Victoria Distillers

What Victoria Distillers does

Victoria Distillers is a privately held Canadian craft distillery founded in 2016 via the acquisition and relocation of Victoria Spirits to a waterfront facility in Sidney, British Columbia. The company produces handmade premium spirits in copper pot stills, with its core offering being the Empress 1908 gin family — flagship Empress 1908 Indigo Gin, plus Cucumber Lemon, Elderflower Rose, Cocktail, Oaken, Original, and the 0.0 Indigo non-alcoholic variant. Signature production elements include a butterfly pea blossom and Fairmont Empress House Tea botanical recipe that yields a natural indigo color, and a proprietary geothermal closed-loop distillation system shared with the adjacent Sidney Pier Hotel (under common ownership), which saves approximately 6 million litres of water and 727.6 million BTUs of energy annually.

The company's revenue model combines direct-to-consumer sales (e-commerce storefront at victoriadistillers.com and a physical distillery retail store open Wednesday–Sunday with complimentary tastings) with wholesale distribution through retail stores in Canada and, as of 2026, the United States, where the Empress 1908 brand is associated with Milestone Brands for scaled distribution. Spirits are priced at $39.99 per 750ml, and the company also sells branded merchandise and barware ($5–$95) such as copper shakers, jiggers, strainers, branded apparel, and stickers. Target customers are premium gin consumers, cocktail enthusiasts and home bartenders, and health-conscious non-alcoholic spirit consumers, with no enterprise or on-premise anchor accounts. The company has earned multiple industry awards (Gold Medal at the 2017 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition; Best Alcohol Drink at the 2017 World Beverage Innovation Awards; 2019 EcoStar Award for Water Stewardship; 2019 Vancouver Island Green Business certification).

Name

Victoria Distillers

Legal name

Victoria Distillers

Website

https://victoriadistillers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Victoria Distillers is a Canadian craft distillery producing premium handmade spirits — most notably the Empress 1908 gin family — using copper pot stills and a geothermal closed-loop system at its Sidney, BC waterfront facility, selling direct-to-consumer and through Canadian and U.S. retail distribution to premium gin and cocktail consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Craft Distilleries & Microdistilleries (THAFALAH), Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG), Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Artisan spirits
• Craft gin production
• Premium distilled spirits
• Botanical liqueurs
• Barware accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Sidney

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Spirits Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of artisan spirits including Empress 1908 Gin variants, vodka, spiced rum, chocolate liqueur, and aperitifs through the company's e-commerce storefront and distillery retail location. Also distributed through retail stores in Canada and the U.S.
2. Merchandise and Barware Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hats, socks), barware (shakers, jiggers, strainers, cups), stickers, and accessories through the online shop. Products priced from $5 to $95.
3. Brand Licensing: Empress 1908 Gin is a brand under Milestone Brands, with Victoria Distillers developing and producing the spirits. The brand expansion into the U.S. market represents a licensing/production relationship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Victoria Distillers is a Canadian artisan distillery based in Sidney, British Columbia, producing premium handmade spirits including the Empress 1908 Gins, vodkas, liqueurs, and aperitifs, alongside branded barware and accessories. Products are sold directly to consumers through an e-commerce store and the on-site retail location, and are also distributed via wholesale channels across Canada and the United States.

Product overview

Victoria Distillers is a Canadian artisan distillery producing premium spirits from its waterfront location in Sidney, British Columbia. The company operates as both a distillery producing its own spirits and as a brand portfolio company. Its core product family is Empress 1908 Gins, including flagship Empress 1908 Indigo Gin, Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin, Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin, Empress 1908 Cocktail Gin, Empress 1908 Oaken Gin, Empress 1908 Original Gin, and Empress 1908 0.0 Indigo (non-alcoholic variant). Additional spirits include Left Coast Hemp Vodka, Sidney Spiced, Chocolate Liqueur, and Bitter Bianca aperitif. The company also sells branded merchandise including barware accessories (shakers, jiggers, strainers, bar blades, garnishes, glasses), apparel (t-shirts, hats, socks), stickers, and umbrellas. The products are sold through the company's retail store, online shop, and distributed nationally and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Empress 1908 Indigo Gin: Handcrafted small batch gin inspired by the Fairmont Empress Hotel, featuring butterfly pea blossom and black tea botanicals, known for its natural indigo color.
• Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin
• Bitter Bianca
• Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
• Empress 1908 Cocktail Gin
• Empress 1908 Oaken Gin
• Left Coast Hemp Vodka
• Sidney Spiced
• Chocolate Liqueur

