All images courtesy of the distillery.

The origins of Macaloney’s Island Distillery: Scottish inspiration meets Canadian terroir

Years ago, Graeme Macaloney was quietly laying the seeds of his future success with a humble summer job bottling the “water of life”, which fueled his lifelong fascination with whisky. Years later, his passion, combined with credibility and expertise, helped those seeds bloom into a legitimate business. Joining the team were veteran Scottish master distiller Mike Nicolson and maturation expert Dr. Jim Swan, who together fused centuries-old Scottish traditions with Canada’s Pacific Coast ingredients and climate, earning a devoted following among connoisseurs and curious travellers alike.

Thanks to a maritime climate that mirrors Scotland’s whisky-making environments, Victoria proved to be an ideal home base. The region’s clean island water, fresh, coastal air, and temperate oceanic climate all contribute to the spirits’ distinct flavour and character. Using Canadian barley and copper pot stills from Scotland’s renowned Forsyth’s distillery, they got to work building a facility that would produce legitimately authentic single malt whisky with a uniquely Canadian identity. 

Award-Winning Canadian single malt whisky

In the grand scheme of the whisky world, Macaloney’s is a young pup. But nobody can deny that the distillery’s national and international success has been swift and impressive, proving that Scottish technique and Canadian ingredients were paying off. 

Among Macaloney’s standouts internationally are the double gold-winning An Aba, a lighted peated sherried whisky, An Loy, a double-distilled, single malt whisky, and triple-distilled Kildara, which won World’s Best Pot Still Whisky in 2023. Macaloney’s Sherry Bomb Whisky, Cath-Nah-Aven, won gold in 2023’s edition of the World Whiskies Awards. Nationally, its St Mallie Portugues Red Wine Single Cask, Peat Project Red Wine Cask Whisky, and Peat Project Bourbon Cask Whisky took home Best Canadian Single Cask and Single Malt in 2020, 2022, and 2025, respectively. Its Killeigh Triple Distilled Whisky won Best Canadian Pot Still in 2022, while its Kirkinriola Portuguese Red Wine Single Cask won the same award in 2024. Its Peated Kildara, Triple Distilled Lightly Peated Whisky took home top prize in the same category in 2025. 

Finally, Macaloney’s Peat Project Moscatel Cask Whisky was awarded 2025’s Canadian Whisky of the Year. Made with local BC barley, lightly smoked with peat, and aged in a Portuguese Moscatel cask, it offers notes of coastal pine, juicy pineapple, and chocolate-orange. On a wider scale, this win was integral as it competed against nearly 200 others in blind tastings, proving that Canadian single malts could rival even the most established and respected names in the world. 

Why Macaloney’s whisky has captured global attention

Let’s not overlook the fact that whisky tourism has exploded, and discerning visitors are eager to include a spirit tour on their itinerary. Fundamentally, the success of Macaloney’s can be traced to a deliberate combination of authenticity, craftsmanship, and a deep sense of place. Vancouver Island’s natural environment, when combined with Canadian barley, fresh water, and a cool ocean breeze, results in a series of character-rich spirits. Furthermore, its reliance on copper potstill distillation, long fermentation periods and careful cask selection is reminiscent of Scotland’s storied whisky houses. 

The future of Macaloney’s Island Distillery & Canadian whisky

Along with an expansive three-season patio in the works, Macaloney’s also plans to add more tours. tasting programs and collaborative events in the coming years to accommodate a growing demand.  Along with tasting as many spirits as you like, Macaloney’s signature experiences will include a Grain-to-Glass tour, taking guests behind the scenes – from the grist mill and warehouse, to the pot stills and the maturation room – with the option to even smoke peat upon request. 

For decades, the conversation about single malt whisky centred mainly on Scotland. Macaloney’s is proof that new regions, including Vancouver Island, can create exceptional whisky. And while Macaloney’s has racked up a list of impressive awards, it’s important to keep in mind that thousands of whisky barrels are still maturing, each representing future, potentially award-winning releases, further elevating the brand’s reputation. Currently, Macaloney’s is the 3rd most-awarded distillery in the world and the most-awarded craft distillery in Canada. Conclusion: Graeme and his team are just getting started! 

