Whisky fest focuses on Canadian craft distilleries

While this year’s Winnipeg Whisky Festival marks the second year the two-day event will take place in its new home at the spacious RBC Convention Centre (375 York Ave.), it will be the first time the fest will feature no American spirits.

After last year, when it looked as though there wouldn’t be U.S. spirits at the fest, organizers started working early on the assumption there would be no American product this year — a big absence, given the number of bourbons typically poured over the course of the event.

The result is this year’s focus on Canadian craft distillers, smaller producers with more modest or limited-run levels of production than your Crown Royals or Forty Creeks.

“The conversations started right after the festival last year to be a little bit more proactive than reactive,” says Paul Rogers, manager of programming and experience at Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.

“We went after the Canadian craft theme, sought out a lot of Canadian distillers and said, ‘Hey, guys, we’re very interested in your product and would like to have you here.’ There’s a lot that are coming in for the first time, so we’re very excited about that.”

Of the 330-plus products at the festival — which is presented by Manitoba Liquor Marts in support of the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame — more than 40 will be from Canadian craft distilleries from several provinces.

This year’s festival, which also features non-whisky spirits, sees the return of masterclasses for VIP ticket holders.

“This year we’re running eight masterclasses and brought in ambassadors, master distillers, blenders and owners,” Rogers says.

The classes are clearly popular with guests, as all eight are sold out. VIP ticket holders also have access to exclusive selections during the first hour of the event.

At the time of the interview, Rogers indicated Friday VIP tickets ($339.99 plus taxes) are sold out, while a handful remain for Saturday. Regular tickets ($269.99) remain for both nights.

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Few are as tuned in (and enthusiastic) about Canadian whisky as Ottawa’s Davin de Kergommeaux, founder of the Canadian Whisky Awards and Whisky Hall of Fame inductee.

In 2024, the third edition of his latest book Canadian Whisky: The Essential Portable Expert was published.

The man knows his drams, and sees the continued trade skirmishes with the U.S. and the long absence of American alcohol on store shelves as a boon for Canadian craft distillers.

“While in many countries distilleries are experiencing shortfalls, and we’re seeing the industry kind of trending down, in Canada most of the distillers I’ve talked to have seen a considerable increase in sales in 2025 largely due to the ‘buy Canadian’ movement,” he says.

De Kergommeaux also senses whisky drinkers have come to embrace Canadian products for what they are versus what they’re replacing.

“People are no longer looking for a substitute for bourbon; they’ve tasted Canadian whiskies, decided they like them and wish they’d found them sooner. I think it’s going to continue even after the tariffs,” he says.

On the craft whisky scene, de Kergommeaux is excited about the quality of the products coming from smaller distillers that are finally being released after years of aging.

“I think craft whisky is reaching its maturity in Canada. Many small distillers have finally been around for long enough that their whiskies are genuinely competitive with the large distillers who have a massive stock of barrels to draw from and who have been going for decades,” he says.

De Kergommeaux sees Canadian craft distillers continue to explore bolder styles of whiskies.

“There’s a trend towards cask-strength whisky — they like bolder whiskies,” he says, referencing products which typically land at around 60-ish per cent alcohol versus the typical 40-45 per cent found in finished whisky.

He also sees a trend in consumers who seem keen to explore a higher rye content. Canadian rye whiskies needn’t be made entirely of rye grains, and have been historically corn-based with a small amount of rye added for modest spice notes (and name recognition).

“People are now trending towards whiskies that are 100 per cent rye or have a very high rye content,” de Kergommeaux says.

Asked about tips for navigating a whisky festival setting, de Kergommaux suggests imbibers stay hydrated and says that unlike wine, one needn’t go from lightest to heaviest whisky (although the palate of this whisky novice still saves the peatiest pours for last).

He also suggests trying new-to-you distillers and not to be afraid of visiting booths with the shortest lineups.

“If there’s a big, long lineup at some table, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best whisky there — it probably means it has the biggest PR budget,” he says, laughing.

“If there’s a big, long lineup at some table, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best whisky there – it probably means it has the biggest PR budget.”

