FAQ
Visiting Us
Can I visit your distillery?
Yes! While we don’t offer tours, nor tastings at our distillery, we are open for bottle sales and curbside pickup! We are here Monday to Friday from 10am - 4pm (closed stat holidays). Come say hi, we’d love to advise you on our spirit portfolio so you get what you need to sip at home!
Do you have a tasting room?
Thanks for your interest in sipping our award-winning spirits! While we do not have a tasting room nor do we offer tastings at our distillery, there are a number of restaurants and bars that serve DEVINE products. Please call us and we can refer you to any in your area. You may also find us offering samples at seasonal farmers markets and holiday markets in Victoria, B.C.! Another great tip is that we sell small 100ml bottles of our Genever, Honey Shine Amber and Kiss Strawberry Eau de Vie which are the perfect sample size to dabble with if you want to taste some before purchasing a larger bottle. And finally the best way to learn about where we’ll be offering samples in the community is by signing up for our newsletter or following us on social media @devinedistillery .
Do you host weddings/events?
We do not, but if you need any delicious spirits for your wedding or event we’ve got you covered!
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Finding Us
Where can we find your products in stores?
Our products are available in many private liquor stores throughout B.C.! Head over to our Find Us page to locate a store near you!
Looking for something that your local liquor store doesn’t offer? Ask the store manager if they will bring it in for you as they often do….otherwise feel free to call or email us and we’ll be happy to help track down a bottle for you.
Are you in BC Liquor Stores?
Since we craft small batch spirits, we are unable to satisfy the minimums that BC Liquor stores require therefore are only found in private liquor stores throughout our province.
Can I purchase in person at the distillery?
Yes. We are open Monday to Friday from 10am - 4pm and you are welcome to stop by during that time to purchase from our full lineup of DEVINE products. We are closed on weekends and statutory holidays.
Do you sell gift cards?
Yes! We LOVE the idea of giving the gift of choice. You can add an electronic gift card to your cart through our online store, or purchase one through our bottle shop at our distillery.
I manage a bar, restaurant, and/or retail store. Where can I buy your products?
Please reach out to us at info@devinedistillery.com and we’ll get you set up!
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Shipping & Returns
How do you ship your products?
Local deliveries to the Greater Victoria area + Sooke are by courier through Pigeon Ship or by our fantastic DEVINE team.
Shipments outside of the Greater Victoria area and within BC are sent via Canada Post with a 19+ designation. Be sure to check your mailbox as CP will send you a pickup slip directing you to your nearest Canada Post when your package is ready for pickup. Be sure to bring ID to verify your name and age at the post office.
Can you ship outside of BC?
Due to liquor licensing and distribution laws, we are only permitted to ship within our province of British Columbia. We are also permitted to ship to Nova Scotia and Manitoba, however additional shipping fees may apply. Please reach out to us directly at info@devinedistillery.com to arrange shipments to Nova Scotia or Manitoba.
Can we return empty bottles to you?
We do not take back empties at our distillery BUT our bottles make beautiful vases or soap dispensers if you are looking for another use for them before they hit your recycling bin!
I don’t like what I purchased. What are your policies for returning product?
We’re sorry to hear that our spirit didn’t jive with your taste preferences. Aside from gifting your bottle to a special friend or trying our spirit in one of our cocktail recipes, we are only able to provide refunds for unopened bottles with the tamper proof seal intact.
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Dietary Considerations
Are your products gluten free?
While we cannot certify our products as gluten-free as they are not processed in a gluten-free facility, we can tell you that one of our staff is celiac and has not had any issues with any of our products, including grain-based products.
Are your products vegan?
The only spirits we make that use animal products are our trio of honey-based ‘rum’ spirits. We source our honey from the Honeybee Centre in Cloverdale, BC. No animal products are used in any of our other spirits.
Do you use colourants such as caramel to colour your products?
We use a small amount of natural ‘distillers’ caramel in our Black Bear Spiced Honey ‘Rum’ only. All other products are coloured naturally either from maturation in barrel or by maceration of fruit in the finished spirit.
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Keeping in Touch
How do I find out about new products and upcoming releases or distillery news?
