Spirit of Revelstoke Flows Through Monashee Distillery

Up in the mountain town of Revelstoke, B.C., sits Monashee Distillery, a small, familyrun craft distillery rooted in passion, community and place. Here, spirits are distilled by hand using local ingredients like pure glacial water and sustainable methods, while capturing the rugged beauty of the mountains in every bottle. At its heart is a story of courage and perseverance, embodied by its FounderJOSH McLafferty.

BISHAN Kumar who visited the distillery tells how Josh’s vision turned a dream into one of Canada’s most celebrated artisans distilleries.

Revelstoke, a town in British Columbia, Canada, sits between two mountain ranges, Selkirk and Monashee, like a sentence paused for breath. The town, known for its resilience, experiences long, wild winters and short yet intense summers. Here, people live for adventure: skiing, biking, climbing, and sharing stories in pubs and on trails. That energy is something you will find in Ethos Gin. The name itself reflects the ethos of the local community; a connection, adventure and respect for nature. “You can taste it in the layers of botanicals, many of them gathered from right here. Our vodka, gin and whisky are not just liquids but extensions of this town, of its terroir and people. That’s what gives them authenticity,” says Josh.

That raw beauty and strong community ties inspired Josh to create something reflecting that spirit. The mountains, rivers, changing seasons and the people all came together to form a unique identity in the form of Monashee Distillery. “Monashee Distillery gave me the chance to root my life’s work in a place I love. It wasn’t just about making liquor. It was about building something lasting that could give people a taste of where they are or where they wish they could be,” Josh states.

A Spirited Journey

Starting a distillery is no small feat; it called for courage and the resources to turn a vision into reality. For Josh, that courage came from stubbornness and passion. “I poured thousands of hours into the project, often 12–16 hours a day, because I knew it would not get off the ground if I didn’t give it everything,” he says.

His family too played a huge role; they backed and encouraged him and helped where they could. It took sweat equity, personal sacrifice, and grit to push through. “At times it felt overwhelming, dealing with regulations, sourcing equipment and building a space from scratch, but every challenge built confidence,” Josh adds.

Building a Portfolio

While gin and whisky were always the plan, Josh intentionally went for vodka as the distillery’s first spirit, as it is a neutral grain spirit and the backbone of many liqueurs and cocktails. Making it allowed Monashee Distillery to master the basics, learn the equipment inside out and understand how small changes could affect the outcome. “Many people dismiss vodka as plain, but to make it clean, smooth and balanced requires discipline and skill. Starting there laid the foundation for everything else. It gave us the confidence to experiment and the ability to refine,” Josh elaborates.

After vodka, Josh wanted something with more character, and so Vulcan’s Fire was born. A whisky liqueur that is spiced and bold, with a kick of cinnamon but deeper and well balanced. It became a calling card for Monashee Distillery because it showed the team could take familiar ideas and elevate them. After that, the distillery crafted an Irish cream called Big Mt. Creamer, which people loved for its richness and smooth flavours. While those were coming to life, the distillery was laying down whisky, knowing it would be years before anyone could taste it.

“At the same time, we were obsessively working on gin. It took 28 separate batches over the course of a year before we got Ethos Gin where we wanted it,” Josh informs. That persistence paid off when it won several honours at the 2019 Canadian Artisan Spirit Awards: Best Gin in Canada, Best in Class, Distinction in Terroir and the Spirit of Canada. Each step in that progression built toward the next, and together they tell the story of how Monashee Distillery grew.

Whisky Through Time

Whisky, to Josh, is a living record of time. Each barrel is the result of many hands and stories. Farmers plant and harvest the grain; coopers craft the oak barrels; and the team ferments, distils, and lays it down to mature. Then it waits for years soaking in the seasons, surrounded by the life of the local community—birthdays, weddings, late nights, early mornings—all happening in the same building while the whisky slowly matures. “When someone finally pours a glass, they are drinking not just grain and water and oak, but a capsule of history,” Josh says. That is why whisky is so powerful to him. It ties people, place and time together in a way nothing else can.

The Local Connection

The spirits of Monashee Distillery are often praised for their strong sense of place, which comes from a philosophy of staying as close to home as possible. All its grains are certified organic and grown on a nearby farm, and that matters because Josh knows the farmers personally. “We see the land, and we can trust the quality from soil to seed,” he states. The botanicals are a mix. Some, like wild herbs and flowers, can be foraged locally. Others, like juniper, need to come from their traditional regions to preserve true character. It’s about balance, showcasing what the mountains give while respecting the heritage of spirits.

The water source is Greeley Creek in Revelstoke. It’s glacially fed, cold, clean and soft. As Josh puts it, “You can’t underestimate water in distilling.” It is the canvas on which everything else is painted, and the water from Greeley Creek gives a purity that could not be replicated elsewhere. With Josh as the master distiller and blender, every batch, recipe and cask receives his personal involvement. “That’s important to me because the spirit of Monashee Distillery is tied to craftsmanship,” he says. The team shares the same obsession for detail. “We mill the grain ourselves, handle fermentations carefully, nose and taste every batch, and bottle by hand,” Josh adds. There’s no conveyor belt detachment.

Most of Monashee Distillery’s bottles are sold locally in Revelstoke. This local focus is important, as many customers know Josh and his team personally; they have visited the distillery, seen the stills and had interesting interactions. “That creates a bond no big brand can replicate,” Josh points out. When visitors take a bottle home, they are not just buying alcohol; they are taking a piece of Revelstoke, a memory and a story. “That’s what sets us apart. It’s not about competing with large brands. It’s about building something genuine that resonates because people can feel the connection,” he says.

When Josh sees the space filled with people, whether they are locals, travellers passing through, or groups of friends meeting after a day on the mountain, he feels most happy about having created Monashee Distillery. “When I hear laughter, see people sharing stories, and watch them connect over what we have created, that’s the moment. It’s not me standing over a still or pulling a sample from a barrel, though I love that too,” he says. It’s about community; seeing people feel at home in the distillery, making memories, is the reward and a reminder of why this was worth all the sacrifice.

Scaling Without Sacrificing

While the roots of Monashee Distillery will always be in Revelstoke, in the years to follow, Josh sees the brand growing beyond the town. “Revelstoke is home, and it’s what gives our spirits their soul.” However, one day he would like to expand its whisky storage, build more capacity and share Monashee Distillery with a wider audience. That does not mean chasing mass production; it means making the spirits available to more people who value authenticity and craft.

Growth for Josh isn’t about losing what makes the distillery special; it’s about giving more people the chance to feel what this place and these spirits are all about.