Eatdrink #73 September/October 2018

eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
September/October 2018 | 29
could use the land for,” according to Jordan.
Their own time-dependent version of gin
was the immediate answer. They grow grains,
lavender, and other crops, and keep honey
bees. “With everything we grow, we make
spirits,” he says.
Nolan and Jordan both went to University
of Waterloo. Formica attended Lakehead.
That brought business, engineering and
environmental science to the Willibald
management table, along with some distilling
education in the U.S. Distilling is Nolan’s
responsibility, and he is broadening his
understanding of the art and science of the
process with schooling in Scotland. As for the
name, it’s an inside family joke that everyone
is now happy to share: Willibald is Jordan’s
and Nolan’s grandfather’s middle name. “We
were looking for something unique. He’s never
been too fond of it, but he’s warmed up to it
as a business name and wears a shirt with the
brand,” says Jordan.
It was 2012 when the trio was searching for
a way to use the farm, recognizing that there
were a lot of breweries out there. “We realized
distilling was still in its infancy at that point.
Only Dillon’s in Niagara and Still Waters in
Toronto were in business at the time.” Today
there are about 20 distilleries up and running.
The Willibald facility is an old barn,
refurbished but maintaining its post-andbeam
character. There’s a retail store, and they
give tours and offer complementary tastings.
Until very recently, distilleries could not offer
glasses of spirits in the way that breweries
and wineries were able to. “We just got that
privilege a few months ago and are serving
cocktails at the farm. That’s been a great thing
for us,” says Jordan. They’ve added a woodfired
oven and have started serving food.
Gin itself has a storied history. A grain
distillate, it is initially distilled to a desired
alcohol content and then distilled again along
with an infusion of juniper berries and a range
of herbs and botanicals. Water is added to
establish the correct alcohol concentration —
usually 80 to 95 proof — with the hope that
the spirit will be aromatic and fairly light. At
Willibald they have gotten that down pat, if
their success is any indication. They started
with the trial-and-error of home distilling
and learned the theory side in the U.S. Those
were the easy steps. “It took us a few years
to get the necessary permits and zoning
amendments,” says Jordan. The farm is zoned
for agriculture, but distilling is considered
an industrial process. “The authorities were
extremely supportive, but because it was a
new concept it took a long time.”
Gin, by law, has to include juniper as a
flavour component. “We also add caraway seed,
grapefruit peel, cardamom, coriander and
angelica root. Those ingredients flavour the gin,
and from there we barrel it, and that’s where the
colour comes from,” says Jordan. The blending
process only takes about 10 days. Then comes
the barrel aging — a time commitment of many
months. After aging the contents of the barrels
are blended and then bottled for shipping.
The gin, which is constantly being distilled,
is available at LCBO year-round. “Our first
seasonal release will be later this summer. That
will be in the realm of 1,500 to 2,000 bottles.”
The current revival of the cocktail menu at
bars and restaurants, and the bespoke, crafted
impetus it carries, has meant that mixologists