Canadian spirits makers are increasingly interested in the UK market, evidenced by the first-ever Canadian Spirits Showcase, held at Canada House in London earlier this week.
Revealing a mixture of spirits from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and the Yukon, producers were keen to highlight the growing craft distillery scene unfolding in the country.
Within this, the whisky offerings were especially interesting, with makers opting for both classic and experimental styles.
Dylan Boomer, head distiller at Top Shelf Distillers in Ontario, exemplified this. Showing a wide range of whiskies, his display stretched from one liquid bottled at its cask strength of 66% abv, all the way to a maple whisky at 30% abv and a maple whisky cream at 17% abv.
Less bound by strict blending regulations than the likes of Scotch or Bourbon, there’s more room for experimentation in Canadian whisky making, Boomer explained.
“This is especially true with our liqueurs,” he said. “That’s where the maple whisky liqueur comes from, and we also have other liqueurs in the selection like a spicy cinnamon or a honey ginger.”
With this said, the more unorthodox projects don’t get in the way of quality. In fact, according to Boomer, the Canadian climate results in some especially strong liquids.
“We’re in a very harsh climate as far as winter and summer, where it gets very cold and very hot. This is something we believe makes very good whisky because of the extremeness of temperature.”
Robert Ransom, who was at the showcase representing Two Brewers from Yukon but also runs the import business Highfern in the UK, agreed that it’s the flexibility of Canadian whisky which is appealing to buyers and consumers.
“The strength of something like Scotch is its tight regulation, which has given it a strong reputation around the world. But there’s so much more experimentation happening elsewhere, and that’s what’s so intriguing about world whisky.”
Turning to Two Brewers as an example of this, he added: “These are multi-vintage, which you’d never be able to write on the packaging in Scotch. It’s simple, interesting things that are different.”
Elsewhere at the tasting, there was a sizeable number of gin distilleries aiming to enter the UK with more premium liquids.
Admittedly, said Malcolm Roberts, co-founder of Valley of Mother of God Gin, based in Ontario, the UK is not the strongest market for their product. “Gin has obviously been flagging in the UK for a few years, but I think it’s a process of separating the wheat from the chaff,” he said, in reference to the gin boom and fall.
Nonetheless, he said he is eager to test the waters with his portfolio of products. “We have a smoked gin which I think is unique, so we’d like to see if there is interest anyway.”
As well as straight spirits, RTDs were also a big topic at the showcase, with producers describing the UK as a desirable market for them due to the immense growth in the category here in 2025.
Andrew Mikus, co-founder and master distiller at 1769 Distillery in Quebec, was among those eager to import. Having begun his business as a gin and vodka brand, he explained that he has recently shifted a lot of his production to RTDs, including a Breakfast Gin Iced Tea, which he is hoping to expand into new markets.
This format, he said, is far more flexible and cost-effective than creating bottles of spirit. “It’s also doing very well with the younger crowd who like to have them in the park, or to transport them anywhere.”
Continuing, he said: “It’s for this reason that when we recently started making whisky, we’ve diverted it all into RTDs.”
On the whole then, the Canadian spirits scene showed itself to be both diverse and growing, with products from all seven provinces and territories on exhibit. And with around 300 craft distilleries now operating across the country, according to organisers, the sector shows little sign of slowing down.
Image credit: Peter Carruthers
