Sons of Vancouver

I love Sons of Vancouver! I live in North Van and was delighted to hear they had opened up not far from my home. If you think vodka is just something you drink with a mixer, then think again — their vodka totally changed my perspective on a much maligned spirit. Obviously there is magic in the champagne yeast they use! I suggest drinking their vodka neat — it definitely does NOT need a mixer.
Usually they’ll let you have a good look around their distillery if you visit. The two guys who own and run the place are super-​friendly and love talking about their work. Much of the equipment they hand-​built themselves — doesn’t get cooler than that!

Fantastic and quirky newer distillery that’s passionate about their products.
Being an East Vanner, I was a little afraid of getting lost foraging into North Van — I shouldn’t have worried! Sons of Vancouver is easy to find, and tucked in on an interesting street (I wish I’d had more time to explore it!)
One of the owners, James, was midway through a tasting when I arrived, so I slipped in and was promptly served a tasting of amaretto. It was delicious! Sweet, rich, flavourful, and altogether way too drinkable! Naturally I bought a bottle and can’t wait to experiment with putting it in different cocktails!
The chilli vodka is also excellent, especially when mixed in with some Walter’s Caesar mix! We heard stories of creative other ways to use it too, such as putting some in a pot of chilli, or using some in guacamole! I definitely have to try that!
Don’t be fooled — this space is very much a working distillery, and it was super fun to get a tour and have the process of making each product explained. They even have aquaponics going to grow their own chili peppers for their vodka! How cool is that?
The front tasting area has a huge map pinpointing local alcohol producers — including ones from the past, which was super cool to see. There’s some SoV merchandise by the tasting station, as well as a bunch of vinyl records, and a freaking piano!
Keep an eye on this place, and make a trip before they get line ups out the door!

Sunny saturday afternoon in Vancouver. Beer in belly from up the road (Bridge) and still nursing my wounds from Dirty Duo, i was easily convinced to check out Sons of Vancouver for a little vodka tasting.
Now let me just say, I am not a fan of vodka. I guess unlike some people, i actually like flavour in my booze. Whether it’s wine, beer or hard liquor. Having said that, i just rarely drink hard alcohol. But I was game to check out the distillery scene and really just watch my friend taste.
So first up, vodka. Made with champagne yeast no less. This was crazy smooth, but also tasted like something, a bit fruity almost. Then the amaretto… really really good. And i’m not a huge fan of sweet liqueurs either. But this was a clean sweet, not syrupy. Lastly (not sure why it was last!) was the chili vodka. For some reason (cause no one stopped me??) i tasted it straight. Oh ya, there’s a kick! Then they poured a little pineapple juice into it… muuuuuch better.
All this to say, they have managed to elevate these two alcohols to another level. What would be great for the customer would be suggestions as to how to use them to really best elevate the flavours as opposed to mask them with typical drink recipes. Some recipe cards or maybe even a revolving menu of different cocktails (not sure if they’re permit allows for that though).
The only reason why I gave them 4 stars instead of 5 is because we walked into a soft opening… so they didn’t seem ready or really wasn’t set up for customers. The door was closed and the location is in a bit of a dark corner so it wasn’t totally welcoming… but i’m sure once they have set up it will be awesome. All the elements are there.
Now this neighborhood has everything… coffee, beer, hard alcohol. How much more could a girl ask for?