In 2016, Pierre Mantha envisioned a distillerie that would combine quality local ingredients, fresh springwater, and the rustic process of crafting artisan whisky. The result was Artist in Residence (AiR) Distillerie in Gatineau, Quebec, where Mantha and his team produce their gins, vodkas, liqueurs, and whiskies. Now, in 2024, AiR Distilleries is expanding to a new complex in Hawkesbury, Ontario—right between Ottawa and Montreal.
Mantha has plans to become the biggest distillerie in the Ottawa area: “The average distillerie makes 200 barrels a year. We’re going to make 4,000 barrels a year,” he told Ottawa Life Magazine.
In its first venture into the Ontario market, AiR has put its new smoked maple whisky on LCBO shelves for only $35. Mantha hopes that the unique blend of housemade whisky, maple syrup, and smoke extract will set AiR distilleries apart from other big whisky brands. “Whisky is a tough crowd,” says Mantha. “That’s why we did a flavour of whisky . . . I’m trying to get young people to try it. I’ve made maple whisky, but I’m going to bring coffee and raspberry, too. We’re trying to be different and have some different flavours.”
Mantha has a game plan for evolving his business and taking on the Ontario whisky scene—constantly launching new and innovative flavours into the market. “We’re going to bring four new products a year. We’re going to bring a blackberry vodka in the next couple of months, we’re going to bring a gin, and then we’re going to bring another whisky. We want to evolve, as this is our second distillerie.” Mantha’s primary AiR location in Gatineau already has an impressive selection of 60 products available for purchase in Quebec.
Mantha’s new $10 million facility in Hawkesbury has cut no corners when it comes to wow-factor. Its whisky production room sparkles with new state-of-the-art machinery and floor-to-ceiling windows to let the sunlight in. AiR meshes these contemporary elements with nods to the traditional process of whisky making: the drink is aged in barrels and made from local Ontario grain. The crowning jewels of Mantha’s new AiR Distillerie in Hawkesbury are its two enormous handmade stills. As practical as they are attention-grabbing, these 6,000 litre copper pots will help Mantha to accomplish his ambitious output goals for AiR Distilleries in Ontario.
Mantha has even more good news for whisky enjoyers in Ottawa: eventually, he will be opening the Hawkesbury site for a dining and drinking experience that is like no other in the Ottawa region. Within the next ten years, Mantha has plans to open an AiR lounge on the Hawkesbury site for visitors to enjoy a variety of housemade cocktails in modern style. He hopes that opening an onsite restaurant will make visiting the distillerie a more appealing experience for visitors. “The goal is to have a cool restaurant and a cool liquor store. It’s going to be an experience….I want to make it exclusive and all-local,” Mantha says.
With big plans for AiR’s expansion into the Ontario market, Mantha’s goal to become Ottawa’s biggest whisky distillerie might sound ambitious to some. Mantha, however, is confident in his business model and its capacity to succeed in entering new markets. As an entrepreneur, he is both eager to try new ideas and undaunted by the risk of failure. “I enjoy what I do. I like taking risks. We’re taking a lot of risk, but I believe in that,” he told OLM.
In the meantime, AiR’s smoked maple whisky is paving the road for the distillerie’s future success in Ontario. It is the only smoked maple whisky on the market and is locally made from homegrown grain, is affordable at only $35, and even comes in an eye-catching retro glass bottle. Pick up a bottle at LCBO today!
Photos: Courtesy AiR Distilleries
