<p><i><b>A guided tour that highlights the recent evolution of the 21 craft and artisan distilleries that have sprung up on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.</b></i></p><p>In the past five years the number of craft and artisan distilleries on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands has more than doubled. A change in the provincial liquor laws in 2013 made small-batch distilling a viable business and with this alternative to high-volume, mass-market liquor comes a focus on local ingredients and distinctive flavours.</p><p>From relative veterans like Merridale and Sheringham, to the newest stills on the block, you'll meet a group of entrepreneurs unbound by traditional liquor-making rules who are creating vodkas, gins, whiskeys, and liqueurs with their own unique characteristics, using a wide range of grains, fruit, botanicals, peat smoke, seaweed, and spices. Craft-spirits enthusiast Marianne Scott introduces readers to the methods distillers use to develop their spirits, how they learned their craft, the products they make, and the recognition they've garnered.</p><p>With an introduction on the history of spirit making and the process of distilling, a glossary of common distilling terms, cocktail recipes inspired by each distillery's products, and a map to help you organize your ideal tasting tour, <i>Vancouver Island's Spirits</i> has everything you need to jump into the region's burgeoning craft-spirits scene.</p>