"Three hours down the TransCanada, Jen Shmunk has named her distillery in honour of the city where it’s from.

“The name Grit City is a play on Medicine Hat’s current [nickname], ‘Gas City.’ We are a hard-working city with a lot of grit,” Schmunk explains. “With a little ‘grit’ anything is possible. Dreams can come true with hard work and perseverance.”

She would know: After taking up distilling as a hobby, Schmunk translated her passion into Grit City Distillery, founded in 2018.

“It was that first drop of rum off the still that did it for me,” she says. “Love at first drop, might I say.”

Grit City Distillery is known for its creative, slightly irreverent sips: Its best-seller, according to Schmunk, is the Ultimate Caesar vodka (just add Clamato!), which pairs perfectly with the distillery tasting room’s famous Ultimate Pickle Pizza. Or there’s one of Schmunk’s proudest accomplishments as a distiller: the distillery’s Toasted Coconut Gin, inspired by a friend who loves the tropical fruit."

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Read Lay of the land: Alberta’s unique distillery scene Here