They Started a Brewery on a Dare; Now They’re One of Canada's Most Celebrated Gin Distilleries
"Gin made me do it," laughs Jenn Kom-Tong, co-founder and self-proclaimed Mistress of Blending at North Vancouver’s hidden gem, Copperpenny Distillery. "This is what happens when you get too drunk with your friends and you take a dare."
It's hard to believe, but Copperpenny’s meteoric rise to prominence was born from a casual challenge between friends. Four years later, what began as a tipsy idea transformed into one of Canada's most awarded craft distilleries.
Jenn and her husband Jan weren't from generations of spirit makers or even hospitality veterans—they came from the film industry, driven by creativity and perhaps just enough rebellious spirit. "We are hospitable people that like to drink," Jenn jokes, recounting how her husband’s old university hobby of brewing beer, which, famously, included throwing pennies into batches to control boiling, inspired their distillery's quirky name.
The iconic Canadian penny became more than a nostalgic reference—it symbolizes their playful yet earnest spirit, with Jenn noting, "It took every last penny to open a distillery."
Launched in the thick of the pandemic, Copperpenny faced every imaginable obstacle, including regulatory hurdles that place distilleries in a tougher position than wineries or breweries. Despite this, Jenn and her small team—which initially comprised just herself, her husband, and her dad—built their dream from scratch, literally laying wooden floors by hand. "I'm the shortest, so I'm always the one who has to be on my hands and knees," Jenn says, recalling the painstaking work of creating their extraordinary tasting room.
And extraordinary it is. From the moment you enter the tasting room hidden beneath North Vancouver’s streets, Copperpenny seduces visitors with a set designer’s eye for detail—unsurprising given Jenn’s film background. Every corner is meticulously curated, boasting expansive views into the distillery itself. "We're not hiding anything," Jenn emphasizes. "We really wanted to create something super special, very not normal."
Their audacity quickly paid dividends. Just four months after opening, Copperpenny stormed the global stage, snagging top honours at the prestigious Gin Masters competition in London—placing top 10 out of 500 distilleries worldwide. Even Jenn admits the rapid success felt surreal. "We thought, no, there's no way. They've made a mistake."
But there was no mistake. Copperpenny’s gins, notably their celebrated Number Five, earned a reputation for their innovative use of local ingredients, like oyster shells from Fanny Bay and wild sage from the Okanagan desert. Each sip is crafted to encapsulate the spirit of British Columbia, from its pristine waters to its lush coastal forests and arid interior valleys.
"We have everything here. Why wouldn’t we have the best spirits?" Jenn challenges. It’s a defiant call to action that echoes through each bottle. And Canadians are noticing, eagerly seeking out their award-winning spirits from online shelves or exclusive private liquor stores across BC.
But Copperpenny isn't stopping at gin. Jenn excitedly hints at future barrel-aged cocktails and a much-anticipated whisky program. Their relentless creativity is now matched by an ambitious culinary direction, complete with a curated food menu designed to enhance the tasting experience.
This daring, boundary-pushing approach defines Copperpenny. "We really just wanted to create the very best," Jenn declares. The distillery, born from a playful bet, has quickly grown into a beacon of Canadian ingenuity and craftsmanship—proof positive that the most remarkable adventures often begin with a simple dare.
Indeed, Jenn Kom-Tong and the Copperpenny Distillery team aren't just distillers—they’re dreamers who took a dare, bottled it, and transformed it into liquid gold.
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