Black Fly Beverage Co., located in London, Ont. is producing Canada’s first whey-based vodka. Named the Bob’s Super Smooth, this vodka is sweet, smooth and a little creamy.
“Most vodkas are made from grasses, like wheat or corn,” says Black Fly co-founder Rob Kelly. “Cows eat grass. So, whey is [essentially] a grass product. Compared to corn or potatoes, it’s a more pristine fermentation medium. That’s the idea behind Bob’s.”
The vodka does not actually contain any Canadian whey; instead, the spirit is sourced from a distillery in New Zealand which is attached to an adjacent dairy. The distillate arrives in Canada at a 96.4-per-cent alcohol by volume, and then down-proofed with spring water from Elmvale, Ont.
Many other restaurants are following with this trend by adding whey to foods like sweetbread, potatoes and vegetables.