Products and services

• Empress 1908 Gin Artisan distilled gin featuring butterfly pea blossom among its botanicals, producing a distinctive indigo hue that shifts to pink when mixed with tonic or citrus. Sold to adult consumers and on-trade accounts as a premium sipping and cocktail gin.
• Empress 1908 Cocktail-Inspired Vodkas Flavored vodka expressions under the Empress 1908 brand, marketed as cocktail-inspired craft vodkas for premium at-home and on-trade use.
• Empress 1908 Liqueurs Botanical liqueurs produced under the Empress 1908 brand, positioned for use in premium cocktails and as standalone sipping pours.
• Empress 1908 Aperitifs Aperitif-style bottled spirits in the Empress 1908 portfolio, intended for pre-dinner serving and cocktail applications.
• Branded Barware and Accessories Empress 1908 branded barware and accessories marketed to consumers for at-home cocktail preparation and as gifting items.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves approximately 7,000 litres of water and transfers 850,000 BTUs of energy per still run through geothermal system
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sidney Pier HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVictoria Distillers' distillery location connects to the Sidney Pier Hotel's geothermal system. The adjacent hotel property, owned by the same owners as Victoria Distillers, built a unique geothermal system that was connected to the distillery, creating a closed-loop sustainable energy arrangement that benefits both operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bluecoat American Dry Gin: Bluecoat is a craft American gin produced at Philadelphia Distilling with botanical differentiation. Comparable as a small-batch craft distillery producing a premium-positioned gin with distinct botanical character.
• The Botanist Islay Dry Gin: The Botanist is a craft premium gin distilled with 22 hand-foraged local botanicals. Directly comparable to Empress 1908 Indigo Gin as a craft, botanically-distinctive, premium-positioned gin targeting cocktail enthusiasts and home bartenders.
• Drumshanbo Irish Gin (The Shed Distillery): Drumshanbo is a craft Irish gin produced with distinctive botanicals (including tea and unusual ingredients). Comparable as a craft gin with a signature botanical story and premium-positioned flavored family, similar to Empress 1908.
• Hendrick's Gin: Hendrick's is a premium/craft-style gin from William Grant & Sons known for unusual botanicals (cucumber, rose, chamomile) and a distinctive aesthetic identity. Directly comparable to Empress 1908 in positioning, price point (~$35-45/bottle), and craft-premium gifting market.
• Malfy Gin: Malfy Gin (Pernod Ricard) is a craft-positioned Italian gin with distinctive botanical expressions (lemon, blood orange, grapefruit). Comparable to Empress 1908 as a craft gin with multiple flavored expressions targeting the cocktail culture and gifting occasion.
• Aviation American Gin: Aviation American Gin (Diageo) is a craft-style American gin with botanical differentiation. Comparable as an American-market craft gin competing for premium cocktail-occasion share against the Empress 1908 U.S. launch.
• Sipsmith London Dry Gin: Sipsmith is a London craft gin pioneer produced in copper pot stills at a small distillery. Comparable to Victoria Distillers' craft small-batch copper-still production methodology and premium positioning in the gin category.
• St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur: St-Germain (Bacardi) is a premium craft-positioned liqueur often used in cocktails alongside premium gins. Comparable to Victoria Distillers' Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin and Chocolate Liqueur SKUs in craft cocktail-occasion premium positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Tanqueray No. Ten: Tanqueray No. Ten is Diageo's ultra-premium gin positioned for craft cocktails. Comparable as a direct competitor in the ultra-premium gin tier where Empress 1908 Original Gin is launching in the U.S.
• Bombay Sapphire: Bombay Sapphire is a global premium gin owned by Bacardi, positioned with distinctive botanicals and a recognizable brand identity. Comparable as the established premium gin incumbent against which craft entrants like Empress 1908 compete for shelf and mind share.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VicDistillers/?ref=br_rs
• Instagraminstagram.com/vicdistillers/?hl=en
• Xx.com/vicdistillers

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Victoria Distillers