Mission accomplished, although somewhat by chance. We initial tried to get a seat at Nonsuch Brewing, a popular craft brewery in Winnipeg. However, the place was full and would be all night. Turned away from Nonsuch we continued our search. Low and behold, what did we find right around the next corner? Patent 5 Distillery and Tasting Room!

Patent 5 is a new craft distillery located in Winnipeg's historic Exchange District. As much as possible they source their grains from Manitoba to create spirits with the local flavour of the land. In fact, 90% of the wheat and 10% of the barley used are all sourced from within the province. Let's go inside and have a look.

The St. Regis Hotel was originally constructed in 1910 and served the City of Winnipeg for over one hundred years before it was torn down. Thankfully, the old historic St. Regis bar, beautiful piece a craftsmanship was salvaged and given new life at Patent 5. The piece was very carefully removed and reassembled, therefore winning a preservation award.

I heard from a local that Patent 5 made great cocktails and that their espresso martini was the best in town. Naturally, I decided to give it a try and to see what all the fuss was about. It was in fact, delicious. According to the Master Bartender, the secret was the use of the coffee liquor that was made in-house.