‘Unbelievable:’ Family-owned vodka distillery from Wakaw win best in the world

By Derek Craddock

The founders of a Wakaw-based business are still speechless after one of their products was named the best in the world.

Backroads Spirits, which has been around for almost two years, found out its Alibi Vodka was named Best Pure Neutral Vodka at the 2023 World Vodka Awards.

The award came as a surprise to the family-owned and operated micro-distillery, according to one of its founders, Ray Shevernoha.

“For somebody new like us to be doing this, to receive an award of this magnitude is overwhelming (and) beyond belief,” he said. “It’s very humbling, it’s quite satisfying, (it’s) gratifying — it’s all of that. Unbelievable is what it is.”

Alibi Vodka was first awarded Canada’s Best Pure Neutral Vodka and, when pitted against the gold-medal winners from other countries, was selected as the best of the best.

The judges from the competition described Alibi Vodka as “clean and smooth with a bit of citrus and other fruity notes. Bright and fresh, staying cool on the palate.”

Shevernoha couldn’t have imagined that a small business that began in 2021 would already have this much success.

“We’re still really new at this, but people are starting to recognize the brand,” he said. “We would have been satisfied with just a gold medal, but to get best of the best in the world, that’s unbelievable.”

He added the distillery is looking to bring Alibi Vodka to more places in southern Saskatchewan as a way to continue to grow the business and the brand.