Sons of Vancouver Distillery, an independently owned and operated producer of premium rye whisky, achieved significant recognition at the 2025 Canadian Whisky Awards held in Victoria, B.C., on Jan. 16, 2025. Known for their innovative approach to whisky blending, the distillers received multiple accolades, cementing their place as one of Canada’s leading whisky makers.
Among the top honours, Sons of Vancouver took home:
- Rye Whisky of the Year for Realms of Rye Release No. 01 ‘Citrus & Botanicals’
- Award of Excellence in Product Innovation for the Realms of Rye series
- Best Cask Strength Whisky for Whisky #10 ‘Palm Trees and a Tropical Storm’ Heavy Rum Cask Rye
- Best Whisky Aged 8 Years or Under for Whisky #8 ‘Homemade Upside Down Apricot Cake’ Amaretto Cask Whisky
In addition, the distillery earned gold medals for:
- Realms of Rye Release No. 01 ‘Citrus & Botanicals’
- Realms of Rye Release No. 02 ‘Dark Fruit & Cacao’
- Whisky #8 ‘Homemade Upside Down Apricot Cake’ Amaretto Cask Whisky
- Whisky #10 ‘Palm Trees and a Tropical Storm’ Heavy Rum Cask Rye
Silver medals were awarded to:
- Whisky #9 ‘Rolling Hills in the Morning Mist’ Islay Cask Rye
- Whisky #11 ‘Sipping Sherry at the Jazz Club’ PX Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky
- Whisky #12 ‘Last Call at the Dive Bar’ Peated Cask Single Malt Whisky
Back in 2023, Sons of Vancouver made history as the first microdistillery to win Canadian Whisky of the Year, thrusting the small whisky-maker into the spotlight. The distillery continues to push boundaries with their innovative rye whiskies, becoming one of the leaders in the category.
Sons of Vancouver’s novel approach to whisky has not gone unnoticed, with their Realms of Rye series–an exploration of the flavour wheel through rye whisky–receiving the Award of Excellence for Product Innovation also in January.
“Winning a big award one time gets you noticed, but winning awards every year means we’re doing something right,” said Jenna Diubaldo, partner and whisky program manager at Sons of Vancouver Distillery. “We built our Realms of Rye series to explore flavour in a way that hasn’t been done yet in Canadian whisky. We believe rye should be to Canada what malt is to Scotland, with distinct categories and regional styles.”
Since their big win in 2023, Sons of Vancouver Whisky has been in high demand, leading to product releases selling out within days if not minutes. Those looking to pick up a bottle are encouraged to sign up for the Sons of Vancouver mailing list via their website at sonsofvancouver.ca
