Elora Distilling Co.: Luxury in Your Glass

The Elora Distilling Co. was founded by Elora locals Marty and Mark who’s unusual hobby is drinking cocktails in Historic Hotels around the world. Drinking top tier spirits in places like the Savoy in London, Ritz in Paris, and the Plaza in New York inspired them to open a distillery.

Since its inception in 2017 the Elora Distilling Co has had one goal, to create a line of luxury spirits, made here in Ontario, that could out class large international brands. With a small team the distillery focuses on using local and real ingredients and artisanal distilling methods to create flavour profiles with a depth and richness that consumers are amazed at when they taste what the distillery does.

There are usually over 30 different products available including Gins, Whiskeys, Vodkas and a host of seasonal liqueurs. In most cases the focus is local. Great Expectations Gin is made with hand harvested sumac, cedar bough, sweet gale and burdock root, giving it a truly Ontario taste profile. The Elora Rye Whiskey is made with 100% rye grown on a friend’s farm on the edge of town. Gloria, another local farm friend grows a market garden for the seasonal liqueurs. Currently it’s the season for preparing a Pumpkin Chai liqueur in which pumpkins grown by Gloria are sliced up and baked with cinnamon and brown sugar then soaked in our grain sprit for a week.

The quest for luxury also extends to the guest experience you will receive when visiting the Distillery in Elora. You can try free samples of all products in the retail store. Upstairs in the Royal Room you can enjoy curated cocktails and tasty food offerings. For an especially elevated experience book the tableside Martini or Smoked Manhattan service. Online you can book tours and see how everything is made from scratch, or cocktail classes in which you create and drink three classic cocktails, these are informative and too much fun. A day here is an experience.

For more information, visit: Eloradistillingcompany.com

Crème de Cassis is another product Elora Distilling has become famous for. Using spirits made from locally sourced grain, also distilled three times, the distillers infuse Ontario-grown black currant to create a rich liqueur that has become a staple for high-end restaurants and bars in Ontario. It is well paired with prosecco to create a Kir Royal or splash a bit over vanilla ice cream. The Cassis is also available in the Elora retail store online and at the LCBO.

Elora Distilling Co’s Ontario Black Spiced Rum is a perfect example of how premium ingredients and handcrafted methods create a superior product. We start by fermenting molasses, then the spirit is distilled three times. Finally its barrel aged for a year in oak, and what comes out is a golden rum. The team finishes it by hand zesting real vanilla beans, nutmeg, and cinnamon and letting it rest for weeks. This attention to detail gives the Elora Distilling Co an artisanal quality that industrial makers can not match. The result is luxury in your glass. Sip it over ice or add splash of mango juice and ginger beer for a refreshing beverage. During the Christmas season, we enjoy pairing with Sheldon Creek Dairy’s super-rich eggnog. The Rum is available at the Elora retail store, online, and in the LCBO.

Please visit us at www.eloradistillingcompany.com or in person 102 Metcalfe St Elora

From the print edition

As featured in The Canada Magazine, October 2026 issue.

See the October issue content