Black Fly

Black Fly was founded in London, Ontario, in 2005 by husband-and-wife team Rob Kelly and Cathy Siskind-Kelly. Their venture received Ontario’s first new distillery licence in more than a century, and the first Black Fly bottle left the line that May. Production began in a downtown bank building before moving to a larger London facility in 2008.

The early drinks used real juice and cane sugar, with the aim of a less-sweet style. The company also developed lightweight, resealable bottles, and took its name from Northern Ontario cottage country.