Hearing the words “dairy” and “distillery” together can create some immediate feelings of confusion and bewilderment. Traditionally, we associate distilleries with our favourite whiskey, tequila, gin and vodka producers. Most alcohol is created using products such as barley, corn, wheat, agave, juniper, potatoes and other grains. So, you may still be asking, how and where are dairy products being used to distill alcohol?
Luckily for us, it happens to be directly next door to our production facility and head office in beautiful Almonte, Ontario. Established only a few short years ago, the Dairy Distillery has taken the alcohol industry by storm with their innovative and environmentally-friendly vodka product, Vodkow.
Artfully bridging the gap between artisanal distilling techniques and cutting-edge technology, this organization has found a way to transform milk sugar into an incredible-tasting spirit.
The best part?
The milk sugar would otherwise have been discarded, saddling milk farmers with the additional cost of disposal. In an effort to create a world-class vodka product, to remain a sustainably focused business, and to support dairy farmers, the team at Dairy Distillery has worked very hard to successfully check each one of those boxes.
We have been fortunate to have witnessed their success first-hand and were approached to be an integral part of their plans for future growth. As part of that growth, the distillery recently added a 35,000 L milk permeate storage tank to their facility. Now able to accept full truckloads of permeate, the distillery now has the ability to make 600,000 bottles of Vodkow or 270,000 liters of their hand sanitizer.
To keep pace with their new levels of supply, the Dairy Distillery team tapped us to help with some custom fabrication work to help facilitate an addition to their building to help with anticipated levels of production.
Owner, Omid McDonald, had a unique vision for the addition to the facility and worked closely with our design and production teams to make it a reality.
Contracted to design, fabricate and install the structural steel, our team handled the opportunity wonderfully. The unique design featured a cantilevered roof which our engineering department helped make a reality.
Our team went the extra mile and had a blast executing this project with such an innovative partner. We wish nothing but success for our neighbours and look forward to continuing to monitor and celebrate their success for years to come.