ADC Conference & Trade Show: Highlights
Trend: The "artisan fermenter movement"
As lines between making cider, natural wine, beer, kombucha and other fermented products blur, distillers should consider partnering with other artisan makers, and think of themselves as part of an innovative artisan fermenter movement revolutionizing the modern drinks industry.
Myth: The pandemic was amazing for the liquor business
People outside the industry may think it was, but businesses are still recovering, and distillery closures and sales (including big-brand acquisitions) are happening. With around 300 artisan distilleries in Canada, have we reached the peak? Do we need an incubator/accelerator model (like this one) in Canada to establish new businesses for success?
Truth: Craft is in danger of becoming just a marketing term
Different provinces in Canada regulate, and use, this term differently. Does it still communicate small-batch authenticity, and denote something local and handmade, if it has different definitions and usages?
Trend: Artisan spirits have earned a seat at the bar
Monashee Spirits' Revelstoke tasting room and bar landed on the Canada's Best Bars 2022 list, proving that Canadian craft cocktails are a force in the modern drinks industry. Do you create signature craft cocktails with your spirits?
Trends: Premiumization and Personalization
Even with inflation and budget-tightening in the air, artisan distilleries are debuting ultra-premium products and even custom-blending programs: spirits are still an affordable luxury.
Prediction: The marketplace needs an overhaul
Whether it's lowering excise, easing production caps or reducing all types of taxes and trade/shipping barriers, Canada's small distilleries need a level (or even just favourable!) playing field to thrive.
Prediction: Time for a system upgrade
Our industry uses ancient processes and equipment that has barely evolved in hundreds of years: whether it’s synthetic maturation or newfangled stills, resonating positively with consumers as authentic, old-timey products doesn't mean we have to operate old-fashioned businesses.
Truth: Everyone is accountable
Movements like #MeToo and BLM have hit the drinks industry, too—from sustainability to diversity, it's time to think about whether your business is operating with an inclusive and modern mindset.
Trend: More made-in-Canada options
From Canadian-made tanks and stills to graduates from domestic distilling programs, finally there are more options for populating our industry with Canadian products and talent.
Prediction: You’re creating the taste of here
Terroir in spirits is more than soil and sun: it's about creating bottlings with a sense of place. That's the future of the artisan branch of the industry, and it can be not just a driver of brands but of agri-tourism and local agriculture.