September News

• In B.C., government worker strike action that temporarily halted deliveries to private liquor stores this past summer resulted in a boom for the province's small-batch distillers, Business in Vancouver and Global News reported.

• In an article on tourism to the Gulf Islands off Vancouver's coast, The Seattle Times recommended visiting Salt Spring Shine Craft Distillery, which distills spirits from local honey.

• The Fort Distillery in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, is partnering with Rogers Place in Edmonton to offer two of its products, Mountain Pass Whisky and the Tumbler & Rocks Cosmo cocktail, at the concert and event venue, local news site The Record reported.

• Global News Saskatchewan reported that the province's Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority was not keeping pace with regulatory oversight targets, with more than half of craft alcohol products lacking valid test-report certification this past summer.

• Dobrowody Distillery in Rama, Saskatchewan, credited the high quality of municipal water there for its recent Double Gold win for its Small Batch Vodka at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, SaskToday reported. Hudson Bay Distillers in Landis, Saskatchewan, was also profiled by SaskToday.ca this past summer.

• As a post-Covid tax-relief period comes to an end in Ontario, the Ottawa Citizen reported that artisan distillers were struggling to recalibrate the costs of doing business.

• Dixon's Distillery in Guelph, Ontario, was named the top spirit in the Liquor Control Board of Ontario's Best of Ontario category at its Elsie Awards this past summer, the Wellington Advertiser reported.

• Dunrobin Distilleries has a new strategic partner in Swiss company Seven Seals Innovation AG, which is infusing a $5.5 investment into the distillery's Vankleek Hill, Ontario, operations and national and global distribution, Stittsville Central reported.

• Paradigm Spirits Co. is a finalist for the Agribusiness Award of the London Business Achievement Awards to be held in London, Ontario, on September 27, the London Free Press reported.

• Saltwire reported that Steinhart Distillery in Arisaig, Nova Scotia, will receive $700,000 in federal loans, including $500,000 from the Tourism Relief Fund for projects such as an event venue renovation and an outdoor stage, and $200,000 from the Jobs and Growth Fund for equipment to produce ready-to-drink cocktails, which it plans to produce from its gin and vodka.

• In New Brunswick, two new distilleries celebrated this summer: Crooked River Distillery in Memramcook held a grand opening (though it's been operating for more than two years, Huddle reported) and First Light Distillery held its grand opening in Hanwell, outside of Fredericton.

• The Newfoundland and Labrador Craft Brewers Association has launched a Craft Brewery Passport (as part of Come Home 2022 festivities), which includes the Newfoundland Distillery Co. in Clarke's Beach.

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• Alberta’s Two Pine Ventures launched a crowdfunding campaign to build two “destination distilleries” in Okotoks and Bragg Creek, Shares in the distilleries start at $250 and the company seeks to raise more than $3 million through crowdfunding.

• This past summer the Manitoba government announced support for small liquor producers by reducing and streamlining markup rates, as reported by a Winnipeg Sun story. And in New Brunswick, a 10-month pilot program started, allowing craft beverage alcohol producers like breweries, distilleries, cideries and wineries to sell each other’s products, without remitting markup to the province.

• Fortune reported that U.S. craft distillers have lost an estimated $700 million in sales due to the pandemic.

• Spirits brand incubator Distill Ventures (which is supported by Diageo) virtually held its first New World Whisky Summit in September and published The New World of New World Whisky whitepaper, free for download.

• In other whisky news, industry site Seven Fifty Daily reported on Ireland’s Waterford Distillery’s experiments in proving the terroir of whisky, and on U.S. distillers looking to define American single malt.

Awards

Niagara College’s distillery program won a bronze at the U.S. Open Whiskey and Spirits Championships for its School Spirits Small Batch Rum.

The Newfoundland Distillery’s Seaweed Gin won a gold and its Cloudberry Gin won a silver medal at the blind-tasted New York International Spirit Competition.

Events

The Cornucopia festival in Whistler, B.C., is happening as a live event in November, with physically distanced tastings and stringent safety measure in place. Seminars include a Canadian Craft Gin tasting supported by ADC and a Best of B.C. Craft Spirits tasting supported by BC Distilled, plus other spirits-related events.

Among the virtual tasting events this year at the Spirit of Toronto Festival, a Virtual Warehouse Experience will host 15 whisky makers sharing cask samples from their warehouses. Tickets include a tasting kit and distilleries range from Zuidam in Holland to Heaven Hill in Kentucky, Leopold Brothers in Colorado and Springbank in Scotland.

News & Events

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The Newfoundland Distillery Company in Clarke’s Beach, Newfoundland, has released four flavours of bitters capturing some of the province’s native botanicals and flavours: Cloudberry, Chaga & Chanterelle, Seaweed & Nettle and Sweet Gale & Wild Rose. They’re available not only at the distillery and online but in NLC stores.

Ontario recently announced it was extending the Small Cidery and Small Distillery Support Program to 2021–22, providing $2.6 million annually to help eligible businesses grow.

In Grandview, Manitoba, a group of investors under the Grand Vieux Liquor Co. banner has purchased a former Manitoba Hydro customer service building, with the intention of creating a distillery and restaurant.

Events

Rig Hand Craft Distillery in Nisku, Alberta, resumes its one-day Distilling 101: The Basics of Spirits Production workshops by proprietor Geoff Stewart on Sunday, September 20 at the distillery.

The Wine & Spirits Festival, originally planned in Toronto for this past June, has been rescheduled as an outdoor event at Toronto’s Sugar Beach on October 2 and 3, 2020.