Macaloney's Canadian Island Distillery

Founded in 2016 by Scotsman Graeme Macaloney, Macaloney’s Island Distillery stands on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. There they produce Canadian single malt and triple-distilled pot still whiskies, using traditional Scottish and Irish methods.

Graeme Macaloney was born in Glasgow, Scotland, where he developed a love for both whisky and beer. When he moved to Canada he set himself the goal of producing both side-by-side. Macaloney’s Island Distillery and Twa Dogs (named after a Robert Burns poem) Brewery is that place. 

Originally named Macaloney’s Caledonian Distillery, the regulatory body Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) filed a civil lawsuit against the Canadian distillery in 2021, accusing them of breaching Scotch whisky’s geographical indication (GI) by using words associated with Scotland on its bottlings. The dispute was resolved in 2022, and Macaloney’s agreed to rename certain products but was allowed to continue using his surname as the name of the distillery.

Graeme assembled a skilled team of experts: the legendary Dr Jim Swan and Master Distiller Mike Nicolson, who has worked in over 18 renowned Scottish whisky distilleries, from Lagavulin on Islay through Speyside to Glenkinchie in the Lowlands.

Although distilling only began in 2016, Macaloney's have already won numerous awards for their single malt whiskies including World’s Best Pot Still Whisky at the prestigious World Whiskies Awards in 2023.