Amaretto Dartmouth O'Dwyer

A Story Behind Its Name

In February 2016, Michael Brand and Frédéric Jacques founded the Micro-Distillery O'Dwyer in Gaspé. Why was the name "O'Dwyer" chosen for the distillery? The distillery values highlighting the history of the region, and a significant part of the history of Gaspésie is that of the Irish settlers. Following the potato famine in Ireland, thousands of Irish found a new home in Gaspésie. In tribute to this part of history, the distillery was named O'Dwyer, as "O" means "descendant of" and "Dwyer" means "darkness" in Gaelic. Mushrooms are also present in all products, except Acerum and St. Pierre, referencing the fungus that caused the famine in Ireland. The distillery uses a fine selection of grains and rare local plants to distill gin, whisky, and other spirits. The crafting and aging techniques are used to enhance the richness of Gaspésie's history and culture, while sharing with customers a passion for innovation and technology.

Original Products

The distillery's first product, the Radoune gin, immediately garnered attention with its unique and subtle taste composed of four varieties of wild mushrooms from the Morris River valley. The mushrooms used for the gin production are then dehydrated and sold for cooking. Subsequently, the distillery released a version aged in rye, bourbon, and Canadian whisky oak barrels, as well as a batch aged in a tequila barrel.

St-Pierre, is a white whisky (unaged) named after the island of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, used as a warehouse by smugglers during prohibition. Everyone in Gaspésie knows this spirit as "white whisky".

Next, Gaspésienne N°20 was introduced. It is an Acerum obtained by distilling alcohol from concentrated maple sap, named after a restored mid-20th-century fishing boat. Finally, Puddingstone, a cream liqueur made from fresh dairy cream, cocoa, and coffee, was launched shortly before the summer of 2020 and is named after the highest mountain near Gaspé.

Pudding Stone Cream Liqueur perfectly embodies the taste of Gaspésie. It is made from the finest ingredients, including fresh dairy cream, cocoa, and coffee. This liqueur exudes a complex chocolate aroma with exotic maple notes and a smooth coffee flavor. The highest mountain near Gaspé is called Pudding Stone, named after the sedimentary rock it consists of. This 460-meter mountain offers a breathtaking view of remarkable natural sites such as Gaspé Bay, Forillon National Park, Percé, and Bonaventure Island. It was common to poach moose at night using binoculars from this mountain.

DARTMOUTH stands out from other amarettos with its unique balance of sweet and earthy flavors. What makes it particularly remarkable is that they use a combination of lichen leaves, moss, and raspberry bush leaves, which they handpick, dry, and then steep in alcohol for four weeks. After filtering the alcohol, they add vanilla and other nutty flavors, then dilute the liqueur with spring water. This artisanal production method gives this amaretto a unique and richly flavored taste.