It鈥檚 within the crisp concrete walls of the newly open Copper Spirit Distillery that owners Candice and Miguel Kabantsov want people to forge new relationships with alcohol and one another.
鈥淲e discussed how we could create an industry that was focused on conscious consumption, not over consumption,鈥� said Candice.
Miguel and Candice Kabantsov chose copper stills for their new cove-based distillery. Photo by Bronwyn Beairsto / Undercurrent
It鈥檚 in that spirit that the couple created a full cove-based distillery and lounge. The distinctly minimalist tasting room opened Canada Day long weekend.
鈥淲e wanted to de-clutter the space so that when you come in here, you don鈥檛 feel like you鈥檙e on Bowen,鈥� said Candice. 鈥淵ou leave the gossip, you leave the drama, you leave it at the door.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a blank canvas for you to connect with people and form intimate relationships.鈥�
The Kabantsovs, who have two young children, moved to Bowen in 2011. At the time, Miguel was commuting but soon realized he wanted to work on Bowen. So the couple discussed how they might contribute to the Bowen economy. They knew they wanted to create a space for people to relax and connect. Miguel suggested they build a distillery together.
鈥淚 said, if you will let me use beet juice and bee pollen and put vitamins in the cocktails, then I鈥檒l pair up, I鈥檒l partner with you,鈥� said Candice.
So began a nearly five year long journey to opening day.
The couple bought the Snug Caf茅-adjacent lot in September 2014. Four redesigns later, they received the building permit in 2017.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why nobody bought this lot for years, because they knew it would be a headache dealing with the muni and getting permits,鈥� said Candice. 鈥淲e were naive and ambitious and we took a big risk.鈥�
A sticking point was the cove parking spaces requirement. In the end, the municipality reduced the number of spaces required for the development in exchange for three one-bedroom suites above the tasting room and a fee paid to the Municipal Parking Reserve.
鈥淭he process of starting a business here is not easy,鈥� noted Candice.
Before the Copper Spirit project, neither Candice nor Miguel had much experience with creating alcohol products but in the time since, each has honed their expertise.
Miguel is the distiller. 鈥淗e鈥檚 amazing at researching. His dad鈥檚 Russian so he translated a lot of ancient Russian recipes,鈥� said Candice. 鈥淪o definitely some secrets there that we discovered.鈥� Miguel runs the copper stills that give the distillery its name (one can see the stills from the windows of the tasting room).
Source: Bronwyn Beairsto / Bowen Island Undercurrent
Candice is the mixer. 鈥淚 love mixing flavors. I always had secret dreams of being a mixologist, but I never thought it would apply to my business life,鈥� she said. There鈥檚 a research and development lab above the stills where Candice can work with extracts and alcohols to create liqueurs and elixirs.
鈥淚鈥檓 basically making the paints,鈥� said Miguel. 鈥淐andice paints the masterpieces.鈥�
So far, the couple have created a vodka, a rye and there鈥檚 a gin in the making. They鈥檝e also put on a whiskey but that will take three years to mature.
All of the products are as environmentally 鈥渃lean鈥� as Miguel and Candice can make them.
It starts with the building, which is designed to collect rainwater for filtration and use. Everything inside the building is run off electricity so no fuels are burned.
The grain and the yeast that go into the alcohol production are organic and the enzymes (which trigger the reaction to turn starch and grain into sugar) are non-GMO. And no alcohol touches plastic, the liquid is all in metal and glass.
Though organic yeast in particular makes the production more expensive, Candice and Miguel both said it鈥檚 worth it.
鈥淲e just feel like there鈥檚 no compromise. If we鈥檙e going to make a clean product, it has to be clean,鈥� said Candice.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping that will just translate into the end experience. If we鈥檝e put our full heart into this process, that people will feel that,鈥� she said.
And so far it鈥檚 working.
鈥淢ost people who try buy,鈥� said Candice.
Eventually Copper Spirit will be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday to Monday but hours of operation are looser for the moment.
鈥淓verything鈥檚 not quite in place,鈥� said Candice. 鈥淲e wanted to just get selling because we do have the permit to sell.
鈥淚 had to sacrifice a bit of my grand vision. Because it鈥檚 summer, it鈥檚 time. We鈥檙e ready enough.鈥�
The couple said that so far, they鈥檝e been energized by an overwhelmingly positive response. And they鈥檙e open to collaborations and events.
They鈥檙e also looking to the future.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited about what鈥檚 to come,鈥� said Miguel. 鈥淣ow that we鈥檙e open, now that we鈥檙e producing, now that we鈥檙e selling, what else can we do?鈥�
