Best Distilleries in Calgary
If you’re the kind of person who likes to get to know a city one glass at a time, Calgary’s a pretty fun place to be right now. Canada has no shortage of must-visit distilleries, but Calgary in particular has really leaned into the whole craft distilling thing.
There are 9 distilleries right in the city. If you’re willing to drive up to an hour and a half, you’ve got another 9 within reach: Bragg Creek Distillery in Bragg Creek, Krang Distillery in Cochrane, Eau Claire Distillery in Turner Valley, Blake and Wild Life Distilleries in Canmore, Park Distillery in Banff, Troubled Monk and Diony Distillery up in Red Deer, and Drum Distilling out in Drumheller. In other words, you’re not going to run out of distilleries to visit any time soon.
What I like about these spots is that they’re not just a retail store where you can go in, buy a bottle, and walk out. Every distillery on this list does tastings on-site and has a bottle shop, so you can try a few products and then grab your favourites to take home. Many of them also have bars, or a swanky cocktail lounge, where you can sit down and see what their spirits can really do in a fancy cocktail. Some offer tours, or cocktail classes where you can elevate your bartending skills, or a gin workshop where you can craft your own bespoke gin. Many host their own regular events. A number of them even have event spaces you can rent for private parties, or even a wedding, surrounded by stills and oak barrels.
A big part of the appeal is how proud these distilleries are of Alberta itself. You’ll see a lot of emphasis on using locally grown Alberta barley, wheat, and rye. So when you support Calgary distilleries, you’re not just supporting local distilleries, you’re also supporting local farmers, and every business along the supply chain.
Now, I should be upfront. I haven’t hit every single distillery on this list in person. I have made it to Bridgeland, Two Rivers, Last Best Brewing & Distilling, and Park Distillery in Banff. Park didn’t make it into this “Best Distilleries in Calgary” article for one simple reason: I wanted to keep this list focused on distilleries closer to Calgary, and Banff is a solid hour and a half away. If you’re heading that direction, they’re absolutely worth a stop. Their Maple Rye in particular is excellent, and a bit too easy to pour a second glass (or third, or fourth). I also picked up a bottle of pre-mixed Negroni, which was delicious.
One quick bit of practical advice before you go planning an all-day distillery crawl; you don’t have to finish every sample that gets poured for you. Most tasting rooms have a dump bucket or something similar on the counter. Use it. It’s totally normal. It lets you try more things without overdoing it, and nobody behind the bar is going to take it personally. Sip slowly, drink plenty of water, and give yourself time to actually enjoy what you’re tasting.
With that out of the way, let’s get into it. Here are 11 of the best distilleries to visit in the Calgary area.
Bridgeland Distillery
Located in Bridgeland, on the north shore of the Bow River, Bridgeland Distillery is the top rated distillery in Calgary, with 4.9 out of 5 based on 160 Google reviews. Founded in 2018, Bridgeland Distillery is Canada’s only 100% Craft Malt Certified Distillery, and they are producing some fantastic multi-award winning spirits from local Alberta grains. All milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling, barrel-aging, and bottling are done on-site in their state-of-the-art distillery.
I picked up a bottle of their Bourbon style whisky when we stopped in for a tasting. Really good whisky, and very similar to bourbon. I’m not sure if it’s available right now as it’s not currently listed on their website.
Spirits
Award Winning Spirits
Whisky
- Glenbow Canadian Single Malt Whisky
- Single Blend Whisky
- Innisfail Canadian Pot Still Whisky
Brandy
- Moscato Brandy
- Gewurztraminer Brandy
Eau De Vigne
Amaro
Old Fashioned (RTD)
Other Spirits
- Taber Corn Whisky
- Eau de Vigne
- Grappolo Bianco Eau de Vigne
- Chamomile Honey Eau de Vigne
- Limoncello
- Canadian Baijiu
- Espresso Martini (RTD)
Experiences
Bridgeland has a number of tour and tasting experiences available.
Sunday Tasting with Bill
A 45-minute fun and educational tasting of 3 Bridgeland products.
Bridgeland Discovery Tour
An in-depth tour of the whisky and grappa making process followed by a tasting of 3 products of your choice.
The Takeaway
This is a great distillery experience in Calgary at Canada’s only 100% Craft Malt Certified distillery. Stop in for a tasting, pick up your favourite bottle, or Book a tour for the full distillery experience.
Skunkworks Distillery
This is a unique distillery experience in Calgary. Skunkworks has an eclectic cocktail bar, and a private event space to host your own events, but in addition to that, they also have a rehearsal space for local musicians, and even an on-site recording studio!
Instead of the usual gin, vodka, and whisky, Skunkworks has chosen to focus on moonshine, distilled from Alberta sugar beets. They offer a traditional moonshine, as well as a number of flavoured moonshines and other moonshine based spirits.
