Christmas is certainly a time for cocktails. This season, Crosscut Distillery is making sure you can cross people off your shopping list, and sample spirits and snacks at the same time.
Every Saturday until Dec. 4, the distillery is featuring Northern Ontario makers as part of its holiday pop-up market.
“The plan is to come for crafts and stay for holiday-inspired cocktails,” Corissa Blaseg said.
Blaseg is the marketing and events manager at Crosscut Distillery, located on Kelly Lake Road. She describes herself as the events guru, while she describes owner Shane Prodan as the “mad scientist” behind the making of spirits.
Blaseg arrived on the scene three years ago, just after the grand opening in April 2018.
A recreational therapist by trade, she was midway through a business program when she learned about the opportunity to work for Crosscut.
What started as just a distillery with a small tasting room and retail shop has gotten much bigger over three years.
“The pandemic forced us to light a fire beneath us,” she joked.
Crosscut was highly featured at the start of the pandemic when it retooled its production line to make hand sanitizer for free.
“We gave the sanitizer away which created tons of foot traffic on our website. Patrons wanted to thank us and show support in big ways.”
The distillery also had to move fast with the creation of a patio when indoor events were still prohibited. The patio and indoor space serves up light snacks like chips and salsa from Smith’s Market, along with charcuterie boards with all the fixings.
With more and more distilleries opening in the north, Blaseg equates the movement to that of the microbrewery uptick of about eight years ago.
Blaseg said Crosscut aims to differentiate itself from the pack by cultivating a different vibe, one she described as “steampunk,” a term that uses the somewhat industrial setting of the distillery (with its metal pipes and alcohol still) as part of the decor — antique Singer sewing machine tables, vintage fabrics, oak barrels and the mechanics of a distillery create a unique environment to sample the wares.
It’s an experience Sudburians are sure not to forget.
As it begins to phase out final hand sanitizer orders, the distillery shelves are making way for a large Christmas retail section of vodka, gin, whiskey, liqueurs and more. There are premixed cocktail pouches, pickled snacks from the local Perogy Princess business, and a wider assortment of seasonal cocktails and garnishes.
Blaseg said customers enjoy the one-stop shopping experience the distillery has on tap.
“These walls contain everything you need to make the perfect cocktails at home. There are spirits, mixers, bitters, bar tools and loads of garnishes.”
The garnish assortment is never-ending. The website and storefront features dehydrated lemons and limes, as well as whole hibiscus flower, lotus roots and premium maraschino cherries.
If you are more into caesars, there are olives, onions and a wide array of locally made pickled vegetables, also from Perogy Princess.
Blaseg said she loves being part of a unique business that is always reinventing itself.
“There is never a dull moment. We are always trying to innovate and I have lots of room for creativity.”
It’s a win-win because she is also passionate about the industry and her love of spirits and experimenting with fun cocktails. To learn more about Crosscut or shop online, visit CrosscutDistillery.ca.
The cocktail bar is open for drinks and snacks on Thursdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Crosscut is located at 1347 Kelly Lake Road.
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Anastasia Rioux is a freelance writer in Greater Sudbury.
