In addition to craft beers, Yukon Brewing is in the spirits business.
“Our main emphasis is on single malt whisky, under the name
Two Brewers. While a scotch distiller is limited to pale malted
barley, in Canada, we are not,” said Baxter.
“As such, we take a brewer’s approach, using any kind of malted
grain that we might use to make beer (honey malt, black malt,
chocolate malt, etc.). This means that the distillate that goes into
the barrel is quite different, so that what is coming out of the
barrels is very different,” Baxter said.
He notes that Yukon Brewing has been distilling and barreling
product since 2009, but the company didn’t deem it ready to sell
until 2016.
“It was legally whisky after three years, but not its best,”
said Baxter.
“Since we do not use any colouring or flavouring, and have a rela-tively
small barrel float, every expression we release is unique and
numbered, and is gone for good once it sells out,” he said.
“We are now on Release 12. So far, we have entered six releases
into the Canadian Whisky Awards and we have received a medal
for each one. In 2018, we were named the Microdistiller of the
Year at those awards.”
B R E W E RY
“The local support we
have garnered has been
phenomenal, and our
local market share is no
doubt way in excess of
small brewers in most
other places. And, the
pure image of the Yukon
does not hurt in the area
of beer and spirits.”
– Bob Baxter, Yukon Brewing
Baxter says the Two Brewers whiskey, which is available in the
Yukon, Alberta, B.C. and Québec, runs from $95 to $120 per
bottle, depending on where it’s sold.
In addition to single malt whisky, the company also produces a
line of spirits called Concepts, which again have a limited number
of bottles per release. These have included Spruce Tip Gin, made
with local, hand-picked spruce tips, Haskap liqueur, made with
local Haskap berries and a brandy made with local black currants,
raspberries and Saskatoon berries.
Two Brewers
Whisky
WINTER 2019 § POURED CANADA § 31