F E AT U R E
PHARMA | BIOTECH | FOOD & BEVERAGE
PLANT ENGINEERING
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“There’s no real easy recipe
for it. It takes a bit of trial
and error and a lot of
bench trials as well to get
something to that end goal.”
– Russell Murphy
appeal to people’s palates along with the mixologist to create
things with it. There’s no real easy recipe for it. It takes a bit of
trial and error, and a lot of bench trials as well to get something
to that end goal.
“We always challenge ourselves and raise that bar. It’s all
about staying relevant and making sure that the customers are
really enjoying the different things that we’re doing and just
having fun with it.”
Murphy says he’ll use different methods to test out a new
liqueur, such doing a small release, using a tasting panel or
sending the product to a licensee with a mixologist on staff who
can play with it.
Murphy acknowledges that, like at any distillery which
experiments with new flavours, there have been some missteps
along the way.
“There’s always a few of them,” he said. “We’ve tried things
with herbs and botanicals and things like that, but they’re very
palate-specific and a lot of feedback that we get from bartend-ers,
mixologists and people at home indicates that it can really
narrow that already small market share if you add too many
complexities to your liqueurs.
“We always go back to being a purist,” Murphy added. “We
just like to showcase the fruits that the farmers provide to us
and just be honest and true to the flavours that they are.”
Barrelling Tide Distillery’s spirits and liqueurs are available
through provincial liquor stores in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick
and Newfoundland, and they can also be purchased online and
delivered to other locations within Canada.
The distillery is open year-round and has a store and tast-ing
bar where prospective customers have an opportunity to
enjoy some of Barrelling Tide’s wares.
“It’s similar to the experience of a winery or perhaps a
brewery. You can come in, sample the different spirits and
liqueurs that we have here on site, and purchase them directly,”
said Murphy.
“Through the glass windows and doors, you can see into our
production area where we have our Mueller copper still that was
brought in from Germany,” he added. “It’s a nice atmosphere.”
Murphy says he has no regrets about switching careers and
opening up a new distilling business.
“It’s been so great. It’s humbling, and there are sleepless
nights, I’m not going to lie. At the end of the day, you know, it’s
a nice change and it’s a great industry to work in.
“We are blessed because I’m sure whether you’re in the
brewery, winery or distilling industry, people come by, they have
a tasting, they experience what the producers are making and
they leave smiling. It’s so gratifying.”
Barrelling Tide Distillery
FALL 2019 § POURED CANADA § 23
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