Artisan Distillers Canada (ADC) is gearing up for its 2025 annual Conference and Trade Show, a major event for small-scale distillers across the country.

Founded in 2019, ADC is a national, member-based organization dedicated to celebrating and promoting artisan distilleries and spirits. The upcoming conference, which will be held in Calgary, Alta., marks the third iteration of this event and represents a significant departure from its usual location in Vancouver, B.C.

“One of our goals is to engage with as many artisan distilleries as we can across the country,” said ADC founder and CEO, Alex Hamer. “We recognize that the time and expense of coming to Vancouver can be challenging for some of our smaller distillers, so we wanted to move to another province to make it easier for others to come to the show.”

He adds that the venue change reflects ADC’s commitment to engaging more closely with distilleries across the country and to exploring the unique distilling cultures in different provinces. “Alberta has a vibrant and growing industry, so it made sense to go there next,” said Hamer. By hosting the conference in Calgary, ADC aims to ease participation for distillers in central Canada and showcase Alberta’s dynamic distilling community.

Hamer notes that distilling cultures and communities vary from province to province, and the conference will reflect these differences. The event will provide an opportunity for both organizers and attendees to experience Alberta’s distinct approach to distilling firsthand, offering a fresh perspective and new learning opportunities.

An exciting lineup of events

The 2025 event will take place on Feb. 24-26 at Mount Royal University and feature a strong lineup of events designed to cater to both the technical and business aspects of distilling. Overall, around 25 Canadian and international spirits experts will be in the city over the three-day event.

“We were surprised at the number of venue options available to us in Calgary. Special event licensing at events where alcohol is being served can be tricky, and every province is different. Mount Royal University is a great location with the ideal layout for our needs, and [it’s] also close to a cluster of distilleries south of the airport and downtown,” said Hamer.

The conference kicks off on Monday with two half-day, in-depth learning workshops. One of these workshops will be led by Lallemand Distilling, delving into the science of fermentation with a special emphasis on the role of yeast and enzymes. This year, they will be joined by a guest from an American distillery, who will present a case study on fermentation. The second workshop, led by the three partners from B.C.-based Sons of Vancouver Distillery, will cover the basics of building a successful whisky program and include a hands-on blending session.

“That distillery has been making waves in the Canadian whisky industry over the past few years, having won the Canadian Whisky Awards Canadian Whisky of the Year in 2023, as well as multiple gold medals, and Best in Class Rye at the Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition [CASC] in 2024,” said Hamer.

The conference on Tuesday will feature keynote presentations and two tracks of sessions, including panels and seminars on technical and business themes. The technical stream will cover topics such as spirit chemistry and its impact on flavour profiles, as well as best practices in cask management and maturation. The business stream will address current trends in spirits laws and consumption, along with a retail sales panel for the third consecutive year.

The trade show will feature nearly two dozen suppliers to the spirits sector, representing categories including stills and line equipment, grain, malt and yeast, closures, labels, packaging and business services. The final day will be dedicated to the second annual Canada Whisky Symposium. “For this single-stream conference, we are bringing in whisky makers from Canada, the U.S. and Scotland to talk about their distilleries and programs,” said Hamer.

Confirmed speakers include analytical chemist and sensory evaluation expert Gary Spedding, Todd Leopold from Leopold Bros. Distillery, Andrew Ferguson from Kensington Wine Market, Kyle Smith from Gorman & Smith Beverage Equipment and internationally recognized drug-and-alcohol regulation expert, Dan Malleck.

Alberta’s flourishing spirits industry

The choice of Calgary as the venue for the 2025 conference also highlights the growth and evolution of Alberta’s spirits industry over the past decade.

“Alberta’s spirits industry has been going through a lot of changes,” said Hamer. “Some rules that placed limits on neutral grain use were recently changed, which has definitely disrupted the market. In speaking with distillers, I expect more changes are on their way. Overall, the local industry has grown considerably over the past several years and Alberta distillers are becoming recognized leaders in the Canadian artisan spirits sector.”

The real turning point for Alberta’s spirits industry came in 2013, when the province dropped the minimum production requirement for distilleries. Previously, the limits were too high for small artisan distilleries that are often challenged by the costs of capital equipment and staffing and can’t compete with the volume-based retail pricing of the larger distilleries.

“That change allowed smaller distilleries to open and experiment with innovative products,” said Hamer. “As a result, the number of distilleries has sustained new openings and continued growth. The increased innovation and quality that comes out of the province is, of course, just as important as the volume being produced because that’s what keeps the interest and momentum in this sector moving forward.”

Alberta’s unique geographical and agricultural characteristics further contribute to its growing reputation in the spirits industry.

“At a general level, Alberta artisan distillers are producing many of the same types of spirits as other distilleries across Canada – in particular, lots of interesting gins and liqueurs. Where we’re really starting to see Alberta distinguish itself, however, is in whisky. The province is the source of high-quality grain and has some great malting facilities. It’s still early, but the quality of Alberta’s whisky production in recent years suggests the province is poised to establish itself as a centre of innovation for whisky in Canada,” Hamer said.

New developments at ADC

In addition to the conference, ADC will be making changes to the eighth annual CASC, a national competition dedicated exclusively to artisan spirits, bitters and zero-proof spirits. The competition is designed to celebrate and recognize the craftsmanship of independent Canadian producers. It features various awards including Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year, Best in Class and medals (Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze). There are also special awards for terroir and innovation.

The program usually announces its winners in February, but with the change in timing of the ADC Conference and Trade Show from October to February, the 2025 event will also feature a dinner and live awards ceremony to announce the winners on Feb. 24 in Calgary.

Hamer highlights that the timing of the competition and the conference has been strategically aligned to maximize engagement and celebration. The live awards ceremony will provide a platform for recognizing the achievements of distillers from across Canada and will serve as a fitting kickoff to the conference.

For more information on the ADC Conference and Trade Show, and the Canada Whisky Symposium, visit conference.artisandistillers.ca and whiskysymposium.ca.