While distilling has been around for hundreds of years, craft distilleries are fairly new to Canada.

Cochrane is home to Krang Spirits that takes the business of agriculture, the science of chemistry, and the creativity of art to come up with bottled liqueurs and spirits.

There are about 13- 14 craft distilleries opening in Alberta (roughly 7 or 8 are in production and the rest are coming on board) and only about 55 across the country. For Michael Guenzel and Susan Ransom, co owners of Krang Spirits, the difference comes down to attention.

"It is really the attention and care to the input products, the input materials, the stages we process that, and the care we take in the displacement and the blending, mixing, and manufacturing."

Guenzel and Ransom are not just interested in selling their product but educating the public on the craft of distilling.

"There is how does the grain react with the malt enzymes, how does the yeast change your sugar to alcohol; it's a very ancient ancient process, but it is interesting. You are using a biological form, a yeast, to actually do part of your processing."

The pair not only have strong business backgrounds but scientific ones as well; Ransom has a degree in mycology as well as microbiology, and Guenzel a physicist.

But crafting the perfect alcohol, says Guenzel, is like being a chef; using and finding the best of the best.

"We try to source the best materials we can find, we deal locally as much as we can, so we try to stay as close to home as we can, but we are forever looking for the best input products we can find and really trying to make a superior product."

The duo also believe wholeheartedly in bolstering tourism in the Cochrane community.

"We are hoping that tourists will come take a tour, they can bring their children (accompanied by a parent), we will show them the distilling process. Hopefully from outside the country too, there are lots of tourists that go from Calgary up to Banff and we are right on the way."

Krang Spirits will spend the year crafting new product, educating the public, growing staff, bringing in more equipment and branching out in the Cochrane community.

To learn what Krang Spirits has to offer, you can find it here.