The “Buy Canadian” movement, spurred by U.S. tariffs and President Donald Trump’s musings about annexing Canada, has been welcomed by many food and beverage producers across the country. Tyler Dyck is CEO of Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery, which operates two distilleries in Vernon and Kelowna in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley. Dyck is also president of the Craft Distillers Guild of B.C. and the Canadian Craft Distillers Alliance, respectively.
He says Canadian craft distillers have seen a huge increase in sales since the movement began. “When I was talking to our distillers here in B.C. and distillers within the national association, I think it’s fair to say that since the threat of tariffs came into place, there has been a substantial increase in sales, probably in the realm of 30 to 50 per cent,” Dyck said.
The biggest sales bump occurred after the newly elected American president began referring to former prime minister Justin Trudeau as governor and Canada as the 51st state. “That is when most producers saw a doubling or tripling of sales,” Dyck said.
“Halfway through February, when the real rhetoric started going back and forth, that’s when most producers in Canada say it really started. Imposing tariffs is one thing … but questioning our sovereignty is more of an insult. That’s when you saw Canadians step up and sales of craft liquor really went up, especially for whisky,” said Dyck. He also attributes the sales increase to American products getting pulled from government liquor stores in provinces across Canada. He says that and Trump’s 51st state comments served as a “one-two punch” that encouraged Canadians to actively seek out alcohol alternatives produced in their own backyard.
One of them is BRBN, a bourbon-style whisky made from corn that Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery has been making for the past 15 years or so. Thanks to the U.S.-Canada trade war, sales of BRBN have never been better, having increased by 2,200 per cent, helped by the company’s strong marketing push that taps into the prevailing “Buy Canadian” sentiment.
While it’s probably unrealistic to expect the current pace of sales to last indefinitely, Dyck doesn’t expect to see this trend abate any time soon.
I would call this almost a viral moment for craft producers because people are now searching out authentic products made in Canada, made in Saskatchewan or in Manitoba or B.C.
Tyler Dyck, Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery
“This is something that was long overdue, [and] I think it is here to stay in Canada,” he said. “It’s probably been the biggest, most substantial shift that I’ve seen in the last 20 years toward people actually caring about where their products come from. Now, people are organically starting to ask, ‘Where does my cheese come from? Where does my wine come from? Where does my beef come from?’ They are shifting toward the regional brands that are those farm-to-bottle producers … I always tell our producers, even at the national level, that there are certain trends within our industry, and you have to have your finger on the pulse of those trends. I think that moving forward, the distillers who focus on this new heartfelt pride of Canadians will really benefit from it.
Dyck says enthusiasm toward buying local isn’t limited to Canada, something he and his Okanagan Spirits team saw when they attended the World Spirits Awards, held in Germany in March. “We were talking with Czech producers, Italian producers, French producers, English producers, Scots, guys from the Caribbean, [and] everybody [was] talking about their ‘buy local’ movements and how much this has changed,” he said.
Craft distillers who commit to building a strong online and social media presence stand to benefit the most from the “Buy Canadian” movement.
“I would call this almost a viral moment for craft producers because people are now searching out authentic products made in Canada, made in Saskatchewan or in Manitoba or B.C. They are actively looking for that content, and if you’re active on social media right now and you can draw those eyes in, your audience will expand vastly….” he said. “I think all craft distillers in Canada really need to invest in their social media platforms and also in their online platforms and online sales portals right now. If they don’t have that kind of presence, they’re at a huge disadvantage.”
Dyck says Okanagan Spirits has had a lot of success with its online and social media marketing campaigns that lean into pro-Canadian messaging.
“Our taglines of ‘Unapologetically Canadian’ is a play on Canadians always apologizing for everything, but now it’s time to drop the gloves, using this sort of real Canadiana imagery in marketing,” he said. “We spend a disproportionate amount of money driving home the importance of [being] terroir-specific and local production, and that really ties directly into the ‘Buy Canadian’ and ‘Buy British Columbia’ movements,” Dyck said. “I tell our members all the time, you’re not selling a product, you’re selling an experience. That’s what it really is. And what makes your product different than everyone else’s is that it’s uniquely you, and it should be unapologetically you. It should be a Winnipeg whisky. It should be a North Bay gin.
Dyck says liquor authorities across Canada can do more to support this trend by making locally produced spirits more accessible and affordable in government liquor stores. He says pulling American brands from liquor store shelves hasn’t helped business as much as it could because of steep price markups that continue to be a barrier for many craft distillers in Canada.
