November News

A few talented students in the Niagara College Artisan Distilling program landed bottlings of their spirits for sale in the college Visitor + Education Centre and online: they include an apple brandy, a chocolate porter liqueur, an amaro and a berry gin. 

Monashee Spirits Craft Distillery won the Industrial & Manufacturing Excellence Award from the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce, according to the Revelstoke Review

The Windsor Star recently reported that machinist Rebecca Chenier became the first female tradesperson hired at the massive Hiram Walker and Sons Distillery in its 163-year history.

The large commercial Valleyfield Distillery that Diageo operates in Quebec has pledged to become carbon-neutral by 2025, according to BeverageDaily.com.

TheWiskeyWash.com wrote about Quebec’s pioneering whiskies, including those by artisan producers Maison Sivo and Distillerie Côte des Saints.

Craft-focused The Alchemist magazine in B.C. announced the first Vancouver Cocktail Week March 6 to 10, 2022. 

Pivot Spirits in Rolling Hills, Alberta (owned by a former farmer), is lauded for its use of ingredients from local farms and ranches in a recent Medicine Hat News article. 

Black Galley Distilling in Fredericton was recently profiled on Huddle; the distillery reeased its first rum this month.

Ottawa Life recently profiled nearby new Kanata, Ontario, distillery Ogham Craft Spirits and its plans for an ambitious whisky program.

The first distillery in Cold Lake, Alberta, Cold Lake Brewing and Distilling makes a full range of spirits including an Ultimate Caesar vodka with dill and garlic, Honey Shine from its own honey and beehives, an espresso vodka in partnership with local roastery Elevate Coffee, as well as rum and flavoured gins.

December News Roundup

A prospective small-batch distillery in Hanwell, New Brunswick is selling $100 tickets to a barrel-filling event, planned for 2021 after it receives all its permits to distill. Black Galley Distilling Founder's Club memberships include a ticket to the future event, some distillery swag and proof of membership. The distillery will make rum, gin and vodka.

As part of its The Big Spend investigation into government stimulus spending, CBC British Columbia reported that several artisan distillers who pivoted to making hand sanitizer this past spring (some even giving it away free in the community) have been left out of pandemic-related government contracts. By ADC's count at least 38 distilleries across B.C. and more than 100 across Canada were making sanitizer this year.

Distill Ventures, the craft spirits incubator supported by Diageo, held a Women of Whisky Summit on December 2, moderated by spirits journalist Becky Paskin, featuring women from Frey Ranch Estate Distillery in Nevada, Penderyn Distillery in Wales and Killara Distillery in Tasmania plus brands leads from Johnnie Walker and Honk Kong/Macau distributor Whiskies & More, discussing how women customers and talent are changing the industry.

"Is Brewing Know-How the Secret to Distilling Great Craft Whiskies?", a VinePair article by New York journalist Aaron Goldfarb, argues that the yeast and fermentation expertise that brewers can bring to a distillery's whisky-making game make breweries a "breeding ground for potential distillers."

A Conservative backbencher is looking to open the floodgates on cross-country booze shipments through new legislation that would offer a workaround to interprovincial trade barriers., the CBC reports. MP Dan Albas tabled a private member's bill Tuesday that would allow Canada Post to offer direct-to-consumer sales of out-of-province beer, wine and hard liquor from coast to coast to coast.