Quebec’s first organic gin

Distillerie Grand Derangement — a microdistillery in Quebec, Canada’s beautiful Lanaudière region, also known as Nouvelle-Acadie — has released the province’s first certified organic gin.

A nod to the thousands of Acadians who were deported from Canada during the Grand Dérangement (Great Upheaval) in 1755, SAGA Grand Gin is grain-to-glass (fermented and distilled on site) and is made with local organic corn plus 18 botanicals. Expect notes of pepper, citrus and a hint of vanilla.

As for the labels, there are four; each features a black-and-white image of a real person from history, someone who exemplifies “the courage and spirit of the Acadian people. ”

Take Marie Forest, for instance who lived in the region around 1763. “Deported, refugee, single and without parents, Marie Forest will never be overcome by the blows of fate. Arriving at Portage, she became an entrepreneur with other Acadian women. A talented craftsman in this dynamic New Acadia, she participated in the creation of arrow belts with so-called ‘Acadian’ motifs that would make her famous throughout the province and even beyond,” according to the Distillerie Grand Derangement team.

Each bottle is sealed with bright yellow wax. About $50/bottle, so far only available in Quebec.