Marc Dupré launches the new Cherry River distillery
Marc Dupré, the singer-songwriter, adds another string to his bow as he is now an artisan co-producer and manufacturer of spirits, developed and manufactured here in Quebec and available on the shelves of Société des Alcools du Québec (SAQ) branches as well as in nearly 1,500 convenience stores and grocery stores.
The reasons behind the Cherry River adventure
“The reason I decided to move forward with our microdistillery project is quite simple. For me, Cherry River, like music, brings together my greatest passions, my deep desire to create and celebrate life, to bring together the people I love: my family, my friends, my colleagues around products that I take great pleasure in creating. I wanted to showcase local resources and know-how. I am proud to produce locally… It’s part of me.” — Marc Dupré
Passionate partners
Cherry River was born from a long-standing friendship, an alliance built on respect and perseverance. In fact, the partners who run it together make much more than just spirits—the artist Marc Dupré is a partner with its manager, Francis Delage. Besides music, the friends also share other passions: enjoying life, drinking well, and eating well. So, through dreaming about it, they were inspired by all the diversity available to them, and the pleasures of tasting products from various origins gave rise to the idea of founding their microdistillery. A universe of flavors and processes presented itself, which, over time, allowed them to gain experience and identify the nature of the products they wanted to create and manufacture.
Interview questions and answers
Marc, why did you choose the village of Cherry River and Mont-Orford? What drew you to the Eastern Townships region or this village in particular?
“We had been researching for over 5 years to create the perfect product, because we knew that, to produce a high-quality vodka, water quality was a key ingredient. We also knew that Quebec is very rich in water, so we hoped to find the best possible water in a region that we found dynamic and inspiring and where it would be possible to establish our artisanal microdistillery. Coincidentally, some of our group members were from the village of Cherry River, renowned for the quality of its water, so we collected samples to see what we could get out of it. It was a nice surprise, it was really exciting because the results were more than conclusive and exceeded all our expectations. That’s how the pure, crystal-clear water that comes from the underground springs of the small village of Cherry River, water of incomparable quality, became the one that would allow us to craft our new vodka.”
When exactly did you discover your passion for microdistillery and Quebec spirits?
“Over the past few years, it was my manager and his son who introduced me to the world of spirits. They shared their passion with me by explaining the basics of the profession, or rather, of this art and all its possibilities. During product development, I had the chance to participate in meetings and contribute to discussions by giving my opinion throughout the creative process involved in distilling spirits. I was hooked and it gave me the desire to get really involved. It’s very exciting because it’s a booming industry, for which the public is there in a philosophy that aspires to drink less, but better. Recently, we decided to try and taste some great products produced by other artisans in the province. It was so inspiring and it reinforced my desire to create and participate in the birth of our small business.” Now, since the beginning of the adventure, we have not stopped working on derivative products, vodka remaining the leading element of ranges of local products which will see the light of day shortly… In fact, it’s a start and it’s really exciting.”
Can you give us a taste of what’s in store for us, in terms of the new products that will be made from Cherry River vodka and will soon be available to the public?
“Without revealing all our little secrets, the Cherry River Microdistillery will soon have a new spirit on the shelves of the SAQ, a vodka made from authentic maple syrup from local producers. It’s a fine vodka with a subtle taste that’s worth tasting. It’s made with premium natural ingredients and has already been approved and ordered by the SAQ. It should normally appear in stores around the end of July. Other Cherry River vodka-based products will also be unveiled in the near future, but I’m holding back and keeping it a surprise for those who love this type of product.
What do spirits mean to you, Marc; and how are they a part of your life?
“You know, I love surrounding myself and taking care of the people I love, spoiling them. For me and a majority of Quebecers, I believe, taking the time to welcome people into our homes, sipping a drink with them, making them laugh and preparing a good meal for them are some of the things we love to do and that make us happy. I feel that here in Quebec, we have a great sense of hospitality. Life is short, we have to enjoy our family, our friends and fully savor the present moment. Spirits offer us a great way to do that, in good company, we have fun creating to suit people’s tastes, the season or the event, there are so many possibilities.
That’s kind of the idea we had in mind when we offered our new range of products, we wanted to allow people to be inspired by “bartending”, to dare and to concoct delicious cocktails with top-quality products. For us, it was a very simple way to please the people we love.”
Les 2Frères, a Canadian folk group, worked in collaboration with the Cherry River distillery to create Opémiska gin.
Gin Boréal Opémiska offers its version of a classic inspired by the region of Chapais-Chibougamau, just north of the 49th parallel. A natural and wild corner of the country, with a subarctic climate, bordered by lakes and rivers, where the flora of the boreal forest offers its aromas for the delight of epicureans. Gin Boréal Opémiska is born from a marriage of the traditional juniper berry with the aromatics of the Chapais region, such as dune pepper, sweet gale, wild raspberry leaf, and young balsam fir shoots. Refreshing, lively, and herbaceous from Northern Quebec, Gin Opémiska Boréal takes its name from Lake Opémiska in Chapais, a word of Native American origin that has various meanings depending on the Algonquian language to which it refers. In Cree, it means “the lake of the sandy narrows.”
