gin in Canada
The gin trail naturally splits by region. In Vancouver, The Liberty Distillery on Granville Island and Odd Society Spirits in East Vancouver are both walkable urban distilleries with tasting bars, ideal for a city visit. North on Vancouver Island, Shelter Point near the Oyster River offers tours and tastings on a family-owned coastal farm distillery, worth the trip for the setting alone. Across the country in Ontario, Dillon's sits in the heart of Niagara wine country, making it easy to combine with vineyards, while Nickel 9 brings small-batch gin and rum to downtown Toronto. In Quebec, CIRKA Distilleries puts Montreal on the map as the province's first grain-to-bottle producer. Because the distances are continental, most travellers focus on one region, the Vancouver area, Niagara or Montreal, rather than attempting a single sweeping trip.
Planning a trip
Given Canada's scale, plan around a hub. British Columbia offers the richest cluster: pair Vancouver's Liberty and Odd Society with a ferry trip to Shelter Point on the Island for a few days of west coast tasting. Ontario travellers can base in Toronto for Nickel 9, then drive to Niagara to combine Dillon's with the wine route. Montreal works well as a standalone city break built around CIRKA. Urban distilleries are easy to reach on foot or transit, but rural and island sites such as Shelter Point need a car and ferry, so build in travel time. Check tour and tasting-room hours in advance, as they vary by season, and remember provincial liquor rules differ, which can affect what you buy and take home. As always, arrange a designated driver if you're tasting.
Frequently asked
- What makes Canadian craft gin distinctive?
- A strong sense of place. Canadian distillers lean into local botanicals, foraged, farmed or regional, so a BC gin tastes of west coast forest and shoreline, while a Niagara gin reflects nearby orchards and vineyards. Several producers also distil their own grain base for full field-to-bottle control.
- Which Canadian gin distilleries can I visit in Vancouver?
- The Liberty Distillery on Granville Island and Odd Society Spirits in East Vancouver are both urban distilleries with tasting bars and are easy to reach within the city. Shelter Point, on nearby Vancouver Island, offers tours and tastings on its farm distillery.
- What is grain-to-bottle gin?
- It means the distillery makes its own base spirit from raw grain rather than buying neutral spirit in. CIRKA Distilleries in Montreal is noted as Quebec's first grain-to-bottle distillery, and BC producers such as Liberty and Odd Society also distil from grain.
- Can I combine gin tasting with wine in Canada?
- Yes, especially in Niagara, where Dillon's Small Batch Distillers sits among the vineyards and works with the region's fruit and grain. It pairs naturally with a wine-country itinerary.
- How do I get around the Canadian gin trail?
- Focus on one region. Vancouver's distilleries are walkable or transit-friendly, but reaching Shelter Point on Vancouver Island needs a car and ferry. In Ontario, base in Toronto for Nickel 9 and drive to Niagara for Dillon's. Arrange a designated driver if tasting.
- What botanicals appear in Canadian gin?
- It depends on the region. West coast gins from Shelter Point and Liberty use hand-foraged and handpicked BC botanicals from forest and shoreline, while Niagara distillers like Dillon's draw on local fruit and herbs. Juniper remains the constant backbone.