Niagara College graduates have earned bronze at the US Open Whiskey and Spirits Competition.
The honey spirit known as Ambrosia was crafted while Nic Burton, Jeremy Shantz, and Lucan Wai were still students at the college, and was recognized in the Specialty Spirits category at the competition.
Niagara College's head distiller David Dickson says it is one of the few honey-based spirits made in North America.
The creators collaborated with the College's Commercial Beekeeping program since the process of working with honey in spirits can be a very expensive endeavour as honey is antimicrobial, making fermentation challenging.
Ambrosia is described as a spirit distilled like rum to bring out the honey's floral notes, and then back-sweetened with more honey to create mouthfeel and further accentuate the flowery traits.
The award winning spirit can be bought at the Niagara College Wine Visitor + Education Centre or online at ncteachingwinery.ca.