Oh Canada, with your abundant grain and crystalline water, I have been looking forward to this gin for some time.

If there was ever a martini to enjoy at the top of a mountain, this is it.

The Wild Life distillery is located in Canmore, Alberta – sometimes referred to as ‘the Queen Town of the Rockies’.

It’s a beautiful location, surrounded by a stunning backdrop of dramatic Rocky Mountain scenery.

Despite a history of coal mining (originally approved by Queen Victoria but long since discontinued), this town is now much more environmentally-minded, with strong connections to nature and outdoor living. It hosted the Nordic events of the 1988 Winter Olympics, centred in nearby Calgary, and never looked back.

It borders Banff National Park and is visited by numerous tourists each year looking for a taste of the great outdoors.

Canmore also has a lot of Scottish heritage, with its own Highland Games and numerous Scottish surnames in the census. The name of the town itself comes from the Scottish Gaelic ceann mòr (Big Chief).

My mother (whose maiden name is on the list above) brought me back these two gins from a recent trip across Canada, where she traversed from Vancouver to Toronto (a fair trek). I put them in the freezer immediately in preparation for trying them out.

The two bottles are 50ml each. One is a classic gin, and the other is barrel aged.

Describing the 50ml bottle as “summit size” is a lovely idea. Have one when you’ve conquered the top of the mountain and presumably have one or two waiting for when you return.

Wild Life Classic Gin

I started with the classic gin. After removing it from the freezer I poured it into a frozen glass and took a small sip of it neat, before adding the tiniest smidgen of vermouth and a fleck of lemon peel.

It’s very light, lifted further by airy botanicals. There was an aroma of juniper, citrus notes on the tongue, a slight hint of sweet and sour botanicals and mellow spices to finish.

The mild sweetness and overall smooth quality of the gin means that it suits a Churchill Martini really well. This is uncommon.

It also melds beautifully with a little vermouth. Indeed, this is a special gin because its flavour profile stands out on its own, yet it also plays very well with others.

Barrel Aged Gin

The barrel aged gin was completely different and caught me off guard. The soft, complex botanicals started off the flavour profile but they were followed by a heady rush of uisge beatha, the water of life, the most time consuming botanical of all: whisky.

This tastes like the dreamiest Paisley Martini you ever had. Have you ever sipped a hot toddy? It’s a similar flavour profile and comparatively comforting with whisky and lemon. This gin contains it all in one, pure, unadulterated sip. Astonishing!

Whilst imagining the Rocky Mountains where the distilleries get their water, I found myself thinking about rugged living and – promptly – meat. I had a rummage around my kitchen to find something suitable to pair with this gin.

Meat

I had some freshly bought South African biltong which I thought would help evolve the Alberta scenes in my mind. Unfortunately I didn’t have any Canadian jerky to hand but hey ho, we’re all part of the Commonwealth.

The flavours married together very well. The Wild Life botanicals stood up to the strong peppery spiciness of the biltong nicely.

However, I think it also would’ve gone better with a less seasoned form of cured meat. This would allow you to focus on the excellently balanced botanicals of the gin which seem to roll out on the tongue like a conveyor belt of delights.

Cowboy Jerky

If you’re lucky enough to be in the Canmore area, as well as visiting the distillery you might want to take the hour or so drive to the Longview Jerky Shop. It has been described by Travel Alberta as “the mecca of cowboy snacks” so is definitely worth the detour if you’re in the area!

All in all, these are two lovely gins from a beautiful part of the world. They taste lovely at sea level but are presumably even more delightful at high altitudes, particularly with good mountainous views.

Go and enjoy yourself, try having some atop some majestic summit, but don’t cause yourself a nuisance for mountain rescue and stick to the two martini rule!