Our monthly newsletter! Sign up on our home page and get the latest and greatest DEVINE Distillery information about promotions and releases! AND Follow us on our social media channels @devinedistillery.
Can I get on your waiting list for Glen Saanich?
Since our beloved Glen Saanich Single Malt Whisky is in such high demand and our batches remain small we want to give each and every person a fair crack at obtaining a bottle at its annual release, therefore Glen Saanich sales are on a first come first serve basis. For news of its release dates sign up for our newsletter and you’ll get first hand information of any of our release dates.
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Craft Process
I see ‘sediment’ in my bottle, what is that?
The good stuff! We are a craft distillery that pride ourselves on retaining the flavour of our local (and all natural) ingredients within each spirit. In order to do this we lightly filter, and do not chill filter during bottling which allows for the grain, honey or fruit to shine through in their spirit. That said, you may encounter a small amount of sediment in some of our products. This may come in the form of ‘chill haze’ where certain components of the finished spirit (lipids, phenols, and esters = flavour!) may precipitate out of liquid form when a drop in temperature occurs. This is most common in whisky. Another form of sediment may come from the raw ingredients themselves. We macerate fruit on finished spirit to colour our Sloe Gin and Kiss Brandy, and though we do filter our products, some finer components of the fruit may either settle to the bottom of the bottle over time, or create a slight haze. If it bothers you to see it in the bottle, shake it up, or filter it out with a coffee filter, easy!
I love your bottle labels, tell us more about those?
Local Victoria artist Margaret Hanson is our fantastic label designer. She perfectly captures the ‘spirit’ of each of our creations with a linocut illustration inspired by the ingredients, location, and story of our spirits.
Is the tasting process for wine the same as a spirit?
Not exactly. We recommend using a Glencairn glass (a small wine glass works in a pinch). Avoid swirling spirits as that will cause the alcohol vapours to release and make it difficult to taste the spirit flavours. Adding drops of water is also encouraged to release the flavours.Why does this bottle taste different from the last one I purchased?
Our goal is to maintain consistency of our products from batch to batch, and we work hard to achieve that, especially with our core line up of spirits. You may notice seasonal releases like our Kiss Eau de Vie, or annual releases like our Glen Saanich Single Malt Whisky may vary slightly from batch to batch. We embrace these slight variations as they reflect the changes in growing conditions year to year, creating a unique identity to each batch.
Why do you pay a premium for craft?
Producing spirits as a small-scale, small-batch craft distillery is very different from producing on a commercial basis. We do not have the ability to purchase ingredients at large scale or produce in large volumes. As a certified craft distillery in BC, we are required to use raw ingredients that are grown in BC, and process those raw ingredients within our facility from start to finish. We use locally grown ingredients in almost all of our products, and have our hands on every step of the process, from harvesting raw ingredients right down to hand-applying our labels. Quite simply, our costs are higher than commercial operations. By buying craft, you’re supporting local jobs, whether it be through agricultural means, tourism, or other. Thanks for your support!
You used to make wine and vermouth, can I still buy those?
We sold the remaining inventory of both our wine and vermouth prior to the expiry of our wine license at the end of March 2022.
Is Genever a gin?
Genever is actually its own style of spirit, dating back to 16th century Holland and pre-dating the London Dry style Gin. After releasing a couple of gins in our first year of operation, we were looking to expand our portfolio further and discovered Genever. As we don’t see a lot of Genever available in Canada, we created our expression of a Genever and introduced it to our local market alongside our London Dry style and Barrel-Aged Gins through the context of the history of Gin.
Why is your Ancient Grain called a ‘young’ whisky?
To be called a Whisky in Canada, a spirit must be matured in ‘wood’ for a minimum of 3 years. Our Ancient Grains is matured in new American Oak quarter casks for approximately 1 year, so we don’t quite fit the definition of Whisky. The reason we mature for just one year is solely based on finding the desired flavour profile, striking a balance between the flavours and aromas coming from the grains in the spirit and the cask.
Do you sell used barrels?
We occasionally have used barrels available for sale, pending availability. Please note, barrel condition will vary considerably depending on their previous uses and storage location. Please reach out to info@devinedistillery.com for more information.