A bounty of new Canadian bevvies make summer splash

Yahoo

07-06-2025

(editors: please note C-olsch in Xhale blurb is spelled correctly)
Canada Day is in less than a month, and perhaps now more than ever, Canadians are looking to support and buy from Canadian-owned businesses. I know I am, whether I'm looking for coffee or coolers, wine or whisky.
Here are eight to consider from Calgary-based businesses and beyond.
Inversion Nitro Cocktails, Elderflower Gin Sour, drinkgradient.com
A small, family-run business, Gradient Beverages started in 2020 and does its mixing and canning in southeast Calgary. They have a few different products, but the award-winning Inversion Nitro Elderflower Gin Sour is particularly unique. Give the can a hard shake and then open, turn it upside down and pour. The nitrogen in the can creates the silky foam you'd expect from a fancy bar drink, while butterfly pea flower gives it a lavender-purple colour.
The name Inversion Nitro Cocktails refers to the upside-down pour, notes co-founder John Eresman. 'Inversion also speaks to what we're really trying to do, flip people's expectations of what a canned cocktail can be.'
Watch for new flavours this month, including a Passionfruit Mai Tai.
Suggested price: $19.50 for a four-pack at Co-op Wine Spirits Beer, 5 Vines Wine, Craft Beer & Spirits, Wine & Beyond, select Sobeys Liquor and Safeway Liquor.
Phil & Sebastian, Iced Lavender Latte and Strawberry Matcha, philsebastian.com
Perhaps your palate needs a non-alcoholic flavour kick this summer. That's why Phil & Sebastian have launched two new cold drinks. The Iced Lavender Latte is made with espresso, milk and a house-made lavender syrup with blueberries, while the Strawberry Matcha features strawberry puree, syrup, milk and matcha over ice.
Price: $7 to $8 at all Phil & Sebastian locations except the new airport cafe.
Eau Claire Distillery, Rupert's Exceptional Canadian Whisky, eauclairedistillery.ca
The Eau Claire Distillery team has relaunched its Rupert's Exceptional Canadian Whisky, with an updated bottle and label that brings it in line with the rest of the brand. Expect smooth butterscotch and baking spice flavours from this deep amber spirit, which is made from 100 per cent Alberta-grown barley and glacier-fed spring water from Mount Rae, a mountain just off Highway 40 in Kananaskis Provincial Park.
Suggested price: $39. Widely available, including Co-op Wine Spirits Beer, Willow Park Wines & Spirits, Wine and Beyond, Sobeys Liquor, and Safeway Liquor.
Xhale Brew Co., xhalebrewco.ca
Created in Calgary in 2020, Xhale Brew Co. is Alberta's first all-female, all-queer-founded and operated brewing company, says Christina Owczarek, the founder and 'chief causer of chaos.'
'We take a lot of pride in brewing provocative beer for conscious thinkers and drinkers that is not just quality beer but beer that creates positive community impact.'
A certified Alberta Living Wage employer, Xhale supports poverty reduction, women and diversity, STEM, entrepreneurship and diversity in sports.
But what about the beer? There are five, plus seasonals. The See Ya Next Tuesday Aussie C-olsch is a delicious kolsch-style beer with pineapple and apple flavours – and sassy packaging. Part of the proceeds go toward the Calgary Kangaroos youth development program.
Suggested price for a four-pack: $14 to $19. Widely available, including Co-op Wine Spirits Beer, Market Wines, Silver Springs Liquor, Liquor Depot, Vine Arts, Wine & Beyond, Willow Park Wines & Spirits.
Stickler Shrub Cocktails, drinkstickler.com
'Like all good ideas, this one started in a hot tub…,' says Stickler Shrub Cocktails founder Peter Bishop with a laugh.
A couple of years ago, the Calgary-based entrepreneur and a group of friends were in a hot tub, discussing how they'd never found a ready-to-drink cocktail that they really liked.
Bishop convinced them to try his shrubs, fruit and vinegar cocktails that are sweet, tart and full of flavour. And then he convinced them to form a business.
His attention to detail led them to call him a stickler, and, well, the label stuck. Stickler Shrub Cocktails was born. All four flavours (grapefruit, pineapple-jalapeno, cranberry-orange and blackberry-lemon) are made with gin, fruit and red wine vinegar. They're refreshing and well-balanced. You may smell a hint of vinegar, but it's just a hint.
Suggested price: $16 for a four-pack. Available at Sobeys Liquor, Safeway Liquor, Wine & Beyond and Willow Park Wines & Spirits.
Dame Beverage Co., Donna Italian Spritzes and Dame Hard Seltzers, damebeverage.com
I couldn't wait when I heard Melissa Pulvermacher was launching ready-to-drink spritzes and hard seltzers. Based in Ontario, she has an impeccable palate and has been a wine importer for years, bringing top European wines to Canada.
The Donna Italian Spritzes and Dame Hard Seltzers didn't disappoint. They're now in Alberta, and non-alcoholic options will arrive this summer.
If you only try one, try the Donna Sicilian Lemon with Sea Salt Italian Spritz. It's cheaper than a ticket to Taormina but with that Tyrrhenian Sea vibe.
It's worth mentioning, too, that Dame Beverage is launching a mentorship program for women in hospitality as well as bursaries for women to build sustainable careers in hospitality. It's about creating a 'safe, viable and prosperous industry for everyone,' Pulvermacher says.
Suggested price: About $5 per can. Widely available, including Britannia Wine Merchants, Kensington Wine Market, Market Wines, Wine & Beyond, Silver Springs Liquor and Vine Arts.
Henry of Pelham Family Estate, Speck Family Reserve 2022 Riesling, henryofpelham.com
From Niagara Peninsula, Ont., this vintage won big at the Decanter World Wine Awards last year – and it'll win over Calgarians, too, with its crisp, citrussy style. Riesling is a charming and food-friendly white wine; it'll pair with a range of foods, including shellfish, soft cheeses and Thai curry.
The land that Henry of Pelham is on has been in the Speck family since 1794, before Canada was a country. The three Speck brothers, who now own the winery, grew up on the land, planted the first modern vineyards and founded the winery with their parents in the 1980s.
Suggested retail price: $40 at Co-op Midtown Wine Spirits Beer.
Invermere Brewing Co., invermerebrewing.com
When the Village Brewery folks in Calgary heard Arrowhead Brewing Company in Invermere, B.C., was for sale this year, they bought the brewery, rebranded it and reopened it, keeping many of the same staff. 'We're not coming from Calgary to take away jobs. It's about supporting what they already have there,' says Jackson Stuart, Village Brewery's marketing director. 'We want the beer to reflect the town and where it comes from.'
They launched in May with four fine beers: a West Coast IPA, Mount Nelson Hazy, Copper City Lager and Pacific North Red. We'll be keeping the Pacific North Red, in particular, on heavy rotation in our house this summer.
Suggested price: $18 for a four-pack. Calgary sales begin this month. Look for it anywhere Village Brewery beer is sold.