PROVINCE’S DISTILLERS FETED
Storied rye whisky producer, founded in 1946, named Canadian Distillery of the Year
Alberta Distillers has been named Canadian Distillery of the Year.
The award was presented on Tuesday in Calgary as part of the Canadian Whisky Awards.
We’re very proud to be given this award,” said head distiller Rick Murphy, who marks 35 years at the distillery in April. “It’s an important recognition of the good work we do here.”
The Canadian Whisky Awards were created by Ottawa-based spirits writer Davin de Kergommeaux in 2010 as a way to recognize the country’s best whiskies.
Any distiller in Canada can enter, and all whiskies are appraised blind by a rotating group of 10 judges ( journalists, bloggers and writers) from around the world.
Gold, silver and bronze awards are presented each year for the best whisky in a range of classes, including best new whisky, value whisky of the year and flavoured whisky of the year.
This year, roughly 15 distilleries entered more than 70 spirits in the seventh annual competition. Each whisky must be distilled and aged in Canada for at least three years.
The Canadian Distillery of the Year is then chosen, based on consensus from all the judges, after all the blind scores have been submitted for the individual products.
Based in the southeast Calgary community of Ogden, Alberta Distillers was founded in 1946 by Max Bell and Frank McMahon (whose names live on at McMahon Stadium and the Max Bell Arena and Max Bell Theatre.) It is now part of Beam Suntory, an American liquor company, but almost all of the grain bought for its award-winning ryes is grown in Alberta.
About 125 people work at the distillery, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for holiday breaks in July and December.
Alberta Distillers is the world’s largest producer of rye whisky. Its products are sold around the world and include Alberta Premium Dark Horse, Alberta Pure Vodka, Banff Ice, Alberta Springs Canadian Rye Whisky and Tangle Ridge Blended Canadian Whisky.
“For decades, you have been making wonderful spirits,” said de Kergommeaux to the Alberta Distillers team, when the award was presented. “You’re making something that makes a lot of people very happy.”
Alberta Distillers general manager Graham Kendall said that although his team has had many global accolades for their products, this is the first such national award they’ve won. “Being named Canadian Distillery of the Year is a pretty big message for us to share.”
For decades, you have been making wonderful spirits. You’re making something that makes a lot of people very happy.