Doctor's Orders gin and a vodka

Legend Distilling has launched its first spirits - Doctor's Orders gin and Shadow in the Lake vodka - in packaging designed by Also Known As. 

Legend Distilling, a collaboration between husband and wife team Doug and Dawn Lennie, opened in May of this year in Naramata a community of approximately 2,000 people within the district of Okanagan in British Columbia (BC), Canada. 

Doug is the master distiller who oversees the small batch production and Dawn is the one responsible for introducing visitors to their premium spirits in the distillery’s tasting room, online store, and through hospitality and retail partners.

The Lennies share a passion rooted in creating truly special spirits using the highest quality ingredients available in the Okanagan.

“We’ve transformed Naramata’s former doctor’s office into our craft distillery… a special place where we celebrate the legends of the past while creating a few of our own. This is where our small batch vodka and gin come to life, and where you’ll find our copper and stainless stills and their precious contents, including fresh, BC-grown fruit, grains and botanicals.”

“Our spirits are naturally infused with Okanagan fruits, herbs and nuts. The gin and vodka are ready this fall and a very special barrel aged whisky is coming soon!”

Doctor’s Orders Gin

“Starting with our twice distilled unfiltered spirit, we distil a third and final time - where the gin magic happens. We add locally foraged juniper berries, coriander and citrus to a unique line up of Okanagan flavours - lavender, elderberry, mint and apple. It’s a beautiful sipping gin or the essential ingredient to achieve gin and tonic perfection.

“Legend has it that British Columbians did prohibition better than anyone else. No, you couldn’t buy alcohol, but if you were feeling under the weather your physician could prescribe you a cocktail. Or two. Maybe they thought a dry martini was a cure for the common cold? Now, we're no doctors – though our distillery is in an old doctor’s office – but we’d like to think our handcrafted gin is just what you-know-who ordered.” Doctor’s Orders Gin is 40%abv and has a RRP of $45/75cl.

Shadow in the Lake vodka

“The wheat based vodka is mashed, fermented and distilled in a pot and 20plate column still. The twice distilled unfiltered vodka is then blended with water that is treated on site by reverse osmosis.

The vodka's name comes from a the legendry Ogopogo, which has the body of a giant snake and the head of a bearded goat, and whose shadow may be seen flashing just below the surface of Okanagan Lake. Shadow in the Lake vodka is 40%abv and has a RRP of $45/75cl.

Packaging

Legend Distilling asked Also Known As brand packaging design agency in Vancouver to create a strategy for their initial product releases and a framework for future additions to the Legend family, as well as supporting print and web design to drive sales in the tasting room and distribution channels. 

Legend wanted something that offered the market something new and unexpected that stood out from the crowd. With ‘stories worth sharing’ as the central strategy, Also Known As developed product names, brands and packaging that leveraged local BC legends and created custom illustrations to bring the stories to life on the bottles. Every detail needed to be considered, from container selection, non-traditional colour selections and print finishings. 

17 November 2014 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor