Last Mountain Distillery began as a family owned and operated business run out of a garage. Five years later, Saskatchewan’s first microdistillery has expanded to bring its unique products into pubs, cafés and restaurants across the prairie. 

Founded in 2010 by Colin and Meredith Schmidt, Last Mountain Distillery is based out of Lumsden, Sask. The couple’s small town Saskatchewan roots haven’t just impacted their spirits, however — they have become a crucial part of them.

The true definition of living off of the land, the Schmidts make their whisky with bonafide prairie wheat and their vodka with Canadian corn. Both products are distilled in small batches and specially aged to bring out the full extent of their rich and natural flavours.

Though the Last Mountain team may have an old-fashioned approach to ingredients, they certainly put a creative spin on taste. In addition to staple liquors such as whisky, vodka and rum, Last Mountain makes a handful of eccentric products including their honey cinnamon liqueur, chili pepper-infused vodka and the intriguing dill pickle vodka.

Presented in slender wine-like bottles with simple no-nonsense labels, the initial impression that Last Mountain products make is a humble one. It isn’t the attractive packaging that draws in the customer’s eye — it’s the flavours.

Walking through Saskatoon’s Farmers’ Market on a Saturday afternoon is a dizzying and overwhelming experience. Hit with an assault of sights, sounds, smells and flocks of people the moment you walk in the door, it’s often difficult to focus on any one booth or item. But one Saturday, through a brief parting in the crowd, I spotted something that immediately hooked my attention — spicy vodka.

Last Mountain doesn’t have the special license required to provide liquor tastings in a public setting, so I had to take a leap of faith and buy a whole bottle of the fiery vodka with no clue as to whether it would be delicious or downright awful.

Thankfully, my gut instinct was right. With all the bite of regular vodka plus the additional kick of hot chili pepper, this unique spirit is fantastic in caesars, bloody marys, dirty martinis or even just to sip. If you’re a fan of more savoury cocktails, Last Mountain’s spicy vodka is well worth a taste. There’s even a little chili pepper floating in every bottle!

Feeling comforted by my positive experience with the spicy vodka I decided to tackle its more off-putting cousin, the dill pickle vodka. It’s actually a lot better than it sounds, I promise.

Distilled with garlic and dill weed, this strangely appealing spirit might not be the best thing to serve neat, but it sure makes a killer caesar. Plus, breaking it out at your next party is a surefire conversation starter. Is it salty? Is it actually good, or does it just taste like stale Lay’s? You won’t know until you give it a try!

For those brave souls who wish to test out the wonder that is the dill pickle vodka, you don’t have to trek all the way to Lumsden. Last Mountain spirits are available to try at Leyda’s Café, The Woods Alehouse, Truffles Bistro, Prairie Harvest Café and all Smitty’s locations in Saskatoon. For those who are feeling even more ambitious, 375 millilitre to 1.75 litre bottles of all Last Mountain products are available for purchase at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market and range from $30 to $50.

Last Mountain Distillery’s products are a treat for those with both adventurous and conventional tastes. Whether you’re in the market for a smooth sipping whisky or a kooky new flavour to add to your favourite cocktail, Last Mountain ensures that your glass will always be half full.

Visit Last Mountain Distillery at 70 Highway 20 outside of Lumsden, Sask. Tours and tastings are offered every Saturday at $10 per person.