Asked to name the most exciting Canadian craft distilleries working right now, the first producer de Kergommeaux mentioned, without hesitation, was Sons of Vancouver.

When James Lester launched the project in 2015, it was best-known as a liqueur producer, particularly for its amarettos. But while the liqueurs helped pay the bills, the long game was whisky, which takes years to mature.

The small team at the North Vancouver distillery now includes Winnipeg’s Jenna Diubaldo as a partner, blender and whisky program manager. In 2017 Diubaldo was one of the first to take Sons of Vancouver’s distilling program to learn how to make spirits.

“It’s very informal, hands on — no classroom, no PowerPoint presentation. We show you every step that it takes to make booze, and we teach you everything we know,” she says.

Diubaldo returned to Winnipeg and spent years trying to open a distillery at a time when red tape had been reduced on making beer, but not so much on spirits.

“We managed to get all our funding in place, but when it came to looking for a space, it was difficult trying to find something that would suit the budget of how much we knew we could sell there — and the market structure hadn’t yet changed,” she says.

The COVID-19 pandemic was “the nail in the coffin for that project,” Diubaldo says.

She was working in the non-profit industry, but had stayed in touch with Lester.

“I told him we’d thrown in the towel in terms of opening a distillery in Winnipeg, and he kind of jokingly said, ‘Well, if you ever want a job in Vancouver, you’ve got one.’ And then about a year later, I asked him how serious he was about that,” Diubaldo recalls.

“We sold our house and moved out to Vancouver, and I’ve been with Sons of Vancouver ever since. And then after about three years of working there, I bought in as a partner, and now James and I run the business together.”

Sons of Vancouver’s core offering is the Wheated Rye Whisky, with smaller-batch and seasonal releases throughout the year. The Palm Trees and a Topical Breeze limited-run whisky, aged in bourbon barrels and then rum casks, won whisky of the year at the 2023 Canadian Whisky Awards.

Diubaldo will be in town for the festival with Sons of Vancouver pouring the wheated rye as well as another smaller-batch whisky.

Like de Kergommeaux, she sees the rye category as a trend on the rise, albeit one that’s slightly misunderstood.

“It’s a misconception that rye is always spicier, that it’s always falling into the peppery category,” she says, adding Sons of Vancouver’s Realms of Rye series of products was made to dispel such a notion.

With production scaled up over the years, Sons of Vancouver has been able to begin exporting to other provinces — and for Diubaldo, Manitoba was the top of the list.

“It was kind of a no brainer. I think it’s often overlooked as a market,” she says.

“Being from Winnipeg, I have such an affinity for the people. And, you know, we grew up drinking rye and gingers — that’s sort of where my love for rye whisky came from.”

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Whiskies of the week

For a complete list of whiskies being poured at the Winnipeg Whisky Festival, see the festival website.

Patent 5 Red River Four Grain Whisky

(Winnipeg —$89.99, distillery, Liquor Marts)

The four grains here — wheat, rye, corn and malted barley — combine to bring bright malty, herbal and red fruit aromas; on the palate lovely nutty and malty notes join the party, with a bright peppery component on the long finish (it’s 45 per cent alcohol).

Sons of Vancouver Wheated Rye Whisky

(North Vancouver, B.C. — $99, Liquor Marts)

This rye whisky sees the addition of 25 per cent wheat; aromatically it brings delightful caramel, vanilla and spice notes; on the punchy palate (it’s 50.5 per cent alcohol) those notes come with hints of licorice and anise.

Red Bank Canadian Whisky

(Nova Scotia —$50.99, Liquor Marts)

Actor Kiefer Sutherland is one of the partners in this Maritime whisky, which brings modest apple, pearmelon and malt aromas; there’s a touch of spice and some toasted nut on the simple palate before the morest (40 per cent alcohol) finish.

Sortilège Wild Blueberry

(Quebec —$34.99, Liquor Marts)

A whisky-based liqueur featuring wild blueberries from Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, the dark blue fruit aromas are front and centre, with modest malt; it’s much the same on the medium-bodied, viscous and fairly sweet palate, while the alcohol is a more modest 23 per cent.

Ideal for use in a cocktail.

 

winnipegfreepress.com/bensigurdson