History

The Newfoundland Distillery Company was founded in 2016 by William Carter and Peter Wilkins with the aim of celebrating Newfoundland's terroir and creating characterful spirits using local ingredients. It is the first craft distillery in Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2020 the distillery expanded to meet rising demand and began producing gin, rum, aquavit, and vodkas, while laying down the first whisky casks in Clarke's Beach.

Production / Manufacturing

The distillery uses a specially designed 1000-liter copper pot still and columns. Malted barley (local barley) is mashed in a 2000-liter mash tun, where the mashing process converts starches to sugars and the subsequent fermentation produces alcohol. The first distillation is repeated twice, and the final alcohol strength reaches about 94% ABV, after which it is diluted with local water from Clarke's Beach, which is charcoal-filtered for a purer flavor profile. Newfoundland Whisky is described as a triple-distilled single pot still whisky, aged a minimum of three years in a blend of virgin oak and used bourbon barrels and stored near Conception Bay to add complexity.

Products / Whisky Series

Newfoundland Whisky

Newfoundland Whisky is described as the world’s first Newfoundland Whisky, made in Newfoundland and aged in Conception Bay. It is a single pot still whisky, triple-distilled, with a mash bill of both malted and unmalted barley from Atlantic Canada. It is aged in a blend of virgin oak and bourbon barrels, which gives notes of oak, butterscotch, almond, leather and green apple. The whisky is considered surprisingly smooth for a three-year-old and is suitable to be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in whisky-based cocktails. Batch updates follow a plan of 3–4 batches per year, and there are plans for a single malt in 2025.

Other Spirits (main categories)

• Fireweed Flavoured Vodka: vodka with locally harvested fireweed buds and a hint of chili in cocktails for depth.
• Cloudberry Gin: gin with bakeapple (cloudberry) and a touch of herbs; sweet fruity profile and juniper.
• Seaweed Gin: gin made with dulse (seaweed) from the Grand Banks; a light salt in the finish and a clear maritime character.
• Aquavit: grain-based spirit with juniper and a smoky element from dried peat, followed by honey and savory, and a smooth, earthy finish.
• Vodka: a non-Scotch vodka based on locally grown barley; smooth with hints of vanilla and butter.
• Rhubarb Flavoured Vodka: vodka with gooseberry-like rhubarb and lingonberries, sweet and fresh in the finish.
• Chaga Rum: premium rum infused with chaga and honey from NL, often praised for its earthy depth and notes of truffle/chocolate; among awards it has gained international recognition.
• Maple Rum, Gunpowder & Rose Rum: complex rum variants with unique notes from rose, salt, kelp and twigs, often praised in international competitions.
• Ready-to-Drink Cocktails: Seaweed Gin Tom Collins RTD, Summer Kiss, Vodka Cranberry Lemonade and Dark & Stormy among others in cans.

Liqueurs and Other Products

There are also Coffee Liqueur and various liqueur collections (e.g., Espresso Martini recipe) as well as bitters such as Cloudberry Bitters, produced with local ingredients and Newfoundland botanicals.

Visit / Experiences

• Location and view: 14 Conception Bay Highway, Clarke’s Beach; Tasting Room and Shop with views of the distillery’s stills and columns and a terrace by Conception Bay.
• Hours: The Tasting Room and Shop open on Fridays and Saturdays in the winter period and Sundays; last order is 15 minutes before closing. Booking is available for groups over 10, and there are indoor and outdoor seating options.
• Distillery Dash: Distillery Dash 5 km race on Sunday, July 20, 2025. The route starts and finishes at The Newfoundland Distillery Company and supports the Trinity Conception Placentia Health Care Foundation through net proceeds. Participants receive a race kit, a T-shirt, chip timing, and a post-race reception with cocktails, BBQ and entertainment.

Philosophy and Terroir

• A central message is that the distillery’s “proximity to sea level makes the difference in the distillation process” and that they therefore present products with a strong connection to the sea and Newfoundland provenance.
• Focus on local ingredients: locally sourced barley, local water, and botanical ingredients such as bakeapple/cloudberry, dulse, kelp, caribou moss, spruce tips, and savory.
• The production focuses on purity and clear, natural flavor profiles through the use of copper stills and community collaborations, and they offer visible processes and facilities for visitors in the tasting room / exhibits.

Points of Interest and Recognitions

• Awards and accolades: the distillery’s spirits have won international medals and recognitions in various competitions (e.g., Seaweed Gin, Gunpowder & Rose Rum, Vodka, etc.).
• Distribution: the products are sold in Newfoundland and Labrador as well as in other Canadian provinces and in the UK for some variants.

Contact and Points of Contact

• Visit in Clarke’s Beach, contact via the shop and tasting room for events and reservations. The distillery emphasizes local support and partnerships and also offers tips for cocktails and home-blended products.