Alberta aims for whisky definition
The Canadian province of Alberta has proposed legislation that would recognise the region with its own official whisky definition.
Bill 24: the Alberta Whisky Act was tabled on Tuesday 31 March to ‘define and protect’ the province’s whisky with its own label: ‘Alberta Whisky’.
The province’s government argued that, without a provincial definition, its distillers face difficulty differentiating from broader Canadian whisky, which it said ‘operates under more flexible federal standards’.
The province’s premier, Danielle Smith, said: “The world wants more of everything Alberta has to offer. Our distillers craft some of the finest whisky in the world, using the highest quality ingredients that only Alberta can offer.
“This legislation would ensure Alberta distillers have the recognition they need to flourish on the world stage.”
To be classified as an Alberta whisky, the criteria require that all production – mashing, fermenting, ageing, proofing and bottling – take place in Alberta from start to finish.
Additionally, the province’s whisky makers must use water from an Alberta source, and at least two-thirds of the total weight of the cereal grain or cereal grain products used to produce the mash must be grown in Alberta.
Any wine or spirits blended into the whisky must also be aged for at least two years.
The rules would be voluntary, so Alberta distillers who choose not to meet the standard can continue producing their whiskies as they have done in the past, just not with the ‘Alberta Whisky’ label.
If the law is passed, the Alberta government will collaborate with the industry to implement the Alberta Whisky Act framework. The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) would oversee its compliance and enforcement.
Supporting Alberta’s whisky sector
At the bill’s introduction, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, Dale Nally said: “Across Alberta, distillers are turning local ingredients into something very special that we can all be proud of. This legislation is about supporting their work and making sure Alberta whisky is recognised for the world-class quality and craftsmanship behind every bottle.”
According to the AGLC, Alberta has 45 whisky distillers, 43 of which are small craft distillers.
The Alberta government believes establishing an Alberta Whisky Act would support its farmers and showcase the strength and craftsmanship of Alberta’s agriculture sector.
Furthermore, with a legally defined whisky identity, the province expects the reputation of Alberta-made whisky as a premium product to grow, increasing trust and consumer confidence and offering opportunities in both domestic and international markets.
President and CEO of Spirits Canada, Cal Bricker, also supported the move. He called the act a “landmark step to showcase Alberta’s whiskies globally”.
“Spirits Canada is proud to have helped shape this initiative and looks forward to supporting its successful rollout,” he said.
In Alberta, the provincial government highlighted the economic impact the whisky act can have on the local community. This would boost tourism activity through distillery tours and visitor experiences, including the creation of a potential Alberta Whisky Trail, which would also help realise the Alberta Government’s goal of reaching CA$25 billion (US$18 billion) in annual visitor spending.
“We have one of the fastest-growing tourism segments in North America, and we have folks that come here to learn about Alberta and experience what we have,” said chief operations officer at Burwood Distillery, Jordan Ramey, who spoke at the bill’s introduction last Tuesday. “We want to share that gift with the visitors and our neighbours.”
“The Alberta Whisky Act is helping lay the foundation for tourism and to grow an Alberta Whisky Trail where folks can visit our unique distilleries scattered throughout the province, and have a snapshot of both time and place that we were able to help craft, not just by ourselves at our distilleries, but in a circular economy,” he said.
“Working with the farmers, the malters, transportation and marketing companies, social media, restaurants and other events and activities that visitors come here for. We are not just making whisky, we are helping to distil the future of Alberta’s economy.”
The Alberta government looked at standards in some of the world’s leading whisky regions, such as Scotland and Ireland, as well as in Kentucky in the US for Bourbon, to develop its own.
Bryce Parsons, president and chair of the Alberta Craft Distillers Association, added: “Today, the Alberta Whisky Act affirms our world-class whisky industry, rooted in Alberta’s blessed agricultural lands.
“We are thrilled to drive economic growth through the whisky trail while continuing to craft internationally award-winning whiskies.”
Use of AI
At the conference last Tuesday (31 March), Nally was also asked about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in helping to develop the legislation. He said: “We said all along that we’re not just going to let AI write the legislation and take a seat at the back of the room. We said that there is going to be eyes on this every step of the way, so we used AI to analyse the data and to really come up with the building blocks from which we can work.”
When pressed again on AI, Nally detailed further: “We had a conversation early on, and we decided to be the first jurisdiction in Canada that leveraged AI to write legislation. We are used to us being leaders in this space when it comes to technology and innovation, so that’s what this was about.
“We used this to start the legislation, but there were human eyes on it the entire time, and I wouldn’t say that AI finished it; we used it to start the process. I would say the final product is a culmination of all the tools that we used at our disposal, including the humanised and the AI programme that we used.”
Alberta’s proposed whisky definition comes at a time of potential opportunity for Canadian-made spirits, after Canadian provinces shelved US-made alcohol last year, including American whiskey, following Trump’s tariffs.
Alberta, along with Saskatchewan, are currently the only Canadian provinces that have lifted a ban on selling American spirits in stores.
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