Spirit of innovation shines at Teaching Distillery with three national medals
Medals are pouring in for student crafted spirits from Niagara College’s Teaching Distillery.
The Teaching Distillery – the first of its kind in Canada, which opened as a living laboratory for the College’s trailblazing Artisan Distilling program in 2018 – has won three new medals from the 2026 Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition (CASC): a gold for Bees and Blooms (Liqueur category), a silver for Spiced Old Fashioned (White Spirit category), and a bronze for London Dry Gin (Classic Gin category).
Organized by Artisan Distillers Canada, CASC is Canada’s only national spirit competition reserved exclusively for artisan spirits, bitters, and zero-proof spirits.
“These national medals showcase how applied learning truly positions our students to succeed,” said Dr. Marc Nantel, Vice President, Research, Innovation and Strategic Enterprises. “Our unique learning enterprises, such as the Teaching Distillery, are not only living laboratories for hands-on experience, they’re incubators of talent that raise the bar for the industry.”
Bees and Blooms was an Artisan Distilling student capstone project, from concept to production. The sweet floral liqueur (23% ABV) features honey alongside elderflower and jasmine, rounded out by warm cinnamon undertones and bright citrus. Two students, Brian Cao and Satvir Singh, created the spirit as their capstone project in April 2025, before they graduated from the program.
“It is always exciting for the Teaching Distillery to be awarded at a national level, but it is always a bit more special when it is a Capstone project, because it showcases not only the ability to make great spirits but also to impart that knowledge onto our students,” said Head Distiller David Dickson. “For our students. it is a vindication of all their hard work and potential within the distilling industry.”
Students named the spirit to represent its honey element, with diverse flower aromas collected from honeybees, as well as elderflowers and jasmine flowers extracted by alcohol during the production process.
“We wanted the spirit to create a unique perspective on the elderflower liqueurs that have gained popularity in the last couple of decades and bring that to a new audience,” said Cao and Singh in the product tasting notes.
Spiced Old Fashioned is a “cocktail in a bottle” created by using a whisky style base from the Teaching Distillery. The 35% ABV spirit, infused with orange peel and spices, was a collaborative effort between College distillers, staff at the Wine Visitor and Education Centre, and Artisan Distilling students.
London Dry Gin was created by Distiller Ian Bickle – who is also a graduate of the Artisan Distilling program (2021). The crisp, juniper-forward gin uses just six botanicals to achieve a bold, terpene-rich 43% ABV profile.
“This is my style of gin. It has a great classic profile which was a lot of fun to build recipes for and show the students how little nuances can affect something so simple. Because we used very little botanicals, we rely on the skill of the distiller to really maximize the spirit,” said Bickle. “I am obviously super proud, and as a former grad, I am excited to be able to push our range and showcase where our little distillery can go.”
Entries for CASC were blind judged by an independent panel from across the country. Unlike some spirit competitions, not all entries are awarded medals. View the 2026 results: https://artisandistillers.ca/2026-results
The NC Teaching Distillery also won three medals at CASC 2025: gold and Best in Class for Canadian Rum (Alternative Rum), gold for Hail Caesar Vodka (Infused Vodka), and bronze for Grandma’s Apple Pie (fruit liqueur). View release here.
Artisan Distilling is a one-year graduate certificate program based at NC’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake within the College’s School of Wine, Beer and Spirits. Students gain hands-on experience at the on-campus Teaching Distillery, which was the first of its kind in Canada.
London Dry Gin is still available for purchase while supplies last at NC’s Wine Visitor + Education Centre retail store, alongside products from NC’s Teaching Distillery, Teaching Winery and Teaching Brewery. While Bees and Blooms and Spiced Old Fashioned have sold out, the latter will be re-stocked in the future. Visit the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake (135 Taylor Rd.) or online at ncteachingwinery.ca.
A leader in applied education, Niagara College (NC) offers diploma, bachelor degree, post-graduate and apprenticeship programs at specialized campuses in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Welland. Ranked as the No.1 research college in Canada, NC is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world that provide students with important hands-on-experience. NC welcomes students from across Niagara, Ontario, and around the world who are studying in in-demand programs that support key sectors and industries in Niagara and beyond, with graduates making important contributions in all corners of our community. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca
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Julie Greco
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905-328-2532
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