Cascadia Botanicals

The bitter botanical that defines the Cascadia apéritif style. The female catkins (cones) of the Sitka Alder Tree is the primary bittering agent used in this style. A short and shrub like tree commonly found at the interface between beach and forest. An important fast-growing nitrogen-fixing tree that rehabilitates disturbed soils turning disused land back into lush forest.

Parts We Use Female Catkins and Leaves

Tasting Notes Bright floral, citrus pine aromas are amplified by light fruity kiwi vibes with a peppery finish and bold bitterness and pleasant tannin.

Commonly known as the primary flavour in Gin, we also use this in nearly all our Vermouths as well as Apéritif Cascadia. Juniper has the largest geographical range of any woody plant on the planet and grows throughout British Columbia. Despite this, nearly all Juniper used in Canada is important from the Balkans. We use BC Juniper picked by Forest for Dinner. Juniper has a very high oil content (part of the reason it's so flavourful) which is why we chose this to smoke in our Smokehouse to create the Smoked Apéritif Cascadia, that oil content binds to the alder wood smoke much better than dry leafy material or other herbs. Also frequently used in sauces and meat rubs among many other culinary uses outside of gin.

Parts We Use Cones (frequently called juniper berries)

Tasting Notes Vibrant aromatic gin vibes. Very fruity start, but surprisingly bitter and punchy with a bit of funky umami going on and maybe a bit of cola and late summer flowers. Lots of pine notes with great complexity.

With a long water-seeking tap root, Juniper is very drought tolerant and can handle a wide range of conditions making it great on sloping ranges as it provides good erosion control. Very long living and slow growing.

The iconic giant of Vancouver Island forests and coastal British Columbia. These trees dominate our forests and define our landscapes. While Douglas Fir is a critical timber producing tree, the young tips are also deliciously edible and vibrant.

Parts We Use Young Tips

Tasting Notes Incredible aroma bursting with pine, citrus, key lime pie and tropical fruits. Tastes almost as good as it smells with a touch of tannin and high levels of acidity

Arguably the most well-known edible spruce tips, these are loaded with astringent tannin, but super citrusy and vibrant pine flavour. The largest spruce species and fifth largest conifer on earth. Its primary range is exclusive to the west coast of North America with Vancouver Island being home to Canada's largest tree, the Carmanah Giant, a Sitka Spruce.

We love to use these Pickled Spruce Tips as a gibson martini garnish instead of the traditional pickled onion.

Parts We Use Young Tips

Tasting Notes Smells like the forest on the edge of an ocean bringing back memories of Tofino. Quite lovely. Very high in tannin compared to all the other conifers but really nice classic piney citrus vibes. Its delightful.

Oh Elderflower, the darling of the florals. How we love thee. When spring comes, our entire team heads out to our individual 'secret spots' to harvest fresh elderflower for cordials and home liqueurs. We don't tell eachother where our spots are, they're secret. Elderflower is that valuable to us. It's so good we use it in almost all of our Esquimalt products in one fashion or another. A tree-like shrub and lover of wet riparian areas, the stems and uncooked berries can be toxic so pay extra attention to removing the stems if using fresh. During extraction of fresh elderflower the flavours can go a bit musty with oxidation so use the flowers quickly and only steep for 24hrs. If more elder flavour is needed, steep again with more fresh flowers.

Parts We Use Spring Flowers

Tasting Notes Fresh pears, and fruity florals and light tropical notes paired with peaches and just delicate loveliness all around

The mighty fern, quintessential to the forest floors of coastal British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Picked in the spring during a tight two week window where the new leaves are just emerging from the ground and are tightly wound into fiddleheads. These young shoots are often a seasonal delight cooked and eaten like asparagus or pickled for a quick treat.

Parts We Use Fiddlehead, dried

Tasting Notes Grape gummies and toffee on the ocean with a briny sea breeze. Very neat, A little bit of tannin, but flavour is very much like it smells.

A succulent sea vegetable full of crunch and salt. Great sauteed or blanched in many a favorite dish on the West Coast. When dried, they make for a great salty chip or ground into a salty spice for popcorn. One of the few native succulents to Vancouver Island, this tasty treat lives in salt marshes and tidal flats all along the coast.

Parts We Use Stems

Tasting Notes Briny and salty with some very light ocean funk mixed with berries, fruit and green vegetables.

Our most dominate hardwood variety in the Pacific Northwest and an ideal wood for smoking. Produces a very light and delicate smoke traditionally used for fish smoking, particularly salmon. We use Red Alder wood in an old-fashioned Smokehouse we built specifically for the Smoked Apéritif Cascadia, a product defined by its use of Sitka Alder, we felt smoking with Red Alder would be a great compliment.

Parts We Use Wood

Tasting Notes Neutral, well balanced delicate smoke that doesn't scream barbeque or peat, but evokes memories of campfires on the beach. It's a smoke flavour you just want to keep coming back to explore.

Fast-growing nitrogen fixing tree, prefers moist areas and is excellent for erosion control and soil rehabilitation.