There’s something satisfying about a gin that actually tastes like somewhere. Spirit Bear, made at Urban Distilleries in Kelowna, is about as Okanagan as it gets — locally grown grain, lavender and apple from nearby farms, and a botanical lineup that feels considered rather than just thrown together.
Ten botanicals total: the usual suspects like juniper, coriander, and angelica root, but then lavender and apple come in and do something genuinely interesting. It’s the kind of thing you notice on first sip and keep thinking about.
The nose gives you floral right away — the lavender is forward but gentle, more like walking past a field than anything cloying or artificial.
On the palate it’s smooth and a little creamy, with citrus cutting through before a soft, almost fruity finish from the apple. It’s not a big punchy London Dry, it’s something quieter and more specific. I mean that as a compliment.
There’s a real balance here that takes some craft to pull off — floral gins can easily tip into dessert territory, but Spirit Bear stays dry and composed throughout.Sipped neat over ice it holds up well, and it makes a great gin and tonic if you want the botanicals to show off a bit.
I’d also imagine it doing interesting things in a Collins or a French 75, anywhere the floral notes have room to breathe.
It’s won a few awards — gold at the SIP Awards in California, Judges’ Choice at the Alberta Beverage Awards — and while I’m not usually moved by trophy stickers on a bottle, they’re not wrong here.
For a craft gin coming out of the BC interior, this punches well above its weight. If you’re in BC and you haven’t picked this up yet, you probably should. And if you’re not in BC, it’s worth hunting down.
