Sheringham Distillery

Sheringham Distillery is a family-owned craft distillery on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, best known for a Seaside Gin flavored with hand-harvested winged kelp that was named the World's Best Contemporary Gin at the 2019 World Gin Awards in London.

History & Heritage

Sheringham was founded in 2015 by husband-and-wife team Jason and Alayne MacIsaac. Jason, a chef by training, works as master distiller; Alayne, who came from marketing and sales, serves as chief executive. The pair built their first distillery in a garage in Shirley, a small coastal community on southern Vancouver Island whose name was originally Sheringham before it was shortened to fit a postage stamp. In 2017 the operation moved to Sooke, where it more than tripled production, and in April 2023 it relocated again to a larger facility in Langford. The distillery works in small batches, uses British Columbia agricultural products, and sources other ingredients from Vancouver Island where possible. It remains independently held by the MacIsaacs as of July 2026; in late 2024 the founders raised roughly 1.2 million dollars through a public FrontFundr equity campaign to fund U.S. expansion rather than sell to an outside group.

The Whiskey

Sheringham distills across a wide range of spirits. Its signature is Seaside Gin, a contemporary gin whose botanicals include juniper, coriander, rose, lavender, citrus, cardamom, and winged kelp gathered near the coast; that maritime note is the botanical the distillery is known for. The gin range also includes Beacon Gin, formerly named Kazuki Gin, and Raincoast Gin. Beyond gin, Sheringham produces Pacific Vodka, an akvavit, and a Canadian whisky, LEAP Rye, made from a mash bill of rye, wheat, and malted barley, bottled at 45 percent and aged at least three years in new American white oak barrels. The distillery also makes a line of liqueurs, and its non-alcoholic Lumette range was among Canada's first zero-proof distilled spirits.

The Sentinel Room carries Sheringham Distillery Coffee Liqueur, made with locally roasted coffee.

Why It Matters

Sheringham's 2019 World Gin Awards win put a small Vancouver Island producer ahead of contemporary gins from more than twenty countries, and it did so with a botanical, winged kelp, drawn from the shoreline where the distillery began. The result is a portfolio built around a specific coastal place rather than a house style borrowed from elsewhere. For a Coffee Liqueur drinker, that same small-batch, regionally sourced approach is what distinguishes the expression on the shelf.

Visiting the Distillery

Sheringham operates a tasting room at 103-4382 West Shore Parkway in Langford, British Columbia, open daily with complimentary tastings and a look at the distillation process. Hours and current offerings are listed on the distillery's website.