Sidebar – don’t skip the beer!

Named after a poem by Robbie Burns, Twa Dogs Brewery operates inside Macaloney’s, pouring a rotating lineup of craft brews brewed on site using high-quality ingredients. Behind-the-scenes tours offer guests a chance to sample various strains of malted and unmalted barley while enjoying a few beer and whisky tastings along the way. Macaloney’s brewery arm adds another dimension to the visitor experience, all in a relaxed, speakeasy-style setting that feels upscale yet welcoming, without the pretentious atmosphere or hefty price tag. Be it a pint or a dram, Macaloney’s delivers a memorable experience, with a touch of West Coast swagger. 

The post The rise of Vancouver Island whisky: The story of Macaloney’s Distillery appeared first on Paths to Travel.

Cover image: Salt Spring Island. Image by Andrea Johnson, courtesy of Destination BC.
This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here. 

Salt Spring Island: The artistic heart of the Gulf Islands

Salt Spring is famous for its vibrant arts scene, friendly locals and stunning natural beauty. This article is informed by multiple trips to this island, including a week-long stay, during which we chatted with artists, sampled local food and hiked quite a few trails.

Top things to do on Salt Spring Island

1. Visit the Saturday Market

The Saturday Market in Ganges is not to be missed. Over 140 local vendors set up shop from April to October. Find everything from handmade soaps to fresh goat cheese. Pair it with some crackers and a bottle of wine for an ideal picnic. The vibe of the market is lively, and chatting with the artisans was a highlight.

2. Explore local art galleries and studios

You can spend hours wandering through galleries and open studios. The Salt Spring Studio Tour is a must. Pick up a map and meet artists in their creative spaces. Activities like glassblowing demos and pottery workshops are available in this space.

3. Hiking, kayaking and beaches

Hike Mount Maxwell for epic views, bike along the bike routes, kayak along the coast, and relax at Beddis Beach. Rentals are easy to find in Ganges, and the trails are well-marked.

4. Camping

Some of the best camping in BC can be found on this island. The only thing to be aware of is that the camping spots get reserved almost immediately on their release date, leaving only a few walk-in sites, so plan accordingly.

Local’s tip: If you are with a larger group, you cannot go wrong with a group campsite. Most of these have an open view of the water, where you can see BC Ferries go past every few hours.

Where to eat and stay

Cafés and restaurants

Become a  regular at Barb’s Bakery for breakfast and indulge in made-from-scratch fare at Auntie Pesto’s. Don’t miss the Salt Spring Island Cheese Company to stock up for a picnic lunch.

Recommended accommodations

Stay in a cosy lakeside cabin or choose one of the many great B&Bs and boutique hotels around Ganges. Harbour House Hotel is a great option with full amenities, while The Cottage and Castle offer a unique local stay. Book early in summer as Salt Spring fills up fast. Camping, of course, is always an option for the more adventurous.

Pender Island: A nature lover’s paradise

Spend a few weeks on Pender Island, it’s a dream for anyone who loves the outdoors. This destination offers plenty of hiking, paddling, and dining options around the island.

Must-see attractions on Pender Island

1. Hiking Mount Norman

One of the most scenic hikes is up Mount Norman. The trail isn’t too long, about 1.5 km each way, but it’s a steady climb. It takes around 45 minutes to reach the top, and the panoramic views over the Southern Gulf Islands are absolutely worth the climb. Make sure to pack water to stay hydrated and a camera for those epic shots.

2. Kayaking and paddleboarding

Rent kayaks from a local outfitter at Port Browning Marina. Paddling along the calm coastline, you might spot seals, deer, bald eagles, and other local wildlife. The water is usually gentle, especially in the mornings, making it perfect for beginners. Paddleboarding is also super popular here because of the calm waters and the stunning views.

