Double Gold Medal and Two SIP Awards for Parlour Gin and Prickly Pear EquineOx

Turner Valley, AB, 22 June 2016: Alberta’s original craft distillery, Eau Claire Distillery has won two prestigious awards at the 2016 SIP Awards, a unique and internationally respected blind tasting competition. From a record-breaking number of entries in the eighth year, both Parlour Gin and Prickly Pear EquineOx were awarded platinum awards following double blind tastings by a 98 member Consumer Judging Panel. Parlour Gin has also won a Double Gold Medal in the ‘Best Gin’ category from The Fifty Best, an online guide to fine living, in another blind tasting contest deemed the Largest Tasting of Gin in the World.

The SIP Awards is unique in its extensive screening and security measures which ensure the Judging Panel is comprised purely of every‐day spirit consumers, without influence from the spirit industry. Key elements include presentation of unmarked, temperature controlled, undiluted samples, each precision poured in its own eat glass, vessels scientifically designed to amplify the tasting experience. Winning a SIP Award is a critical milestone that signifies to the market that the most discerning and unbiased group, who eventually vote with their wallets, have pre‐selected their favorites.
 
“Only those brave enough to let their product speak for itself compete in the SIP Awards, it was a challenge we couldn’t walk away from,” says Eau Claire Distillery President and Founder, David Farran. “It’s a refreshing model of evaluation that provides an honest stage for feedback. After other recent award wins, we were somewhat confident that Parlour Gin would perform well, but for our new permanent offering Prickly Pear EquineOx to also win a platinum award, shows us that the terroir of the Alberta foothills and farm-to-glass production is the foundation of a winning legacy.”
 
Prickly Pear EquineOx is a sweet, barley based, alternative to gin or vodka that can be served on ice, with soda water and mint, or as a complement to a cocktail like a mojito. Creatively distilled from prickly pear cactus like those that grow in Southern Alberta, it was designed to be a refreshing patio drink, and is a must-have for any liquor cabinet during barbecue season.
 
Already a recent winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the Berlin International Spirits Competition and the American Distilling Institute Awards, Parlour Gin, is a medium gin that derives its flavourful characteristics from Eau Claire Distillery’s unique distillation technique. A recipe of natural botanicals is used to enhance the juniper berry induced dryness and to give it a special exotic nose of flowery essence, Saskatoon berries, rosehips and traditional London Dry style spices.
 
As well as Parlour Gin and Prickly Pear EquineOx, Eau Claire Distillery produces Three Point Vodka; itself an Alberta Beverage Award winner. All three can be found in liquor stores across Alberta, and are served in select restaurants and bars, as well as at the distillery’s on-site tasting room.
 
Alberta’s first craft single malt whisky is currently maturing in barrels at Eau Claire Distillery and will be reflective of the same exceptional quality of all the brand’s products.
 
For further information, please visit eauclairedistillery.ca.


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About Eau Claire Distillery
Devoted to hand-crafted, artisanal and fine sipping spirits, Eau Claire Distillery is Alberta’s original craft distillery located in Turner Valley on the touristic Cowboy Trail, not far from Calgary. Made using ingredients harvested from farms in Southern Alberta, Eau Claire Distillery’s Parlour Gin and Three Point Vodka have set the bar to be included among Canada’s most premium spirits. Housed in a 1929 converted movie theatre building, the distillery’s visitor centre and tasting room is open for public tours as well as available for private events. Find out more at eauclairedistillery.ca@eauclairecraft
 

About SIP Awards
Catering to the opinions and palates of the discerning public, the SIP Awards present a unique, spirit judging competition, unaffected by industry bias. This pragmatic and refreshing model of evaluation provides an honest stage for feedback and recognition where top brands showcase their achievements. To learn more about the SIP Awards beverage competition, venue partnerships, or for a complete list of 2016 winners, visit www.SIPAwards.com.
 
About The Fifty Best  Awards
TheFiftyBest.com is an online guide to fine living, featuring rated listings from unbiased surveys and proprietary blind tastings judged by wine/spirits journalists, spirits professionals, retailers, mixologists, spirits consultants and connoisseurs. The Fifty Best achieves the highest standards of spirits evaluations by adhering to strict tasting rules and rigorous methodology.