Copper
Spirit
Distillery
A focus on natural and organic
ingredients helps this Bowen Island
operation spread its vision: redefine
how we interact with alcohol
By Aaron Broverman
When Miguel and Candice Kabantsov opened Copper
Spirit Distillery on July 1, 2019, on Bowen Island –
only a 20-minute ferry ride from West Vancouver,
B.C. – the husband-and-wife team wanted to change some of
their own negative associations with alcohol by creating an
environmentally sustainable mecca for conscious consumption.
Alcoholism runs in both of their extended families, so it
is something they are conscious of, and while neither of them
are heavy drinkers, they both appreciate fine quality spirits –
particularly the experience that’s facilitated when going for a
nice cocktail.
“If you think about it, you never get taught how to drink,”
said Miguel. “You always go out there and start drinking with
your buddies, and for some people it’s okay, but others lose
control and end up with problems. We thought, how could we
help destigmatize alcohol from the whole party scene?”
They did so by emphasizing the social experience and
connection that a quality cocktail can foster between people
by using fresh and unexpected ingredients to create beverages
that compel the drinker to sip and savour.
“Miguel approached me and said, ‘Would you like to partner
with me on a craft distillery?’ I laughed because he’s Russian
and he’s always joking, ‘We should make vodka,’ so this was
quite ironic given our backgrounds,” said Candice.
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