Vancouver magazine and PINQ have great recommendations on what to do this weekend...visit Long Table Distillery, of course! Click on the image to watch Vancouver magazine's video:

              And read PINQ's take on Vancouver's only small batch distillery here:

The city is embracing the art of small-batch distilling. Thanks to the Vancouver Sun and Metro for their stellar coverage of Long Table Distillery. Click on the images to read more:

People are excited to hear all about newly opened Long Table Distillery, the only place in Vancouver to get locally handmade spirits.  Thanks to Vancity Buzz for featuring LTD yesterday - check out the article here!  

Craft distillery is the city’s first in decades

This February, Long Table Distillery officially opens to the public, making it the first distillery to operate in the city of Vancouver in decades. Long Table handcrafts small batch, premium quality spirits that will feature locally sourced and foraged ingredients. At opening, the distillery’s product offering includes a London Dry Gin and Texada Vodka.

“Our vision for Long Table Distillery is to build a culture around craft spirits in Vancouver,” says Charles Tremewen, founder and distiller, Long Table Distillery. “Our passion for distilling runs deep, and now it’s finally time to share our excitement for craft spirits with the city.”

A lifelong interest in sustainability and natural, handmade products, combined with a visit to Portland’s Distillery Row inspired Tremewen and his wife Rita to pursue a local venture of their own. Tremewen began studying Artisan Distilling at Michigan State University and searched for the perfect location to house the operation, which led him to Long Table’s home at 1451 Hornby Street.

The desire to develop a sense of community around the micro-distillery drove Tremewen’s vision when it came to fitting the building’s interior.  In the centre of the large tasting room is a 14-foot live-edge Sequoia Redwood table that was cut from a locally sourced reclaimed tree and finished by Tremewen and friends of the distillery.  It ultimately became the inspiration for the distillery’s name.

“Our long table is a place where people will gather, be social, and explore the variety that’s possible with craft distilling,” continues Tremewen. “Using Long Table as our name embodies our mission and reflects what we’re about - sharing our love of local, handcrafted, and small batch spirits with the community.”

At the heart of Long Table’s operation is the 300-litre handmade copper still made in Germany by Christian CARL. Once the equipment was in place, Tremewen spent the next three months working with the system and refining his spirit recipes.

Long Table’s current offerings are a London Dry Gin, filled with robust juniper and citrus notes, and a Texada Vodka, which is passed through a filter of limestone sourced from Texada Island, B.C.  When the snow thaws and foraging for botanicals on B.C.’s coastal mountains begins, Long Table will introduce a West Coast Gin made with locally foraged juniper and botanicals.

Distilling the spirits in small batches allows for better flavour control than with large-scale production.   The small size of the operation also means Long Table has the ability to develop a unique range of seasonal spirits. In the future, Tremewen plans to feature a daily fresh sheet of new infusions, and a variety of apothecary spirits such as limoncello, an aquavit (an unsweetened caraway based liquor), and eventually whisky.

Currently the product is available to both the public and wholesale accounts through Long Table’s tasting room, with plans for the product to be available for purchase through the BC Liquor Distribution Branch in the spring.

Tasting room hours of operation are currently Friday and Saturday from 10:00am to 6:00pm, and Monday through Thursday by appointment (visit www.longtabledistillery.com for seasonally adjusted schedule).

Elettra Communications has an immediate opening for a public relations consultant with experience in media relations, issues management, and event management. Responsibilities:

• Act as day-to-day contact for clients.
• Participate in the development of PR strategies.
• Handle tactical execution of PR strategies from start to finish.
• Develop a variety of communications tools, including news releases, fact sheets, media statements, bios, articles, web copy, speeches, and client correspondence.
• Create targeted media lists – local and national.
• Develop effective pitches and successfully generate media coverage for clients.
• Handle incoming media inquiries.
• Develop social media strategies, assist clients with implementation.
• Develop messaging and provide guidance and coaching to spokespeople.
• Develop issues management strategies and key messages.
• Monitor coverage in traditional and social media, and develop project recaps.
• Provide event management support, as required.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Business, Marketing, Public Relations, or English.
• Minimum three years experience in a media relations-intensive position.
• Experience in PR account management.
• Proven track record of success garnering media coverage.
• Strong competency in social media strategy, content development, and monitoring.
• Experience with issues and crisis management in a communications environment.
• Experience providing coaching to company spokespeople.
• Exceptional writing abilities.
• Exceptional media literacy.
• Flexible with hours and able to respond to media inquiries / attend events outside the 9-5, Monday-Friday workweek.
• Previous experience in a PR agency setting will be considered an asset.