3. Exploring beaches and parks

Spend time in  Mortimer Spit and Medicine Beach. Both are great for picnics, beachcombing, and just soaking up the sun. The island parks, like Beaumont Marine Park, are perfect for a quiet afternoon surrounded by nature.

Dining and lodging options

Local eateries

There are many family-owned spots to try, including the local favourite,  Slow Coast Coffee, for breakfast. The vibe is friendly, and the coffee is strong. For dinner, check out the fresh seafood at The Hub.

Unique stays

Book a cosy cabin or one of the many charming B&Bs and glamping options, like Airstreams with hot tubs in the woods. Staying somewhere unique really adds to the island experience. Many places offer stunning views and easy access to trails and beaches.

Galiano Island: Adventure and relaxation combined

Galiano Island can easily become your favourite Gulf Islands destination for its perfect blend of outdoor adventure and laid-back charm.

Highlights of Galiano Island

1. Biking and hiking trails

Explore Galiano’s network of trails. Bodega Ridge Trail is a highlight, with sweeping views over Trincomali Channel. The trails are well-marked and range from easy strolls to more challenging hikes. Alternatively, you can rent a bike and cruise along the quiet roads, traffic is light, so it’s super relaxing.

2. Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park

Spend a few afternoons at Montague Harbour. The white shell beaches are perfect for picnics, and the sunsets are unreal. Kayak rentals are available, offering an opportunity to get closer to seals and otters while paddling.

3. Art and culture spots

Galiano has a surprising arts scene. Visit the Galiano Island Gallery and several roadside studios to see the full range. The local artists are friendly and happy to chat about their work.

Where to eat and sleep

Top restaurants

Make sure to visit  Pilgrimme to experience their farm-to-table dishes. For casual eats, the Hummingbird Pub is recommended for their fish and chips.

Cozy accommodations

Choose a waterfront cabin or one of the many cute B&Bs and eco-lodges. Book early in summer, places fill up fast.

Notes on getting around the Gulf Islands 

Ferries are the main way to get around the Gulf Islands. BC Ferries runs regular routes from Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Make sure to book ahead, especially in the summer. If you haven’t reserved, then always arrive early, as lines can get long. Bring snacks, check schedules, and pack layers because the weather changes fast out on the water.

Guest author: Isheeta and Shrey from the Travelicious Couple

traveliciouscouple.com | @travelicious_couple 

Remote workers and slow travellers since 2018, Isheeta and Shrey have explored all 7 continents while calling British Columbia home. Join them for slow travel inspiration, remote work tips, and deep-dive guides, especially across Canada.

Left: Galiano Island, image by Ben Giesbrecht, courtesy of Destination BC. Right: Gulf Islands ferry, image by @localwanderer.

The post Best Gulf Islands to visit in British Columbia appeared first on Paths to Travel.

The property is very elegantly designed, highlighting the historical details while mixing in modern design twists throughout. For this visit, I had an opportunity to stay in the Dividend Junior Corner Suite. This particular room is called the Pender King Suite Suite.

The location of the EXchange Hotel Vancouver is very convenient: a short walk away from Canada Place, shopping, dining, Chinatown, and Gaston. Being so close to the city’s many favourite spots has been definitely helpful.

This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here. 
The stay was sponsored by the hotel, which did not review or approve the story.

The Vibe & Shared Spaces 

The hotel lobby is quite small: a porter desk followed by a hall with elevators that go to your specific floor only. The old Stock Exchange architecture is notable in the fine details of the elevator design and the decorative arch sealing that I could not stop staring at. 

The check-in desk is located on the second floor, directly across from the elevator. This space has a lovely sitting area on the right and a small bridge to the hotel restaurant on the left. We only stayed here for one night so I haven’t had the time to wonder about this floor. The hotel certainly has a modern, vibrant feel, something that welcomes you upon entry, in that cool and classy kind of way.

The top left image is the hotel lobby on the ground floor. The second image is of the small table at the entryway.

