rye made for whisky-lovers, by whisky-lovers

Sons of Vancouver is a small distillery on Vancouver's North Shore. It was born out of a young, foolhardy desire to follow passions and contribute to a growing community of independent distillers. Well-known for their ever-popular No. 82 Amaretto, the distillery is now running a fast-growing whisky program and changing the face of rye whisky in Canada and beyond.

Three people standing in front of a large garage door with the words 'Sons of Vancouver' written on it, smiling at the camera.

Meet the Team

  • A man with glasses and a beard holding a glass of whiskey and whisky thief, standing next to a large wooden barrel in a distillery. Several other barrels are stacked on racks in the background.

    James Lester

    FOUNDER - PARTNER - BLENDER - GENERAL MANAGER
    One of the founding owners of SOV, he started the distillery in 2015. James has a vast knowledge of the whisky industry and spent time making bourbon at a distillery in Seattle, Washington. He makes sure the bills get paid and is the leading expert in answering emails professionally.

  • A woman with dark hair and glasses, wearing a gray and white striped shirt, is using a whisky thief to sample whisky from a large barrel. She is holding a glass of whisky in her other hand, standing in front of shelves filled with barrels and boxes.

    Jenna Diubaldo

    PARTNER - BLENDER - WHISKY PROGRAM MANAGER
    A graduate of the SOV Distillery School and the Seibel Institute, Jenna oversees the whisky program and manages production at the distillery. Originally hoping to open a distillery in her hometown Winnipeg, MB, she jumped at the chance to move out to BC to join the team at SOV, and became a partner in 2022. Jenna insisted the bar get a slushy machine, so you have her to thank for that.

  • A man wearing glasses and a casual jacket pouring a clear liquid from a bottle into a glass of ice at a bar with various liquor bottles on shelves in the background.

    Emmet Groves

    PARTNER - BAR CONSULTANT
    A veteran of the Vancouver bartending industry, if there’s a solid cocktail bar in town there’s a good chance Emmet had something to do with it. The bars he’s managed in the past are too long list here, but suffice it to say he makes a damn good cocktail. He manages the tasting room, and became a partner in 2023. He loves breakfast foods, but is vehemently opposed to the idea of brunch.

WORK WITH US

WORK WITH US

A woman pouring grain from a paper bag into a machine, with a metal shelf and a wooden barrel nearby.

Think you have what it takes to help make award-winning whisky? We’re currently hiring a part-time distiller. Check out the job posting for more info.