Craft distillery now doing craft beer

While the natural progression has been craft brewers getting into craft distilling, the Nova Scotia Spirit Company has taken the opposite tack.

After two-years of planning and development, the distilling company has launched the Painted Boat Beer company in Stellarton, Nova Scotia.

“It was kind of a natural progression,” company president Alex Rice told The Coast back in 2017 when it was first announced. “It’s something that we’ve kind of considered throughout the past couple years that we’ve launched the spirits brand.”

It was decided then that the brewery would be looking to produce one really good beer, with seasonal beers on offer as well. “…Our goal is kind of a one really good, easy-drinking beer that we want to deploy and roll out to beer lovers and consumers across Nova Scotia,” he said.

In 2014, Rice and his business partner, Evan MacEachern, started their distillery just outside Trenton in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Inspired by a job notice on the door of their rental, the names of the booze came from “Local lobster fisherman from Ballantyne’s Cove, Antigonish Co. is interested in hiring a helper for the summer. Basic requirement: sober, alert & willing to learn.” With that notice in mind, they named their new products Blue Lobster Vodka, Fisherman’s Helper White Rum, and Willing to Learn.

Within two short years Nova Scotia Spirits won three awards at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.