Engel and his wife Anette are gentle souls who moved to the Okanagan from Germany in 2001. They first opened the distillery in Penticton’s commercial district in 2005 and moved to the Naramata Bench in 2013, when the provincial licensing regulations changed to allow for the existence of craft distilleries — and for them to be located outside of an industrial zone. Maple Leaf is one of the oldest distilleries in Western Canada and was the first in the South Okanagan.
I WANT TO USE UP THE SECONDS, THE CULLED FRUITS. WHATEVER DOESN’T MAKE ITS WAY INTO THE FOOD CHAIN.
Unlike the majority of the province’s distilleries, however, Engel doesn’t make grain-based spirits. Instead, he distils from fruit — a conscious decision based on his knowledge of the valley. “I was driving through the local orchards and saw fruit that had fallen from the trees lie rotting on the ground. It was good fruit, but maybe there was too much, or else it didn’t have that perfect look that exporters want,” explains Engel. “Back home, that would never happen. That was one of the main reasons why I started the distillery — to try to minimize all waste. I want to use up the seconds, the culled fruits. Whatever doesn’t make its way into the food chain.”
Anya Levykh photo
BASE LINES
Maple Leaf’s first — and still one of its most popular — spirit was the Canadian Kirsch, a cherry brandy with a deep nose and a clean, lightly sweet finish. It’s also the base for the distillery’s signature Maple Liqueur.
Anya Levykh photo
Jorg Engel pioneered spirits in the South Okanagan.
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