Nestled in Guelph, Ont., Dixon’s Distilled Spirits is serving up premium Canadian spirits that are hand-crafted with care. This award-winning distillery came to be thanks to husband-and-wife team JD and Vicky Dixon, who were inspired by the rich heritage of Ontario’s agricultural heartland to use only the finest locally grown ingredients in their production.
In 2010, the duo set out to learn as much as they could about the distilling business – from marketing, to distilling itself, to the business side and everything in between. Vicky is at the helm of the distilling side, with her background in science accompanied by an abrupt takeover of their home kitchen with mason jars full of botanical experiments. JD, on the other hand, looked to the marketing and business side of the distillery, diving into the deep end to learn how to create a craft distillery from the ground up.
It took four years of research, learning and deciphering, and in 2013 they took the plunge and formed the business, purchasing their distilling equipment. The doors at Dixon’s Distilled Spirits finally opened in 2015.
When they started the company in 2013, there was a size requirement placed on equipment capacity in Ontario for distilleries. JD says this size requirement was keeping craft distilleries out of the market because the volume capacity was too large for most distilleries starting out. The Dixons made the decision to jump into the market and purchased their hybrid still, column and pot set up while the now removed capacity requirement was in place. This made Dixon’s a smaller distiller with a very large capacity and the ability to produce many different types of spirits.
Their hybrid still holds 18 plates, which guarantees that all their products are distilled 18 times, rather than the industry standard of three to five. Now, with a larger on-site team, including two distillers, JD and Vicky’s hard work has paid off.
Looking at the offerings of Dixon’s Distilled Spirits, one is met with a colourful array of unique craft spirits – gin, vodka, whisky, liqueurs – and, more recently, coolers. Bright labels match the uniquely coloured products nestled inside; a kaleidoscopic experience on the shelf sure to draw in new and old customers alike. With the promise of creating something for everyone, Dixon’s also offers a BBQ sauce and a mustard. Another unique offering is their whisky aged maple syrup. “In my business plan, I never mentioned the word gin once. It was vodka and whisky,” JD said. “We quickly learned that making whisky is a very costly adventure, and we learned you need to make money while the whisky was aging.”
He wasn’t kidding about the aging. For their whisky, the average bottle time is about four years. Currently, Dixon’s is holding back a 12-year aged whisky which is getting close to its release date. One of their goals is to have a 12-year whisky in the market. Their whisky is a simple corn and rye mixture, single malt and it is run through a carbon filter to remove any impurities before barrelling. They use some “different barrel treatments” JD says with a wink, which adds their magic to the barrels, giving it just a hint of sweetness.
On the other hand, their vodka and gin come with much quicker process times. The gin takes a bit more time than the two weeks it takes for the vodka. To make the gin, they redistill the alcohol through the gin column and it ends up taking around two-and-a-half weeks from start to finish.
Even with the deviation from the original business plan to add gin to their offerings, it’s a sure bet that customers are thankful gin found its way onto Dixon’s shelves. The gins have been some of their most popular products since launching, regularly winning awards, including double gold and consumers’ choice for both their Wicked Raspberry Gin and Wicked Citrus Gin at this year’s international SIP Awards. Not standalones on the podium by any means, the Wicked Blueberry Gin, Silvercreek Vodka, Silvercreek Blood Orange Vodka and the Flaming Caeser Vodka all received awards.
Awards are something that Dixon’s Distilled Spirits never sought out when creating spirits – JD says the focus was always to create products consumers liked. However, the awards kept coming in. Back in 2022, JD and Vicky were at home watching a hockey game when their phones started to buzz. “Congratulations!” text messages started to roll in and they were puzzled. “For what?” JD messaged back.
Someone clarified and told him, “You just won the best of Ontario Spirits award!” Immediately, Vicky and JD started looking into the award. It turned out to be during the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO)’s Elsie Awards and the grand gala was that evening. Vicky quickly found that they had needed to meet specific criteria and were nominated, all while they had no idea the gala was even happening. “It was a huge honour,” JD said, recalling the evening.
Alongside the awards, recognition from consumers means the world to the team at Dixon’s. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dixon’s began producing sanitizer to help meet the local demand for hospitals and wherever else there was a need. They received letters from local politicians and even from hospitals thanking them for their involvement and production. “We’ve kept them all,” JD said. “It was an honour to be recognized by a lot of these groups.”
What’s next for Dixon’s? They want to focus on marketing their popular products and expanding into other markets. Dixon’s is keen to start sharing their products with more of Canada, hoping to get into British Columbia, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland. To continue the expansion, they’re also talking about stepping into the United States markets in Maryland, Delaware, California, and Washington, D.C.
While Dixon’s is managing their current product line and keeping an eye on the future, they are also consciously aware of environmentally sustainable initiatives that have a very real impact on their everyday production. Currently, they are looking into suppliers for biodegradable wrap to reduce their reliance on shrink wrap. They have also switched from bleached white cases for holding and transporting their products to the plain brown, which allows easier recycling of the carboard. Finally, Dixon’s changed their glass bottle type to one that has a thinner base to cut back on their glass usage.
Beyond their innovations and environmental initiatives, Dixon’s Distilled Spirits also has a unique relationship with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association (PWHPA). “I have a daughter who plays hockey and one of our managers, his daughter Lauren Gabel plays for Boston. She was also on the Canadian team before,” said JD. “So, we reached out to the [PWHPA] and said we wanted to help support them.” This resulted in some unique teamwork including live events with a few of the professional players on how to make cocktails using Dixon’s spirits.
All in all, it’s safe to say Dixon’s Distilled Spirits is not only constantly innovating, but always ready to share their tried-and-true customer favourites with new clientele, whether they be hockey players, hockey followers or have no idea what hockey is.
Currently, some of their products are available in Ontario in the LCBO, in store and online. Although not all of their products are available in every market, Dixon’s Distilled Spirits can be found in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, with Nova Scotia availability coming soon. With a love of coming up with new and exciting flavours, it is a sure bet that Dixon’s Distilled Spirits will be a distillery to watch as they focus on making their way into markets across Canada. Keep an eye on their website for exclusive innovations and small-batch offerings, too.
