Bohemian Spirits

In Kimberley, billed as Canada's highest city, Bohemian Spirits has been turning local agriculture and foraged mountain botanicals into fine spirits since 2014. The hand-crafted, hand-corked lineup is impressively broad: Vagabond Vodka, several gins including the bold Colossal and an oak-aged Forester, a Single Grain Red Fife Wheat Whisky, and a deep bench of liqueurs spanning coffee, herbal, cherry-apple, cream, and rhubarb-ginger expressions, plus bottled cocktails for good measure. Several have earned national spirits awards, including the Colossal Pink Gin, Vagabond Vodka, and the Harmony amaretto-style liqueur, a strong showing for a small Kootenay distillery.

The tasting lounge is the heart of the experience and leans into a relaxed, convivial spirit, summed up by the distillery's own invitation to get together, enjoy small adventures, and be of good cheer. You can sample the range, pick up bottles, and even try your hand at axe throwing, an only-in-the-Kootenays touch that makes this more of an outing than a quick stop. Local cheese is on hand too, rounding out a leisurely afternoon.

Kimberley sits high in the Rocky Mountains of BC's Kootenays, a former mining town turned mountain getaway, and Bohemian fits its laid-back, outdoorsy character perfectly. The mountain botanicals foraged around town give the spirits a genuine sense of place, and the lounge's later afternoon-into-evening hours make it a natural spot to unwind after a day on the trails or slopes. It is worth checking current hours before visiting, as they shift through the week. For anyone touring the Kootenays, this welcoming, award-winning distillery is a memorable and very local stop.