Pierre Mantha is a Canadian entrepreneur.[1][2] In 2017 he founded the Artist in Residence Distillerie, an artisanal[3] gin, vodka, and whiskey distillery[4] in Quebec.[5]
Pierre Mantha | |
|---|---|
 Pierre Mantha 2023 | |
| Born | |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, Distiller |
| Website | https://airdistillerie.com/ |
Early life
editMantha was born in Gatineau.[6][7] His family background and upbringing was both French and English.[5] Mantha was raised by a single mother in a family with three children. His father, who later returned, was a mechanic.[6] Mantha decided to train as a mechanic.[6][1][3] He also built racing cars.[6]
Career
editMantha founded a commercial trucking company in the early 1990s.[7] He started with heavy truck dealerships, and formally established the business as Hino Gatineau in 2003.[6] In 2013, Mantha founded Mantha Corp,[5] which included a leasing company, a holding company, and three truck dealerships in Gatineau and Ottawa.[7][8]
AiR Distillerie
editAfter a Colombian friend explained the basics of making alcohol and told him Quebec had some of the world’s best water, Mantha decided to start a distillery business, even though he didn't drink. Initially, he meant for the venture to be a side project.[6][9] Mantha toured some American facilities.[2]
In 2016, Mantha founded Artist in Residence Distillerie (AiR),[8] distillery, which opened in Gatineau in 2017.[7] He chose the name to refer to the “artist” distiller behind each of the products.[10] He used $700,000 of his own money plus loans from the Canadian government to start the business, at first making gin and a low-calorie and low alcohol vodka.[7][5] His brother Michel worked with him to open a 40,000 square feet distillery.[8][5]
Mantha chose an older production method, based on local ingredients, despite it costing $10 to produce a liter of vodka instead of $2 with purchased ethanol. Spring water the distillery used for its beverages came from a well underneath the facility[8][5] and corn was supplied from local fields.[6] He added whiskey to the distillery’s product line in 2022.[7][11]
Mantha said that he devised a new distillery in Hawkesbury, Ontario under construction in 2022 to provide opportunities for regional agritourism.[12][13][9][14]
Personal
editReferences
edit- ^ a b la Haye, Dominica (28 January 2020). "Osez faire des erreurs, dit Pierre Mantha" [Dare to make mistakes, says Pierre Mantha]. le Droit. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ a b c Lacoste, Karine (30 March 2018). "A unique distillery in Gatineau imagined by a visionary entrepreneur". Radio Canada. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ a b c Gagnon, John (24 October 2018). "Pierre Mantha's audacious cocktail". Le Droit. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ Mathieu, Sandra (5 November 2020). "Pierre Mantha, the visionary builder!". La Presse Touristique. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Sorour, Heddy (3 January 2023). "Craftier 'Jack Daniels of Canada' sets up new distillery in Hawkesbury". Ottawa Business Journal. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Portrait of an entrepreneur: the artist behind Artist in Residence Distillerie". La Presse. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Hum, Peter (10 June 2022). "Spirited ambition: Gatineau's Artist in Residence Distillerie wants to bring craft gin to the masses". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d "A small distillery with big ambitions". LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ a b Hum, Peter (10 June 2022). "AiR DISTILLERIE: Gatineau producer expanding top-selling craft gins to Hawkesbury distillery". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ Mercier, Justine (3 April 2018). "Gatineau flavored vodka and gin". LeSoileil. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ Chamberlain, Gregg (18 January 2023). "A distillery project to make Hawkesbury proud". TRIBUNE-EXPRESS (HAWKESBURY). Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ "Spreading its spirits beyond borders". Le Presse. 4 May 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ Morgan, James (6 September 2020). "Distillery to be built in Hawkesbury". Review Canada. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ Deschatelets, Ani-Rose (8 December 2021). "AiR Distillery will establish itself in Pennsylvania". Le Droit. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ Shapiro, Katie (29 November 2021). "Good Spirits - Local distilleries that give back to the community". Ottawa Magazine. Retrieved 24 February 2023.