No more American bourbon on liquor store shelves? One B.C. distillery has the solution

Read full The Globe and Mail article by Justine Hunter (external link)

Some snippets below:

"Tyler Dyck’s bourbon-style whisky took gold at the World Spirits Awards five years ago, but the sales boost from that recognition was nothing compared to what happened in the hours after the Canada-U.S. trade war prompted several provinces to clear Kentucky bourbon off of liquor stores shelves earlier this month.

Sitting at the bar in his Okanagan Spirits distillery in Vernon, B.C., Mr. Dyck was dwarfed by the stack of boxes loaded with bottles of BRBN (bourbon is by definition made in the U.S., so this Canadian version carries a different name), ready to be shipped to customers. Sales are up 2,200 per cent and Mr. Dyck should be celebrating – the unhappy circumstances of the trade dispute provides an opportunity for Canada’s craft distilleries to capture new markets."

"Shortlyafter Mr. Eby’s news conference on March 10, Mr. Dyck was sitting in his family-owned distillery, rolling a glass of BRBN in his hand to release the aroma. It’s selling well but there is a finite supply. The whisky is small batch andhyper-local – corn and barley is produced on nearby farms, while the grains are malted in a town nearby before coming here to be fermented and distilled in his copper stills."

"B.C. Agriculture and Food Minister Lana Popham says she is pushing within her government to fill the space vacated by American products on government-owned liquor store shelves for more local products.

“We’re very interested in creating more space for products that might not already have had access to those spaces,” she said in an interview. In B.C., liquor distribution falls under the control of the ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. Ms. Popham said her ministry has been pressing for these changes for years, but she sees a potential for a shift now."

"Sitting at Mr. Dyck’s bar, amid the stacks of boxes ready for shipping, Mr. Smith marvels at the red tape that makes direct sales necessary.“The fact that Canadians can’t go into the liquor store to get their hands on this fantastic stuff,” he said, gesturing to his glass, “it is kind of crazy to me.”"

Read full The Globe and Mail article by Justine Hunter (external link)