Bottle #11 is another half-empty plastic bottle, this time of dark rum. Or “rhum brun” – this being a Canadian bottle, it’s bilingual. The label describes the rum as a “rare blend of fine Canadian and imported rums” which is pretty unusual. While parts of Canada have a long history of drinking rum, especially Newfoundland Screech, it’s not something we think of as being made in Canada.
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Unfortunately, I couldn’t find out anything about that! Or much of anything about the company that made it: Arctica Distilling Corporation in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Mostly because what I did find out is that Arctica Distilling seems to have been a short-duration subsidiary of a much larger company: Potter Distilleries Ltd (a.k.a. Potter’s).
Why Potter’s spun off Arctica into its own brand is lost to the mists of time. Potter’s trademarked the word Arctica for spirits in Canada in 1985, with the owner of the trademark changing to Arctica Distilling Corporation in 1988. But as you follow the trademark filings in the US and Canada, it’s clear Potter’s is still the distillery behind the curtain the whole time.
My bottle most likely comes from somewhere between 1987 – when a trademark is filed for “Governor’s Reserve” – and 1990, when it was abandoned. Which makes sense. I’m starting to get a feel for these late 1980s bottles, and they all have a similar look to them. The brand seems to have stuck around into the 1990s, selling a couple of “icy” fruit schnapps and that 1990’s staple, vodka.
And now I’ve reached a point in this story where I have to decide what to do, and where not knowing what’s in the bins of bottles is a big liability. You see, Potter’s was a huge Canadian brand, with tentacles that stretched into several US states. Unlike Arctica, they have a really interesting brand backstory. But I will be shocked if there aren’t more bottles from Potter’s in the bins. They were headquartered in British Columbia, where my grandmother’s eldest daughter lived, so I’m sure my grandma visited there during her collecting period, or my Aunt would have brought her bottles. Do I tell you their story now, or wait?
I think I’m going to wait. But trust me, it will be worth it! There are horses!
Meanwhile, if anyone who knows stuff about the history of Canadian rum manufacturing sees this, I’d love to talk to you! Leave a comment below or email me!
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Bottle #11 is another half-empty plastic bottle, this time of dark rum. Or “rhum brun” – this being a Canadian bottle, it’s bilingual. The label describes the rum as a “rare blend of fine Canadian and imported rums” which is pretty unusual. While parts of Canada have a long history of drinking rum, especially Newfoundland Screech, it’s not something we think of as being made in Canada.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find out anything about that! Or much of anything about the company that made it: Arctica Distilling Corporation in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Mostly because what I did find out is that Arctica Distilling seems to have been a short-duration subsidiary of a much larger company: Potter Distilleries Ltd (a.k.a. Potter’s).
Why Potter’s spun off Arctica into its own brand is lost to the mists of time. Potter’s trademarked the word Arctica for spirits in Canada in 1985, with the owner of the trademark changing to Arctica Distilling Corporation in 1988. But as you follow the trademark filings in the US and Canada, it’s clear Potter’s is still the distillery behind the curtain the whole time.
My bottle most likely comes from somewhere between 1987 – when a trademark is filed for “Governor’s Reserve” – and 1990, when it was abandoned. Which makes sense. I’m starting to get a feel for these late 1980s bottles, and they all have a similar look to them. The brand seems to have stuck around into the 1990s, selling a couple of “icy” fruit schnapps and that 1990’s staple, vodka.
And now I’ve reached a point in this story where I have to decide what to do, and where not knowing what’s in the bins of bottles is a big liability. You see, Potter’s was a huge Canadian brand, with tentacles that stretched into several US states. Unlike Arctica, they have a really interesting brand backstory. But I will be shocked if there aren’t more bottles from Potter’s in the bins. They were headquartered in British Columbia, where my grandmother’s eldest daughter lived, so I’m sure my grandma visited there during her collecting period, or my Aunt would have brought her bottles. Do I tell you their story now, or wait?
I think I’m going to wait. But trust me, it will be worth it! There are horses!
Meanwhile, if anyone who knows stuff about the history of Canadian rum manufacturing sees this, I’d love to talk to you! Leave a comment below or email me!
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