Life is worth celebrating at Kinsip House of Fine Spirits

Maria Hristova is doing what her family has been doing for generations – even if it’s half a world away.

She and her husband, Michael Waterston, own Kinsip House of Fine Spirits in Bloomfield, Prince Edward County. Hristova hails from an old distilling family in Bulgaria, meaning she grew up immersed in the art and science of distilling. “My family distilled the apricots into a heady delicious eau de vie that the locals enjoy with their mezze,” she said. “My family still lives there, but my husband and I fell in love with the County and when the distillery came up for sale in 2016, we felt like this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take,” she said of the property.

A rare estate distillery
Located at 66 Gilead Road in Bloomfield, Kinsip is unique on the distilling scene. Maria and Michael pride themselves on being an estate distillery, which means they grow the grain for their spirits on their 80-acre farm, in the County. “There are only a handful of estate distilleries in Canada and we think that this is the only true way to express the terroir of the County - in a spirit form,” Hristova said.

Their farm is often referred to as grain-to-glass, which Maria notes involves all of the steps in producing the spirits taking place on their farm. “From fermenting the grain to distilling it and then aging it in the case of our whiskies and rums - it all happens here,” she said.

A glimpse inside Kinsip

The distillery is on an operational, working farm, which adds to the experience of visiting Kinsip. That elevates the visitor experience, enabling guests to see grain fields behind the distillery, the silos where grain is stored, a tractor or combine working the fields, or even distillery staff moving barrels around.

Add to that a grand house dating back to the 1870s, built at the height of Victorian architecture, which all makes for a stunningly local, quality immersive experience. “We have a number of barns which we use for either our tasting room space or special events - all of them are original to the property and carry a lot of atmospheric charm,” Hristova said.

“The overall aesthetic that we go for is something that we lovingly refer to as ‘farm glam’. We stay true to being a farm with lots of wood and raw materials, but we elevate the experience with some well-made elements such as our custom glassware or our gleaming white bars.”

All that grandeur aside, the real stars of the show always seem to be the funky chickens. The farm keeps a heritage breed of chickens, who Hristova said roam the property free range and show off their spectacular hairdos, making special memories with guests.

Insider scoop on spirits
Inspired by the County to produce a full line of spirits, Kinsip creates everything from dark rum to gin to rye. Hristova said that the yearn for spirits seems to go in synch with the seasons.

“In the spring and summer, our gins are extremely popular - our Juniper's Wit Old Tom gin has received national recognition in terroir because it features sumac which is Indigenous to here in the County,” she said, noting that Juniper’s Wit Old Tom has a striking pink colour and a unique flavour profile which people love.

However, in the fall and winter, she said people tend to switch to enjoying their award-winning whiskies, such as their gold medal winner Cooper's Revival Rye.

In terms of unanticipated favourites, Kinsip’s most surprising offering is the saffron liqueur which is made with locally-grown saffron. “It has its own following, and people come to see us just because of it,” she said. “I think there is only one other saffron liqueur in the world, so I think we truly made something unique when we came up with it.”

Pull up a chair and try some
If all that is making your mouth water, grab some friends or family and book a tasting or leisurely stop in to enjoy spirits on the patio. “We would love to pour you some spirit samples, or you can also stop by for a cocktail from our bar - we have a seasonal cocktail menu which changes four times a year, so we always have some new offerings along with some fan favourites like our whisky sour or our gin fizz,” Hristova said.

Booking a tasting allows guest to learn about how Kinsip produces their spirits and what makes their distilling practices unique. Settle in for a flight of three spirit tastings and a sample cocktail to complete the experience.

Kinsip’s cocktail menu changes every season, and visitors can currently enjoy an espresso martini or a refreshing blueberry thyme smash. New this season is a limited edition of Kinsip’s Old Tom Gin – with a Pride-themed label with fun rainbow elements to celebrate June! In the same vein, look for a Pride trivia event at the farm soon. Stay tuned to Kinsip’s socials for the time and date.

In the meantime, explore more by visiting www.kinsip.ca or following along on Facebook or Instagram @kinsipspirits. Better yet, stop by at 66 Gilead Road, Bloomfield, Prince Edward County. Kinsip House of Fine Spirits is open seven days a week: Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.