Copperpenny Distilling Co. Captures Culture in a Bottle

By Jennifer English, Editor

Capturing lightning in a bottle is an expression we use when a rare, wonderful achievement takes the world by storm. A once-in-a-generation, game-changing, evolutionary—did I mention rare— accomplishment? This is an invention or creation that, like a lightning strike, comes out of nowhere and without warning. It strikes powerfully, eliciting co llective cultural appreciation, delight, and excitement. It doesn’t happen very often. It is nearly impossible to do on demand. These actions are more than simply rare; they are head-scratchingly “how-did-they-do-that” rare, as in the realization of expertise, creativity, timing, and hard work.

In the world of spirits, I have only seen such a thing happen a handful of times in my decades-long career. I tasted it at the 2022 Proof Awards and concurred with the Double Gold merit of the Copperpenny Distilling Gin 005. I tasted it again and saw it in person last week and was reaffirmed in my judgment of its exceptional quality and yet again when I sampled the first sip of the Copperpenny Gin 006 Oyster Shell Gin, a collaboration with the legendary Pacific Northwest seafood powerhouse, Fanny Bay Oyster Company. Lightning strikes again with Canada’s first Oyster Shell Gin.

Copperpenny Gin 006 Oyster Shell Gin is a savoury west coast oyster-shell gin that combines minerality and wild umami notes of the local British Columbia seascape with a full-bodied gin boasting notes of lemon thyme and coriander. Produced in collaboration and partnership with the World Famous Fanny Bay Oyster Bar and Shellfish Market in Vancouver, B.C. and offered as the quintessential pairing to match the exquisite Fanny Bay oysters prized by connoisseurs worldwide like it’s award-winning sibling spirit Copperpenny Gin No. 005.

According to Global Research experts, Researchandmarkets.com, “the global craft spirits market grew from $22.76 billion in 2022 to $29.29 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.7%. The craft spirits market is expected to grow to $82.75 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 29.6%.” The competition is robust, the category is booming, and global demand is increasing.

Consider then, the improbable story of Copperpenny Distilling Co. and its “lightning in a bottle” year in 2022. Jan Stenc and Jennifer KomTong, the North Vancouver, British Columbia born-and-raised power couple, along with seven other craft breweries, a winery, and a cidery created a miracle. They transformed a gritty, working dockside industrial section of Vancouver’s North Shore waterfront into the Shipyards Brewery District and ushered in one of the region’s cultural and economic success stories. copperpenny distilling co. captures culture in a bottle

Another 2022 first for Copperpenny Distilling Co. began with the introduction of its debut and flagship spirit by producing the first bottle of Gin 005, which would become one of the world’s most acclaimed and awarded gins. In the process, Copperpenny became an example of “lightning in a bottle” success. But is it lightning in the clean design modern bottle of Copperpenny Gin 005?

Still, rare would accurately describe a brand new craft distillery, built during a pandemic, by industry newcomers (accomplished and acclaimed newcomers) launching their first distillate and, in year one, capturing multiple awards, acclaim, and the highest honors. This is the story of Copperpenny Distilling Co., the North Vancouver, British Columbia Canada, craft distillery which produces Gin 005, winner of the 2022 PR%F Awards Double Gold. Is it the crystal-clear water, fresh mountain air, or the recipe?

Copperpenny Distilling Co. has won a list of awards that reads like a lifetime achievement; it is essential to remember that this is just Copperpenny’s first year of production.

When asked for the “secret” to this incredible accomplishment, Copperpenny Distilling Co. cofounders Jan Stenc and Jennifer Kom-Tong, the husband and wife dreamers who created this global craft distilling phenomenon, offered this brilliant explanation that made sense.

“Our dream for Copperpenny Distilling Co. was to capture Culture in a Bottle,” said Master Distiller Jan.

“By capturing culture in a bottle, we were inspired to bring the cultural terroir of a place to life. We believed that if we could do this, we could capture the humanity, hospitality, cuisine, legacy, and spirit of the place to life through a sip. When we accomplished this dream, after exhaustive trial and error, which we call ‘making art,’ we did it. We created a similar impact as capturing lightning in a bottle. Believe me, capturing culture in a bottle was much more delicious, gratifying, and hard work than capturing lightning in a bottle,” adds Jennifer.

What does it mean to “Capture Culture in a Bottle?” This, it turns out, is the secret to Copperpenny Distilling Co.