Bear vs Bull statute on the entryway table and the hallway leading to the bedroom.

Inside the Suite

Pender King Suite Suite wraps around the building’s corner occupying well over 400 square feet of space. At the entrance is a coat rack with some storage and a bar sync with an ice bucket. Not being able to see the full room upon entry certainly created a bit of mystique. 

Once you turn the corner you see a long hallway, windows on one side and a door on the other. The door leads into a full-size bathroom suite. Single sync, toilet with a privacy door, and on the left soaker tub and a large shower. This side of the bathroom is all glass. The tub is surprisingly comfortable (I often slide down uncomfortably but not here) and offers a shaded view of the city, you can read, watch TV, tease your partner through the glass, or just stare out in the window.

The bathroom is equipped with towels, robes, and L’Occitane bath products.

On the left is the spacious shower and on the right is the tub as seen from the bedroom.

Past the bathroom, the space widens to its fullest. Baroque King bed on the left, framed by two side tables with mirrors. The entire back wall is a wall mural, dark with splashes of bright colours, contrasting the black and white photo art on the walls. A small desk across the bed hosts a coffee maker, a welcome tray with Mission Hill wine, and of course a television. Past the bedroom area is a sitting corner with a lush velvet pull-out sofa, a glass coffee table, and another storage cabinet. 

The floor-to-ceiling windows are shaded by two layers of automated curtains: transparent and dark. You simply pull on one end and they spread apart like magic. Or technology, if you choose to use the remote control near the bed, whatever sparks your fancy. The 11th-floor city view looks at a couple of office buildings and the street. This seemed rather dull at first but then we kept finding ourselves staring out the window, decoding the lives of the people we saw on the other side. In that “Rare Window” kind of way.

Knowing that the room would be impressive we checked in on time and took full advantage of its amenities: the bath, the view, the wine, and the open space. I can certainly get used to this life in Vancouver. 

Note: If you are looking for some outdoor activities near the city here is a lovely list of some Vancouver City nearby hikes.

Dining & Entertainment 

Hydra is a full-service restaurant and bar located on the second floor. The resultant focus is on Mediterranean cuisine. The design of the space is stunning and the menu looks exciting and robust. For this stay, I did not have an opportunity to dine at Hydra though so you’ll have to let me know how it was .

I have visited a range of other restaurants nearby but that will have to be a whole other story. For now, though, I highly recommend visiting the historic Marine Building around the corner and Nightingale Restaurant. It is a stunning piece of architecture and the restaurant menu is filled with tasty delicious farm-to-table plates. Note that the entrance to the restaurant is a separate door around the corner.

Revolving door entrance into the Marine building followed by a delicious pasta from Nightingale restaurant.

Wellness & Fitness 

There is a state-of-the-art fitness center located on the premises open from 6 AM to 9 PM daily. To access it you will need to grab a pass card from guest services. There is a pretty good selection of equipment including treadmills, spin bikes, ellipticals, recumbent bikes, a rowing machine, free weights, and resistance training pieces. The cool thing, however, is there is a fitness training study where you can stream workout videos on a SmartTV so you can keep up with your at-home routine.

It is worth mentioning that this is a Four Diamond, Executive Hotel property. Executive Hotels and Resorts may seem boutique in comparison to the massive hotel chains we are all familiar with but they do own 17 properties across North America. All of these properties are strategically located in the heart of the city offering “quality workmanship, excellent customer service, and attention to detail”. I certainly witnessed this at the EXchange.

* * *

EXchange Hotel Vancouver
475 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6C 2B3
Book directly on exchangehotelvan.com or via booking.com for a genius discount.

The hotel offers “better-than-the-best-rate” and free parking for locals if booked directly. Knowing me I would still compare with multiple other sites to see where I get the best deal. 

Rooms start at $198/night for The Boutique Studio Queen, personally, I find that room way too small.
Dividend Junior corner suites, Pender King Suite is seen in this article, start at $429/night.

