Cowbell rolls out whisky, gin, vodka under Tiger Dunlop-inspired 'Twelve Apostles' brand
BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN
The Cowbell Brewing Company team is venturing into the world of spirits with the Twelve Apostles brand, producing whisky, vodka and gin in Blyth, all with a nod to one of Huron County’s most notable historical figures: William “Tiger” Dunlop.
Dunlop was known as the “Warden of the Woods” and somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades, with stints in the army and as a surgeon, author, justice of the peace, politician and Canada Company official all listed on his CV. You can add to that list “character” as Dunlop was one of the most interesting men in Canadian history and one who played a large role in the War of 1812 and the Rebellion of 1837.
The Twelve Apostles refers to a solid walnut case he constructed for his travels with 12 compartments, one for each one-gallon glass jug. Eleven of the bottles were filled with whisky and the last - named Judas - was filled with water. One of the Apostles still stands, on display at the Huron County Museum in Goderich.
Blyth Brewing and Distilling is honouring local stories with not only the local brewery, Cowbell Brewing Co., but now with the expansion to a distillery to produce Twelve Apostles. Incorporating local storytelling played such a prominent role in its early days, with beers all named for colourful local characters with fascinating and unique stories, which is now being seen again with Twelve Apostles.
The bottles will be rolled out later this month, with the gin available at over 200 LCBO stores throughout the summer and all three being available at Cowbell’s General Store in Blyth.
Cowbell President Natasha Fritzley, speaking with The Citizen ahead of the release, said that, with the “Buy Ontario, Buy Canadian” sentiment that has taken hold in recent months, the LCBO has advanced its work of getting Ontario spirits into the hands of Ontarians via the provincial liquor stores. It’s through the LCBO Support Ontario Program that the Twelve Apostles gin will be available at LCBO stores this month.
As for the spirits themselves, Fritzley is hoping that this is the first step in a journey that leads to the expansion of the company’s offerings. She said the company didn’t want to do too much too fast and wanted to really focus on getting the first three right.
While those on the Cowbell team had been dabbling with the idea of producing spirits for some time, the effort began in earnest only recently. A handful of employees were passionate about spirits and knew their stuff, so Cowbell was able to reassign existing, local employees to bring this project to fruition.
Soon enough, recipes were in place, a few tests were conducted and they eventually arrived at the spirits that are now being bottled.
The whisky, according to documents from Cowbell, is noted for warm aromas of caramel, toasted oak and baking spice, while its palate is rich and smooth, with notes of honeyed grain, toffee and some peppery spice on the finish.
The gin begins with bright juniper and zesty lemon notes, followed by subtle floral and herbal undertones, all with a crisp and balanced palate of fresh citrus and earthy spice with a smooth, dry finish.
The vodka is said to be clean and neutral with soft hints of grain and vanilla. The taste is said to be smooth and creamy with a crisp, sweet finish.
Fritzley said that while this is a new venture for the Cowbell group, she also sees it as the company returning to its roots, producing the spirits right in Blyth and connecting with a local historical icon to help tell the stories of the region through their offerings. “There’s more to come as we continue to connect with our local roots,” said Fritzley. “This fall, we’ll be releasing a new beer inspired by a well-travelled corner of our community - one that locals will recognize instantly.”
Look for the Twelve Apostles whisky, gin and vodka at Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company in the south end of town later this month and for the gin in local LCBO stores also later this month.
For more information, you can visit twelveapostles.ca.