The global part of the Copperpenny Distilling Co. story inspired Jennifer and Jan to begin the Gin journey dream. Before establishing Copperpenny Distilling Co., Jennifer, and Jan had successful careers as set decorators in the burgeoning Hollywood North motion picture industry. Their projects called them away from their home in North Vancouver, B.C. (where they were raised, became friends, and eventually a husband-and-wife team in every sense of the word) to unique locations all over the world. On every production, after hours, the adventureloving couple sought out the local culture by pursuing cuisine, bars, mountain tops, and surrounding villages seeking the true personification of the place.

“One connection we made, over and over, was that the true embodiment of the place was captured in the local spirits, more specifically in gins. The culture of the place, the people and their legacies, traditions, food, and music all were captured in the unique selection of base spirits and botanicals of the local gins,” remembers Jennifer.

“We loved those projects and people and adventures, and we especially loved discovering those cultures. But we were homesick one day and put it all together and wondered if anyone had ever captured the true spirit of our wild, beautiful British Columbia in a gin. More specifically, had anyone ever captured what we love, the culture of our own home in a bottle,” recalls Jan. The seed of the Copperpenny Distilling Co. dream was planted.”

Planning to open both a world-class distillery and matching Gin Parlour to communicate their efforts to a global audience required many of the same skills the couple had become renowned for in their industry was critically important. Both had to be on point. Jennifer had designed and built hundreds of bars and nightclubs for movies and even live productions over the years, including joining the design team for the Magic Mike Live World franchise. Delivering winning designs and memorable experiences, whether on the big screen or in an amazing social venue, takes an unwavering attention to detail but also the perception of one’s surroundings. Jennifer today is known at Copperpenny as the designer, distiller, and Mistress of Blending, which gives a key to what it takes to formulate awardwinning gin recipes.

On the other hand, Jan, whose family legacy has fresh ties back to the historical- and culturally-rich corners of central Europe, leans on his passion for the pursuit of consistency and perfection. The son of an engineer and master botanist, his scientific and engineering acumen had been previously applied on film sets to “build anything, right the first time” to Copperpenny Distilling Co. Jan worked to becoming a Master Distiller through dogged determination, and he has utilized state-of-the-art Dutch distilling equipment and industry-bending approaches, as well as his keen sensory palette to help create the couple’s own multi-award-winning “art” in a bottle.

The trifecta of creating world-class hospitality and spirits and winning awards is an accomplishment that can not be overstated. Operating the Copperpenny Gin Parlour, arguably one of the best new bars in the world, where one of the world’s best gin in the world, according to multiple esteemed judges and competitions, and winning multiple awards is practically unprecedented. Just because it had not been done before did not mean it was impossible. All revolutionary innovation required visionaries like Jennifer and Jan to imagine it was possible and then accomplish it.

In 2022, the Copperpenny Distilling Co. and Gin Parlour opened with great anticipation and acclaim, and awards soon followed.

Today, Copperpenny Gin 006 Oyster Shell Gin is produced in partnership with the worldfamous Fanny Bay Oyster Company. It is served at Fanny Bay’s downtown Vancouver Michelin-recommended restaurant and several of the city’s best restaurants and bars.

“Gin 006 is one of the world’s best Oyster

Shell gins, a savory yet versatile spirit that pairs magnificently with the beautiful Fanny Bay Oysters as well as any seafood dishes. We collaborate with the team at Fanny Bay Oysters once a month at our own Gin Parlour for fresh shuck sessions and sell out every time,” according to Jennifer. The 2023 Silver Medal from the World Gin Masters validates this.

“When you look out over the harbor across to Downtown Vancouver, slurp back deliciously fresh oysters and savor the cold, exciting first sip of our now award-winning and perfectly balanced Gin 006 Sky to Sea Martini, we believe that we have truly captured the majestic natural beauty, the mystical power and magnificent culture of this place in a bottle. We really have captured the culture of this place, the place we call home, in a bottle. We can’t wait to share it with the rest of the world award-winning Oyster Shell Gin 006; we really love the sound of that,” adds Jan.

Copperpenny Distilling Co. spirits are produced in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and are available at the Copperpenny Gin Parlour, sold online, at specialty retailers, and on-premise locations. Copperpenny products are expected to begin exporting to North America, Europe, and Asia in the fourth quarter of this year. This final step in Copperpenny’s story is the next step. For more info, visit copperpennydistilling.com, and follow on Facebook @ CopperpennyNV and Instagram @ copperpennydistillingnv.