Hansen Distillery Revolutionizes Spirits Scene with Debut of Oat Milk Cream Liqueur

NAIT Centre for Culinary Innovation Collaboration Marks a Milestone in Craft Distillation, Offering a Sustainable Twist to Traditional Liqueurs

EDMONTON, AB, CANADA, May 23, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Hansen Distillery, best known for their dairy-based cream liqueurs, announced today that they’re launching a vegan Oat Milk Cream Liqueur that combines innovation, food science, and a twist of Canadian flavour. The product pushes the boundaries of spirit development, crafting over a hundred iterations to achieve a texture and consistency reminiscent of traditional cream liqueurs.

With an increasing number of Canadians facing food allergies or opting for plant-based lifestyles, Hansen Distillery recognized the demand for high-quality alternatives. According to Food Allergy Canada, in 2018, 2.6 million Canadians are living with food allergies, and one-in-two Canadian households have allergies. Kris Sustrik, Master Distiller at Hansen Distillery explains “Our customers voiced concerns about allergies, dairy sensitivities, and the lack of satisfying options in the market. After testing some of the dairy-free options available in the market, we set out to address these needs. Many of the current spirits are thin, chalky, or have a chemical aftertaste that is unpleasant to drink.”

With oat milk outside their scope of expertise, Sustrik, a NAIT graduate, turned to his alma mater for support in 2019. NAIT’s Centre for Culinary Innovation focuses on sustainable development opportunities, and Sustrik jumped at the opportunity to collaborate on this unique project.

“The great thing about partnering with Hansen Distillery is that they’re always looking to be on the cutting edge of product development, flavouring, and doing things that others in their market aren’t,” shares Chris Song, Food Scientist, NAIT Centre for Culinary Innovation. “We at NAIT’s Centre for Culinary Innovation are always looking to support companies to find innovative solutions to unique challenges. Plant-based milk alternatives are already challenging due to their inherent instability, and introducing the alcohol component added an extra layer of complexity. As food scientists and chefs, however, our total understanding of ingredient functionality was instrumental in achieving the desired results and we’re excited to celebrate this launch with our partners and friends at Hansen Distillery.”

“You don’t realize how many factors go into creating a high-quality product that meets our expectations,” shares Sustrik. “When we first embarked on this project, we didn’t realize the number of oats we’d have to test and the way the oats react to the addition of alcohol. If one iteration got the texture and consistency we wanted, it separated in the bottle after sitting. If another didn’t separate, the flavour was gritty and not something that we wanted in our lineup. It is a labour of love and dedication that got us to this release.”

There is an art to distillation and the subsequent chemistry. Once Hansen landed on a sample that they felt met the mouthfeel and texture desired for a high-quality product, they worked on scaling up the batch for large-scale production, which initially failed. However, after a day of intentional mixing alongside NAIT in the distillery adding “a little of this, and a little of that,” shares Sustrik, “The recipe was bang on. There’s an art to the way it’s made, if you throw everything together, it turns into gum. There’s a lot of science behind it, and we’re so grateful for Chris Song and the NAIT team’s expertise. The final product requires blending the oats in advance, special filtering, time considerations, and temperature controls. Even the proofing with alcohol modifies the end result, and the timing of when the liquor was added needed to be considered.

Hansen wanted the flavour profile to be natural, based on feedback received from their client base and others who had sampled the test products. The overwhelming sentiment from customers is that if they found a dairy-free product, it tasted like chemicals and artificial flavouring. With Hansen’s products grounded in real ingredients and flavours, Sustrik tested nine different ratios of brown sugars and maple syrups to reach the final flavour profile.

The resulting Oat Milk Cream Liqueur combines Canadian oats, with Hansen’s signature Barn Owl Gold vodka, and infused with authentic Canadian maple syrup and brown sugars. The flavour profile, reminiscent of Quaker Oats’ Brown Sugar Oatmeal, pays homage to the hardworking farmers of the Canadian prairies, and the deep roots that maple syrup has on Canadian identity.

Available at $38 (plus applicable taxes), while supplies last, the Oat Milk Cream Liqueur is a versatile addition to a year-round liquor lineup. Whether enjoyed over ice, blended into coffee, or drizzled over oatmeal for an extra-special morning treat, the spirit promises a delightful indulgence.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to crafting exceptional spirits from real ingredients,” shares Sustrik. “This launch underscores our dedication to innovation and sustainability, as we continue to explore new horizons and push boundaries in the dynamic Canadian spirits market.”

ABOUT OAT MILK CREAM LIQUEUR

Crafted from Alberta oats and infused with real Canadian Maple Syrup
Created in collaboration with NAIT’s Centre for Culinary Innovation over the course of four years.
Available online, in-store at Hansen Distillery, and at Wine and Beyond locations in Alberta.

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Shannon Donogh
Hansen Distillery
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The Making of Oat Milk Cream [Credit: NAIT Centre for Culinary Innovation]