The Spirits of Nova Scotia: A Province Comes into Its Own

No one confuses Nova Scotia with hard liquor. In fact, no one really confuses Nova Scotia with anything because most people have no idea where Nova Scotia actually is. It’s a Canadian province on the east side of Maine and the name means New Scotland, though you’ll find few remnants anymore of the Scottish way of life. What you will find however is a vibrant community of micro-breweries, wineries, distilleries and restaurants as well as artisan cheese-makers and maple producers; an impressive dedication from such a small region.

Just a Scotia of Wine

Earthy, rustic Marchael Foch grows well in the cool Nova Scotia climate

The wine industry is young, but is beginning to gain followers. However, most of the wines, via an archaic distribution system, are relegated to Nova Scotia and rarely make appearances into other Canadian provinces, let alone the United States. So, happily, you’ll need to visit the region to get the full effect. Among the nearly 15 wineries currently in operation, Jost, Gaspereau, and Benjamin Bridge are taking the lead in terms of quality producing reds like Marechal Foch, with its strong acidity and dark dirty fruit, and whites such as L’Acadie Blanc, a light crisp white with a backbone of acidity and, then there are the maple wines: yes, intriguing dessert wines made from the area’s maple trees. Certainly the local vintners produce more traditional grape varieties, but the growing conditions favor these reds and whites which are hardy enough to survive in the climate, and thankfully, Nova Scotia vintners have embraced their limitations and focused on wines they do best. And for a change of pace, Lunenburg County Winery has some of the best fruit wines I have ever tasted. These are simple and effective fruit wines that are devoid of sticky sweet elements, and are so far removed from traditional Eastern Seaboard counterparts as to be nearly a revelation.

Halifax 6 Pack

Lynne MacKay of Lunenburg Distillery

The breweries within Nova Scotia are also assuming the mantle of change. Ironworks Distillery in Lunenburg uses apples and other fruit to create vodka, brandy and eau du vie. “Grain doesn’t do it for us,” admits owner Lynne MacKay of her unconventional approach to making spirits. “We don’t want to do anything that bores us,” she confesses. And the vodka she is producing is quite good, the cranberry vodka being the most popular.

Brian Titus at Garrison Brewery

Alexander Keith’s is the behemoth of the beer industry, similar to Budweiser in the U.S. but small brands like Propeller and Garrison have carved out their own niche for artisnally-crafted brews that are exceptional. “The niche market is underserved,” says owner Brian Titus of Garrison Brewery in Halifax who has created a dedicated following. In part that’s because Garrison is doing things like making a Black IPA; though the made up name doesn’t give appropriate credit to this hoppy but chewy malty beer since it’s technically not a stout nor an IPA. They also produce jalapeno ale which has achieved something of a cult following in Halifax, and best of all is their very own 3 Fields Harvest Ale, an unfiltered beer with hops grown, surprisingly, within Nova Scotia’s own borders, not hops shipped in from the U.S. West Coast. “We knew that by filtering our beers we were stripping the best ingredients out of it,” Titus told me on a recent visit. “What we drink is off the tank, it’s not a 6-pack that’s two months old, sitting on a shelf. We’re able to bring the freshest beer to our customers,” he suggests. This is the reason that his Halifax port location is doing incredibly well: that and the desire for true foods and drinks that reflect a sense of place is quickly coming of age.

Sugar Me Timbers

Not familiar with the term sugar camp? I certainly wasn’t prior to visiting, but it’s simply a term for a maple farm and the folks at Sugar Moon Farm are exemplary of what Nova Scotia is well-known for: maple syrup. They have about 1,000 sugar maples on their 10 acre property, and tapping those trees produces a small but incredibly concentrated maple syrup that will challenge the great maple producing region of Quebec. You can visit the sugar camp, have lunch on site in their rustic cabin-in-the-woods location, and see the process (a laborious and time consuming effort) of actually getting syrup out of a tree, distilling it down to a concentrated syrup.

To help you explore the diversity north of America, check out www.tasteofnovascotia.com for culinary routes and ideas. You will be completely surprised by what you will find and I promise you will remember it fondly.

Article and Photos courtesy of Michael Cervin