Welland in the News
Welland distillery and Niagara Falls chocolatier team up to create tasty treats
December 17, 2021
Welland distillery and Niagara Falls chocolatier team up to create tasty treats
Criveller Cakes chocolates infused with NB Distillers’ spirits - vodka, gin and whisky - sit inside the Welland distillery. The two companies teamed up to offer the distillery company’s customers a little bit more for the holidays. DAVE JOHNSON / TORSTAR
Whisky and chocolate make a perfect pairing.
So, too, does Welland’s NB Distillers and Niagara Falls’ Criveller Cakes.
With the holidays approaching, distillery owner Neeraj Bakshi was looking for something different to offer customers that might pair with his vodka, gin and whiskies.
Bakshi came across the idea of working together chocolate with spirits, then started to look for a partner.
After contacting a distillery parts source, he called Criveller Cakes at 4435 Portage Rd. in Niagara Falls, owned by Leonardo Priore and Giovanni Del Priore.
Del Priore is a master pastry chef trained in Italy, while Priore is a master chocolatier trained in Canada.
“They were referred to me,” said Priore, who said he works 12 to 14 hours a day now to meet the holiday demand for Criveller’s chocolates.
Priore is no stranger to working with chocolate and alcohol.
“I’ve worked with ice wines and occasionally spirits, but I haven’t worked with too many distillers recently.”
After he was given the distiller’s Red Admiral Cardamom Vodka, Chak De and Liquid Gold whiskies and Rose City Gin, he mixed them with premium Belgian chocolate.