FAQS

Inquiring minds want to know!

WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND THE NAMES?

I spent 20 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, where I gained an appreciation for rum from firsthand experience.

Grey Dog: The name Grey Dog is a nod to the navy nickname for a warship, a greyhound. It's also in honour of my pit bull, who was 17 years old and had turned a beautiful silver/grey.
Main Brace: The main brace is the main fore-aft line on a sailing ship and always under tension. If it got damaged in storms or battle, the entire crew would need to help splice a new line. As a reward for this work the captain would often issue an extra tot of rum. In modern navies the term "Splice the Main Brace" is a slang for having a drink.
Flagship: The oak-aged rhumb is a tribute to the navy anthem, Heart of Oak, and how sailing ships were built of oak.
Sea Dog: Pretty self explanatory, but the latin motto on the label translates to "From the prairies to the sea" and refers to my upbringing in Alberta but career on the sea. It's also the motto of a Canadian stone frigate.

WHAT IS RHUMB? ARE YOU JUST BAD AT SPELLING?

According to Canada's Food Safety Act, rum must be made from sugar cane and aged one year.
Why use sugar imported from halfway around the world when a great sugar source exists right here in Alberta? It's sustainable, fair market, and a much smaller carbon footprint.
So we took the French spelling Rhum and added a B (the B is for Beets!). Your mom always told you to eat your beets, so go ahead, do her proud!

MY BOTTLE HAS HAZE/SEDIMENT. WHAT GIVES?

Grey Dog only uses natural ingredients and avoids adding any clarifiers or additives. Some of the sediment comes from the natural aromatics that are made on site. It's fine, just let it settle or give the bottle a shake.
The haze comes from natural and flavorful oils present from the distillation process and react with the minerals found in the spring water Grey Dog uses to finish our products. It's like the louche or cloudiness found in absinthe or ouzo. It's fine.

HOW COME IT'S SO HARD TO KEEP ROOT BEER RHUMB IN STOCK?

Sarsaparilla is one of the key ingredients in the Root Beer Rhumb, but due to supply chain issues, shortages, and probably COVID, it's been in short supply or ridiculously expensive. I promise to make it whenever I can and let you know when it's available, and I appreciate your patience.

WHERE ARE GREY DOG SPIRITS AVAILABLE OTHER THAN THE DISTILLERY?