CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - P.E.I.’s biggest brewery is expanding its repertoire this spring when it launches its first spirit-based beverage.
In April, the P.E.I. Brewing Company will attempt to break into the ready-to-drink cocktail market when Colliding Tides Gin Twist hits shelves.
The company’s vice-president of operations, Bob Lawrence, said the citrus-based carbonated drink uses locally distilled gin from Myriad Distillery in Souris.
The gin is brought to the Charlottetown brewery where it’s diluted with a sugary solution.
The solution, said Lawrence, is made from cane sugar rather than white sugar, which is important to the flavour.
“It adds more richness and complexity in the mouth than just straight white sugar. There’s better sweetness to it, even though it’s quite a bit more expensive.”
From there, carbonation is added and the product is canned.
Lawrence worked with Kate Publicover, a quality control technician with the P.E.I. Brewing Company, to come up with the formula for the cocktail.
After working with different combinations of sugars and natural flavours, the end result is an orange-lemon citrus base with a lower sugar content, something Lawrence said helps increase the cocktail’s drinkability factor.
Lawrence said the new product is similar to the Georgian Bay Gin Smash cocktail out of Ontario, where it sells quite well.
“That was popular there last year so we figure if it’s popular, it’s probably a good place to start.”
The product has been available in New Brunswick since mid-March. It’s available in some P.E.I. liquor stores now and will be available Island wide on April 1.
