A new made-in-Montreal gin has been launched by Peter McAuslan.
“All of the labour and all those parts and the great majority of the raw materials in the product are local, and we think that’s important,” McAuslan said.
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Production takes place at a Oshlag Distillery in the east end of Montreal.
Holy Smoke! gin gets its name from one of its ingredients: frankincense.
“Frankincense, of course, is used to produce incense smoke. So, at the end, when you taste this product, there’s a tiny hint of incense to it,” McAuslan told Global News.
At the launch, McAuslan pointed to the growing craft-distilling movement in Montreal, and called on the Quebec government to give tax breaks to local distilleries like they do with microbreweries.
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“In Nova Scotia, for example, there’s been an explosion in the small distilling industry there, primarily because of support they’ve had from the Nova Scotia legislature in giving them advantageous rates of taxation,” said McAuslan.
“The same thing happened 25 years ago in the brewing industry. I know, because I was very much involved in that movement at the time, and that made all the change to allow small operations to start.”
McAuslan also plans to launch a locally-made whisky. It’s already been distilled, and will be released in three years when it’s matured.
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Holy Smoke! gin is available at the SAQ for about $40 per bottle.