Dan St. Pierre dreams of the day when people around the world identify Alberta with its craft distilling scene like they do with Scotland, Kentucky or Japan.
But before our local distilleries can be celebrated abroad, they need to be celebrated at home. And that’s what Cocktail Week, which will take place in Edmonton March 4-10, aims to do. It will put Alberta spirits front and centre with bartenders at downtown establishments, and at liquor stores throughout the region.
“There are so many things that interact,” says St. Pierre, the executive director of the Alberta Craft Distillers’ Association. “You’ve got the creativity to come up with a well-balanced beverage that people will enjoy. There’s the product that goes into it, and the artistry and craftsmanship that actually goes into creating a whiskey, creating a rye, creating a gin or a vodka. But I think Edmontonians sometimes forget to sing loud and proud the praises of this place. There’s a bit of an Edmonton inferiority complex.
“We want to elevate the amazing products people are creating here and winning awards internationally. Let’s pull all of that together and celebrate.”
The push behind Cocktail Week comes from Faaiza Ramji, co-founder of Field Notes, which produces two beverages, the Don’t Call Me Sweet Pea amaro, and the new Jaya Chai liqueur.
Downtown establishments will feature special menus of drinks that are made using local spirits. The idea to concentrate on downtown bars was so that people could get from bar to bar fairly easily.
“It will allow folks to more safely take an Uber downtown and then wander to a few bars and get home rather than trying to hop around from place to place,” says Ramji.
So far, eight Edmonton-area distilleries are also on board, and Ramji says they’ve been encouraged to let local drink enthusiasts have a “look behind the curtain” and learn about what makes these local beverages so unique. That “look” will include discounted distillery tours, a special discounted menu at participating bars, and classes, tastings and events during the week.
And, about a dozen retailers scattered throughout the Metro Edmonton area will have Cocktail Week features — encouraging customers to take these spirits home and make their own great mixed drinks.
The event will kick off with a local bartender competition, which will be open to the public. The winning drink will be crowned Edmonton’s Signature Cocktail for 2024 and be featured at Edify’s Best Restaurants event.
Why is it important to have a week like this? Local distillers simply don’t have the scale or the advertising budgets to compete with the multinationals. When you go to your local bars, you’ll see sponsored coasters, patio umbrellas and even bar towels. Their logos are prevalent. As well, many venues, including the City, have exclusivity deals which either restrict or prohibit how much independent brewers and distillers can sell there.
And, because each and every province has its own unique liquor laws and export/import rules, it’s as difficult for someone like Ramji to ship goods to Vancouver or Toronto as it is to send them to Tokyo. So, it’s vital for distillers to be supported at home.
“We have to conquer our home market,” says Ramji “If we want to go into another province, it’s technically just as difficult as going into another country. It’s really difficult to do. So, if we don’t get home-court advantage, then we’re selling ourselves short. We’re missing an opportunity. If you don’t win at home, you have to try and commit to win in another market, which is very difficult to do.”
And, there’s an understanding that there is fatigue amongst the general public with “buy local” campaigns. We’ve been inundated with “made in Edmonton” campaigns, and, let’s face it — the guilt marketing is wearing thin. So, it can’t be just about buying local because it’s local. It has to be about buying local because it’s good.
“As a producer, it’s up to me to create a compelling product at a quality level and a price point that people are able to and want to consume,” says Ramji. “But it can be challenging with the ‘buy local’ campaigns. I don’t think any maker of any product in any category is saying ‘support me just because I am local.’ I think it’s about letting people know that it might take a little more work to find us, because we might not be as readily available in all the stores. We appreciate you giving us a second look.”
This article appears in the Mar/Apr 2024 issue of Edify
