I have been fortunate enough to know Jess for years before the distillery opening, bringing test spirits to the Art of the Cocktail to pour for bartenders and enthusiasts alike at private after-parties. Since then, she and Jeremy along with the whole family have created a loyal following with their products across the island and beyond. Glad I had a chance to chat about their awards, what's in the future and more.

Ampersand Distilling Co. was born out of Jeremy & Jessi's love of craft cocktails, and Jeremy & Stephen's engineering backgrounds. Bringing together his degree in chemical engineering and his parent's love of farming, the distillery was an innovative way to combine their passions.

Despite being busy with other businesses, Stephen & Ramona moved to the Cowichan Valley in 2007 to start a vegetable farm. Their son Jeremy, fascinated with the technical aspects of distillation, set out to find an innovative way to put his degree in chemical process engineering to use. The distillery is a result of that innovation, leading to a new family business.

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Jessica received a BFA Theatre from the University of Victoria in 2010. In addition to working as a stage manager for theatre companies from BC to Ontario, she helped found the distillery and created the distinctive recipe for Ampersand Gin with Jeremy.

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