Applicants are asked to send their cover letter and resume to info@elettra.ca. We wish to thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those invited for an interview will be contacted.

We're so pleased that Canadian Interiors has featured Saskatoon's James Hotel in its November/December issue. This gorgeous boutique hotel has us longing for sunny prairie skies.

In their Winter issue, the ever-gorgeous MONTECRISTO magazine has a piece on 2nd Century Rug Company's MOV Collection.

20th Century Rug Company's MOV Rug Collection just keeps getting attention. Check out the coverage in Western Living and Look magazine.

JOEY Executive Chef Chris Mills was honoured to be selected as one of the National Post's Worthy 30 over the weekend - check out the feature here!  

One of Vancouver's landmark buildings is getting a whole new look!  This past week Elettra helped Harbour Centre unveil their major redevelopment plans for the iconic complex, which includes upgrading the food court, bringing in more natural light, and revitalizing the streetscape.

Check out what 24 Hours and Business in Vancouver had to say about the project, or have a read of the release detailing the project below:

Harbour Centre Unveils Redevelopment Plans 

Vancouver, B.C.; November 30, 2012 – Harbour Centre Complex Limited announced today plans for a significant redevelopment of its landmark complex in downtown Vancouver.  In the spring of 2013, extensive construction work will begin to expand and upgrade the food court and revitalize the complex’s streetscape.

“The changes are designed to enhance the complex, making it brighter, more welcoming, and easier to navigate,” says Norman Pearl, Senior Vice President of Polaris Realty Canada Limited, the company which manages Harbour Centre. “Our vision is to retain the heritage of the building but to offer an improved shopping and dining experience for our customers.”

The core of the redevelopment is the food court expansion. A portion of the existing second level floor will be removed to accommodate a two-story galleria. Approximately 17,000 square feet of eating and common area with more than 600 seats will be served by 14 contemporary food vendors offering healthy food options and a selection of world cuisines.

Interior upgrades will include higher ceilings, open-concept lounge spaces, and a fresh colour palette. Increased natural light will brighten the lower common and retail areas. Other additions include complimentary Wi-Fi zones, larger washroom facilities, and digital directories.

The building’s exterior façade will also see improvements. The Cordova Street entrance will be enlarged to offer clear sightlines into the Centre. Wider entryways, new canopies, and improved signage will add colour and light to the building, improving street presence for pedestrians. Custom-designed architectural light fixtures, inspired by the Observation Deck’s iconic shape, will be added to the Centre’s perimeter.

The multi-million dollar redevelopment was designed by SSDG Interiors Inc. in conjunction with project architects, DA Architects + Planners. Construction will begin in the spring, with completion expected in late 2013.

Today Elettra Communications bids a fond farewell and says a big "thank you" to our Tour Guides for the YVR School Tour Program. For the past few months, Jake Sobrenpena, Annalisa Pareja, and Breanna Kato (all Co-op students from SFU) have been leading more than 2,100 grade five students on tours of the airport. The review from teachers have been excellent!

For a Tour Guide's take on the program you can read Jake's recent post on the YVR blog here.

On October 29, the Elettra team was on hand to join in celebrating the first graduating class of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Culinary Arts Program.  Guests at the showcase luncheon had an opportunity to dine on delicious dishes prepared by students and Lead Instructor Chef Andrew George while learning about the innovative training program. This event received a great response from the media in attendance! Click on the images below to check out the articles from the Vancouver Sun and the North Shore News.

The Vancouver Sun featured two page story on MOV's Retail Collection and 2nd Century Rugs. Read the whole story here.