Our friendly neighbors to the north have created a new category of legally protected whisky. Under the Alberta Whisky Act, whisky labeled “Alberta Whisky” must be mashed, fermented, distilled, aged, proofed, and bottled in the western Canadian province. Moreover, it must be made with Alberta water and a mash bill composed predominantly of Alberta-grown grain. The new designation aims to highlight the distinctiveness of Alberta’s terroir and whisky-making traditions. The legislation also lays the foundation for the emerging Alberta Whisky Trail, spearheaded by Burwood Distillery.
While not as celebrated as Scotland or Kentucky, Alberta boasts a long and venerable whisky-making tradition. The high prairie, with its cold climate, pristine water, and fertile soil, is ideal for growing rye. Alberta Distillers, founded in 1946 and the oldest distillery in Western Canada, has long been a powerhouse contract producer—more or less Canada’s answer to MGP. Now owned by Suntory Global Spirits, it has quietly supplied rye whisky to a host of Canadian and American brands. If you’ve sipped WhistlePig, Jefferson’s, or Very Olde St. Nick, chances are you’ve tasted rye from Alberta.
In recent years, Canada’s Texas has witnessed a new generation of craft distilleries from Calgary to Edmonton. Producers like Burwood, Eau Claire, Bridgeland, and Hansen are restoring the reputation of Canadian whisky—a category too often unfairly maligned by whisky wonks. The emerging Alberta Whisky Trail, modeled after the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, connects distilleries, farms, and tasting rooms across a province finally claiming its rightful place among the world’s great whisky regions.
It’s really just another excuse for me to visit Calgary
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Calgary is one of North America’s most criminally underrated culinary destinations. Every time I visit, I’m amazed not just by the excellence of the restaurants, but also by the coffee shops and cocktail bars. Alberta gives Japan and Argentina a run for their money when it comes to beef, and the province’s deep Eastern European roots mean plenty of pickles, smoked meats, and excellent pierogi. (Not to mention an outsized share of notably fetching lasses, but I digress.) Next time I’m in town, I’m looking forward to sipping a certified Alberta whisky or two at Missy’s This That or Shelter Cocktail Bar.
