On January 18 the results of the annual Canadian Whisky Awards were announced in Victoria, B.C.
This year the Canadian Whisky of the Year Award went to Paradigm Spirits’ 2022 Heritage Collection, and 19-year-old blended whisky.
Read moreMay News and Openings
A $1,000 reward for return of a distillery mascot, NHL celebrity whisky, plus women distillers and craft gin in the media spotlight.
Read moreSons of Vancouver Scores Top Prize at Canadian Whisky Awards
Results of the 2023 Canadian Whisky Awards were announced tonight at the Victoria Whisky Festival in Victoria, B.C. For the first time in the thirteen-year history of the awards, a regional, artisan producer has taken the top spot.
Following a blind tasting by a panel of nine whisky experts, Palm Trees & A Tropical Breeze, distilled by North Vancouver’s Sons of Vancouver Distillery was named Canadian Whisky of the Year, Artisan Producers.
Read moreShout-out to Canada’s Women Distillers
We’ve compiled a list of some of the women distillers who help make the artisan scene in Canada vibrant.
Read moreNews and Openings
News
The Vancouver Sun recently published a story on Odd Society Spirits’ experiments with local Burns Bog peat from Delta, B.C., in its spirits.
Real Agriculture recently posted a conversation with Spirits Canada’s CEO, Jan Westcott, about changes in Alberta that allow small-batch distillers to use non-Alberta agricultural products (such as imported NGS) without jeopardizing their preferential mark-up structure with the Alberta government.
CBC Edmonton reported that the number of distilleries in the province grew from seven to 47 in the last five years, according to Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission statistics.
In an innovative partnership, Fort Distillery in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, collaborated with local food entrepreneurs at Field Notes to produce Don’t Call Me Sweet Pea, a “garden amaro” distilled from dried peas that celebrates Alberta products, Global News and The Globe and Mail reported.
Travel + Leisure recently mentioned Park Distillery in Banff, Alberta, as one of the highlights of a story on “The Best 12 Small Towns in Canada.”
Lumsden, Saskatchewan-based Last Mountain Distillery is accepting Bitcoin cryptocurrency as payment for private-cask whisky (in the $20,000 to $25,000 range) from his distillery, the Regina Leader Post reported.
In Quebec, the Union québecoise des microdistillerie (UQMD) and its members have banded together to hold open houses, launch a petition and more to convince the provincial government to relax liquor laws, making policies friendlier to small distilleries, CBC reported.
Openings
A sustainability-minded new grain-to-glass distillery in the Ottawa Valley, Ogham Craft Spirits is
sourcing grain from local farmers, gathering seasonal botanicals and using water from the Lanark Highlands in supporting a circular economy. Currently they make a Gin and a Poitín (unaged Irish-style spirit).
Longshot Distilling Company is a farm-based and family-owned distillery, restaurant and dog-friendly patio in Winfield, Alberta, currently offering vodka (plain and lime flavoured), gin and coffee liqueur.
Canadian Whisky Awards
The 2021 Canadian Whisky Awards selected results have been announced. ADC has summarized the results with a focus on Canada’s artisan distillers.
Read moreArtisan on the World Stage: B.C. distillers at global whisky festival
Whisky festivals have long been the domain of big brands, dominated by global Scotch, bourbon and Canadian whisky companies. But the 15th annual Victoria Whisky Festival and 10th anniversary Canadian Whisky Awards had a notable flavour of B.C.’s artisan, local distilleries.
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