Those involved with Alberta’s whisky scene say it’s still one of the best-kept secrets in the world — but they don’t want to keep it that way.
“This is one of the best places on earth to make whisky… I think the time is right for it,” explained Jordan Ramey, co-owner of Burwood Distillery.
Ramey is just one of a growing number of Alberta-based distillers drawing on a century of tradition.
He says the perfect ingredients are all here.
“We’ve got some of the best water on earth fed from the glaciers, we’ve got some the best grain on earth, so why not make whisky here and showcase those wonderful agricultural products?”
And the provincial government wants to put that into writing, creating a brand power that will know no bounds.
The ‘Whisky Act‘ aims to establish just what goes in to an ‘Alberta whisky,’ creating standards like ingredient composition, aging periods, distillation practices and more.
“We want to see how can we brand ‘Alberta whisky’ in the same way they branded Kentucky bourbon… or scotch,” said Dale Nally, Service Alberta & Red Tape Reduction minister.
The provincial government is currently engaging with experts in whisky, tourism and agricultural sectors on the development of the Alberta Whisky Act.
Burwood Distillery is part of the group of stakeholders helping draft the legislation.
“Putting the name ‘Alberta whisky’ behind it really premiumizes this category and I think it’ll help carve out space for us on the world stage,” Ramey said.
But it’s not just about shelf space.
Nally says it was a trip to Kentucky that opened his eyes into the potential of his own province’s blossoming spirits sector.
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“(The bourbon industry) has revitalized their downtowns… older buildings that were deteriorating have been bought up by distillers — now they’re tourist destinations,” Nally said.
“As the years have gone by, what we’ve really realized is bringing people into our space and letting them experience whisky making, gin making with us is really the best way to do that,” Ramey explained.
“Think of how many millions of people come to Banff and Jasper every year,” Nally said.
“What if we just got a small percentage of those people to check out (Alberta’s) ‘Whisky Trail?'”
Retailers like Peter Burns say the timing is excellent.
He immigrated from Scotland — a region renowned for its whisky — in 2018.
In the seven years since, more distillers have popped up on his shelves at Silver Springs Liquor Store.
“Obviously, in recent times, there’s been a bit of a shift in terms of which country people like to buy things from,” Burns explained, in reference to the trend this past year of eschewing American products amid a trade war and threats against Canada’s sovereignty.
“The distillers have responded to this by coming out with not just one or two, but dozens of new products this year that are super fun and very competitively priced.”
Whisky experts agree the only thing missing from Alberta’s whisky industry is the brand power.
“A lot of these craft distillers have really lent into the natural ingredients that you can find all over the province, and brilliant source of water, yeast, cereal… there’s some interesting environmental shifts throughout the year as well, which some of the distilleries can play with,” Burns said.
“One of the really unique things in our region is, since our humidity is so low here, our alcohol by volume goes up in the barrel or actually increases — where in Scotland and Kentucky the alcohol by volume actually decreases,” Ramey said.
“So what happens here in our barrels really does give a unique character that really isn’t able to be easily mimicked around the world.”
The Whisky Act is still in the consultation phase, but Nally said he hopes to be able to table the legislation in the spring of 2026.
“I really look forward to the day when you and I can walk into a bar and ask, ‘What Alberta whisky do you have?'”
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