American Whiskey in Canada: Why We’re Heading to Calgary to Listen
What happens when one of the world’s best-known whiskey categories faces a changing Canadian market?
We’re heading to Whisky Global Calgary to find out.
At Branding & Buzzing, we’ve spent years working in the food and beverage industry, including consumer education and trade marketing programmes for American distilled spirits in Canada.
We’ve hosted tastings, worked with bartenders and industry professionals, developed educational content and helped connect brands with Canadian consumers.
And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that you can learn a lot about a market by getting out and talking to the people in it.
That’s why we’re heading to Whisky Global Calgary on November 20, 2026.
American Whiskey in Canada Has an Interesting Story Right Now
Bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and American rye have long had a place in Canadian bars, restaurants and liquor stores.
But right now, it’s complicated… Oh boy, is it complicated.
Trade disputes, tariffs and the full removal of American alcohol from the LCBO store shelves have made American spirits one of the most visible casualties of tensions between Canada and the United States.
“They still talk about bourbon it on my favourite talk radio morning show in Toronto, at least once a week”
– Partner, Sean Beckingham
And unlike many other American products that Canadians continue to purchase every day, American alcohol has become something of a hard line.
It’s a mess, particularly for the brands, importers, retailers and hospitality businesses caught in the middle.
But here’s what we’re really curious about.
What do Canadian bourbon drinkers think?
Because bourbon has its superfans. People who know their mash bills, collect bottles, follow distilleries and have favourite expressions they aren’t necessarily willing to give up.
Has the political climate changed what they’re buying? Are they discovering Canadian alternatives? Are they still searching for their favourite American bottles? Or are they separating the whiskey they love from the politics surrounding it?
We don’t know. And that’s exactly why we’re going to Calgary.
According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), American spirits exports to Canada declined 70% between March and December 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.
That’s a significant change for an established spirits category.
But behind those numbers are consumers, bartenders, retailers and brands with their own perspectives.
And those are the conversations we’re interested in.
Why Calgary?
Alberta offers an interesting perspective on the Canadian spirits market.
With its private liquor retail system, established whisky culture and access to American spirits, it’s an important place to understand what’s happening in the category.
Whisky Global Calgary brings together whisky enthusiasts, brand representatives, importers and hospitality professionals. For a food and beverage marketing agency, that’s a pretty good room to be in.
Attending With Support From the USDA
Branding & Buzzing will be attending Whisky Global Calgary with support from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
During the event, we’ll be speaking with consumers and industry professionals, observing trends and gathering insights into the Canadian market for American whiskey.
Following the event, we’ll share our observations and findings with the USDA.
It’s an opportunity to better understand the market firsthand and contribute useful insights into the opportunities and challenges facing American whiskey brands in Canada.
Five Questions We’re Bringing to Whisky Global Calgary
Rather than arrive with a list of assumptions, we’re bringing five questions we hope will start some interesting conversations.
1. What American whiskey brands are Canadians drinking and buying right now?
We’re curious about brand recognition, favourites and whether consumers are discovering new American whiskeys or sticking with familiar names.
2. Have Canadian attitudes toward American whiskey changed over the past year?
With trade disputes and changing consumer sentiment, we want to understand whether those issues are influencing purchasing decisions or whether taste, quality and brand loyalty remain the biggest factors.
3. Does country of origin influence which whiskey Canadians purchase?
Canadian whisky has a strong identity of its own. We’re interested in understanding how consumers think about Canadian, American, Scotch and Irish whiskies when making purchasing decisions.
4. What would encourage Canadians to try a new American whiskey?
Is it a tasting? A bartender recommendation? A cocktail? A compelling brand story? Or simply the opportunity to discover something new?
For marketers, understanding what creates that first trial is incredibly valuable.
5. What opportunities and challenges do industry professionals see for American whiskey in Alberta and across Canada?
We’ll be speaking with brand representatives and industry professionals about consumer education, retail availability, distribution and the role marketing can play in building interest.
These aren’t questions designed to produce a scientific survey. They’re conversation starters that will help us gather qualitative insights from people actively participating in the whisky category.
Why Getting Into the Market Still Matters
It’s easy to build a marketing strategy around reports, spreadsheets and industry statistics.
Those things matter. We use them too.
But we’ve always believed there’s another important part of the job.
Show up.
Talk to consumers. Meet the people selling the products. Watch how brands interact with their audiences. Pay attention to what gets people excited.
Sometimes a conversation at a tasting table tells you something that a spreadsheet can’t.
That’s particularly important in the spirits industry, where education, sampling, storytelling and personal recommendations can play such a significant role in consumer discovery.
What’s Next for American Whiskey in Canada?
We don’t know exactly what the next chapter looks like.
But we do know that strong brands need more than shelf space. They need visibility, education, relationships and reasons for consumers to engage.
Following Whisky Global Calgary, we’ll be sharing some of our observations, including what we heard from consumers, what we learned from industry professionals and what those conversations might mean for American whiskey brands looking at the Canadian market.
And if you’re an American spirits producer exploring opportunities in Canada, we’d be happy to talk.