Wayward BC Craft Gin

Wayward BC Craft Gin draws on the coastal gardens of Vancouver Island and the plants that support local pollinators. Bottled at 43% ABV, its recipe combines juniper and locally harvested spruce tips with lemon and orange peel, lemongrass, lavender, rose, rosehip, rosemary, cucumber peel and sarsaparilla root. The result is a floral, citrus-led gin with a distinctly green and savoury finish.

Citrus · Floral · Herbal · Vanilla

JuniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary and spruce make the opening fresh and piney. Lemon, orange and lemongrass add a brighter citrus line, while lavender, rose and rosehip give the middle of the palate a restrained floral quality. Rosemary and cucumber peel bring a light savoury edge, followed by the soft vanilla-like finish Wayward associates with sarsaparilla root. The floral notes stay measured rather than perfumed, and the citrus keeps the botanical mix lively from nose to finish.

Wayward makes its spirits in Courtenay, in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. The distillery describes BC Craft Gin as an everyday, more accessible counterpart to Unruly, while keeping a carefully detailed botanical recipe. Spruce tips are harvested locally, and the selection is framed around pollinator-friendly ingredients. The gin's floral and garden character therefore comes from a clearly named set of plants, not a vague regional claim. In 2024 it received a gold medal at the Canadian Artisan Spirits Competition.

Pour 4.5 cl over ice and add 10 cl Barker & Quin Finest Indian Tonic WaterIndian tonicThe classic tonic: sparkling water, bitter quinine and sugar. The name recalls colonial India, where quinine warded off malaria.Glossary. Its clean bitterness gives the spruce, citrus and floral notes room without adding another strong flavour. Add a cucumber ribbon and a lemon twistTwistA strip of peel twisted over the glass to release its oils, then dropped into the drink.Glossary to the glass, then set the same garnishes beside it. Stir once, gently. Cucumber cools the herbal finish, while lemon picks up the brighter peel notes.