The post Where to stay in Vancouver: EXchange Hotel Vancouver appeared first on Paths to Travel.

Stop one: Overnight at Halcyon Hot Springs

Great little resort with a few cabins spread out on the edge of a hill overlooking a lake. The rooms are spacious and cozy with a separate kitchen. Pretty much all of them have a little deck and look out onto the mountains. In the main building are the 3 hot spring pools: crazy hot, crazy cold, and warm. On a lower level is a large pool, this one closes a little early and opens quite late (after checkout). The resort is a bit off the main path and involves a ferry ride as a part of the highway. The fairy comes once an hour, and you can get out of the car to enjoy the view during the quick ride over.

Address: BC-23, Nakusp, BC V0G 1R0

Tip: Drink some local beer, there are many options.

Stop two: Emerald Lake

The colour of the water is truly majestic, the views everywhere are amazing, and the hiking trails vary in complexity. There is enough here to do for a good few hours if not an entire day. We rented a canoe and took it around the lake for an hour. I could’ve easily spent two because the lake is bigger than it seems. Bring a picnic for a snack to make the most of your visit and hike. Before heading out, do some shopping at the park store (they sell North Standard Trading Post stuff!). Unless you’re just walking around the lake, the hikes are pretty steep walks up so proper hiking gear is important.

As you drive towards Banff there are multiple opportunities to pull over and do some brief site seeing. At this point of the road trip the mountains, pines, and glacier rivers are everywhere. A few lovely spots to have a picnic and see some odd historical sites.

Stop three: Johnston Creek

We tried to go to Lake Louise but this location is so insanely popular now that the parking lots are full by 6 am with cars and tour buses. I can only imagine how crowded it is around the lake. What we really wanted to see is Moraine Lake but since it is located behind Lake Louise the whole thing was just a nightmare. We tried twice, gave up, and instead went to see some waterfalls at Johnston Creek. It’s a fairly easy hike on the side of a tall cascade of water. You can hike pretty much all the way to the top with multiple viewpoints and rest stops. And at the top, on a nice day, you’ll see a rainbow!

Stop four: Banff Gondola Park 

Another spot you can easily spend a day in! If you’re brave enough, you can hike all the way up. For everyone else, there’s the gondola and then the wooden stair path to the top of the mountain, where the historic weather observatory is located. The view from the observation deck is breathtaking – mountains everywhere! The restaurant at the top is quite nice as well, we had a lovely snack with some local beers. For overnight, we stayed in Canmore. It is a smaller town with a few wineries and cool nighttime spots to hang out in. Banff is generally more pricey and harder to find accommodations.

Tip: get tickets ahead of time online to avoid the lineups.

Stop five: Kelowna wineries

Driving back towards Vancouver we went through the Okanagan Valley. We stayed overnight at an AirBNB, and had a nice dinner in Kelowna and some local beers for a nightcap. The wineries are in clusters and all fairly close to the main route but it’s good to have the map of the valley. You can find a map at most wineries or a local information centre. Here are the wineries I liked the most:

Gray Monk Winery: This lovely winery has a nice selection and a beautiful restaurant with a nice menu and a deck overlooking the vineyard.

Indigenous World Winery: the winery merges modern culture with Indigenous history. There is a great selection of wines served by lovely and very knowledgeable people.

Tip: Pull over and buy some fresh fruit and cherries from a local farmer.

The Hatch: as soon as you enter the yard you know this place is different from the rest. In their own words, The Hatch is a tasting emporium. Ran by a bunch of ‘rebels’ with tattoos and loud music this place is super fun. The wine selection is quite unique as well. The labels are custom-made by a local artist and each label has a story as interesting as the wine itself.

Quails’ Gate Winery: a luxurious spot with a beautiful view, a large area to walk around and ponder, and an amazing restaurant. Having already done the tasting we picked our favourite wine, half of the things on the menu, and sat there for a few hours in blissful mist enjoying our meal. Great end to the road trip!

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