Edmonton distillery teams up with NAIT to make non-dairy liqueur
An Edmonton distillery has crafted one of its most challenging products yet.
"I think that's the main key why you don't see a lot of them on the market is because it's just not something you can throw together," said Kristopher Sustrik, Hansen Distillery co-owner and master distiller.
That product is a non-dairy liqueur – a relatively un-tapped market.
"The options that were available just weren't appetizing, well at least to us anyways," said Shayna Hansen, co-owner.
"The ones that I've had I just wasn't a fan of," added Sustrik.
But with customers continually asking for a non-dairy liqueur option, Sustrik set out to make it.
"The very first batch I made 60 litres of pure gum is what it was. It was so discouraging," said Sustrik.
That's when they turned to NAIT's Centre for Culinary Innovation for help.
"A lot of those plant-based liqueurs and just drinks that you see at the grocery store, they have a label that says 'Shake before you consume', and that's because over time those plant-based proteins actually start to separate out," said Haley Donadeo, a chef and research assistant at NAIT's Centre for Culinary Innovation.
"Alcohol speeds that up. So our goal was to help Hansen produce a product that's smooth and stays in suspension at a longer period of time," Donadeo added.
"I can make vodka all day long. But the conversion from oat flour to oat milk is proprietary obviously, and then going from an oat milk to an oat cream liqueur with our flavouring, lots of separation, turned it into gum a few times, so multiple trials and errors," said Sustrik.
All of the products in the Oat Milk Cream Liqueur are from Alberta.
"Alberta oats, 100 per cent. We're also using an Alberta oat producer to make us the flour to my specific specifications, making the vodka right here and then everything that we can get local," Sustrik said.
It's a process that took the distillery four years to perfect, and still Hansen said their non-dairy liqueur is the first in Alberta.
"We didn't want to put anything out that wasn't 100 per cent, so we were willing to sacrifice not being the first to make sure it was what we considered the perfect recipe," said Hansen.
They said it was lactose intolerant customers who helped with taste testing along the way.
"Seeing them happy and satisfied and not having to just settle with a product was totally fulfilling for us," said Sustrik.
He said they're already thinking about products for people with other types of allergies or intolerances.
"This has opened up a big door for us and we already have some stuff in the mix," he said.
"I wanted something that was going to stand out in the market, something that was going to be totally unique and blow the doors off somebody else," Sustrik said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police identify Michigan splash pad shooter but there's still no word on a motive
Authorities on Sunday identified the man who opened fire at a splash pad in suburban Detroit before taking his own life, but his motives remained unknown as investigators worked to determine if he left behind any hint of his plans.
Ottawa Food Bank receives largest donation in its 40-year history
210,000 pounds of food was delivered to the Ottawa Food Bank on Saturday, the largest donation in its 40-year history.
Less than 10 per cent of homeless shelters N.S. promised last year currently in place
Nova Scotia has installed fewer than 10 per cent of the 200 shelters it promised to set up for the province's homeless residents more than eight months after first making the pledge.
80 countries at Swiss conference agree territorial integrity of Ukraine must be basis of any peace
Eighty countries called Sunday for the 'territorial integrity' of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia's two-year war, though some key developing nations at a Swiss conference did not join in and the way forward for diplomacy remains unclear.
No injuries reported after camper engulfed in flames in parking garage: Regina fire
A fire in an underground parking facility in Regina led to no injuries, according to the city's fire department.
'We're in pretty good shape': Calgary goes low in water consumption after state of local emergency declared
On a day that a local state of emergency was declared in Calgary, city residents answered a request from the mayor and emergency officials to use less water.
Halifax chef speaks about traumatic brain injury
Halifax chef Lauren Marshall was working in the Bahamas on a special event in February when she fainted and fell from a golf cart, hitting the back of her head.
Global study ranks two Canadian cities high on list of most expensive places to buy a home
As Canadians continue to struggle with the extremely high cost of buying a home in some of the country’s major urban centres, a new global report is underscoring just how expensive some of those markets are.
Foreign Affairs Minister insists there are no ‘traitors’ in Liberal caucus
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly insists there are no "traitors" in the Liberal caucus, after a report from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) alleged there are MPs and senators who are “semi-witting or witting participants” in foreign interference efforts.