Spirits
- Moonshine
- Moonshine
- Hypersonic Moonshine
- Desert Moon
- Moonwater
- Specialty
- Birdie Juice
- Easy Mix Cocktails
- Dark Side (of the Moonshine)
- Orange Moon
- Vermouth
- RTD’s
- Moonshine Mule
- Skunk n Soda
- Ultraviolet Night
- Rocket Cola
Experiences
Cocktail Room
Stop in to this eclectic cocktail room to sample some of the smoothest moonshine you’ll find anywhere, or enjoy a moonshine based craft cocktail.
Event Space
Cocktail room is available to host your private event. Amenities include:
- Food
- Live music or DJ
- Games
- Patio space
- Audio visual use (projector/sound)
- Host services
Band Rehearsal Space and Recording Studio
A one-of-a-kind band rehearsal space and recording studio in a distillery. Not something you see every day.
The Takeaway
This is a vibrant, eclectic location with a cocktail bar where you can sample and purchase Skunkworks’ spirits, or host a private event. You will often find live music, thanks to having a recording studio in the building. This is a unique distillery worth seeking out in Calgary.
Romero Distillery
Romero is a rum distillery, founded in 2018, but its story goes back to Emilio Picariello, who ran rum through the mountain passes of Alberta during prohibition. Romero Distillery is continuing that tradition, on the right side of the law this time, making exceptional rum from Canadian fancy and blackstrap molasses, spices, and pure glacier fed water. Their rums are aged in bourbon barrels, and finished in sherry casks.
Spirits
- Hitman Edition Dark Rum
- Sherry Cask Finish - Cask Strength
- Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Rum
- Sherry Cask Finish Amber Rum
- Bourbon Barrel Aged Spiced Rum
- Smoked Rum Old Fashioned (RTD)
Experiences
Lounge and Cocktail Bar
An intimate, warm lounge where guests can settle into an evening of fine cocktails, local farm sourced dishes, and great conversation.
Private Event Space
Book this prohibition speakeasy styled venue for your next private event with seating for 50 people and up to 80 guests total. Book the distillery as well to add extra capacity. Full bar service, tastings and food available.
Distillery Tour and Tasting
Learn about rum production during prohibition. Tour the distillery and see first-hand how rum is made, then enjoy a guided tasting of international award-winning rums.
Custom Blend Tour
Learn about rum production during prohibition. Tour the distillery and see first-hand how rum is made, followed by a guided tasting of international award-winning rums. Then, try your hand at blending and bottling your own rum to take home.
Custom Cask Tour
Great for someone looking for corporate gifts. Make your own custom finished rum, and bottle it. You’ll get your own custom brand on the cask and 40 bottles of rum.
The Takeaway
Romero Distilling Co. offers a number of tours and tasting of their distillery, founded to honour rum distilling in Alberta. Fun tours and tastings, and an intimate lounge where you can enjoy an evening sipping cocktails with good friends makes this distillery worth your time the next time you’re looking for a great evening out, or a new distillery to discover.
Starr Distilling
Star Distilling was founded in 2016 from the bones of Starr manufacturing. Starr Distilling is a small batch distiller that harvests local plants, herbs, spices, and botanicals to experiment, and craft spirits with local influence you will not find anywhere else.
Spirits
Gin
- Canadian Dry Gin
- Blackberry Basil Gin
- Yuzu Peach Gin
Vodka
- Summer Love Raspberry Vodka
- Summer Love Peach Vodka
- The G.O.A.T. Spiced Cinnamon Pear Vodka
Experiences
Cocktail Bar
Tasting and cocktail bar where you can sample local spirits, or enjoy a craft cocktail.
Thai Siam Restaurant
Located within Starr Distilling, this Thai restaurant offers a full menu of Thai favourites.
The Takeaway
Starr Distilling is crafting some delicious, unique gins and vodkas from local ingredients. You can try some of their experimental spirits that they are working on at their cocktail bar, and enjoy dinner at Thai Siam restaurant located within the distillery. Sounds like a great place to stop in!
Bragg Creek Distillers
Bragg Creek is a short drive west from Calgary, and worth the drive. This is a small, casual location where you can sit outside on the patio and enjoy a cocktail, or sample any of their products. Their friendly, knowledgeable staff will help you find the spirit or cocktail to make your visit memorable.
Their whisky flavour profile is full bodied with sweet caramel and toffee, floral notes, spice, peat, and smoke. The current spirit lineup includes single malt whisky, gin, vodka, and blue agave spirits.
Spirits
HUT Whisky
- Single malt aged in bourbon barrels
- Single malt aged in red wine barrels
- Maple Whisky
Rum Rats Rum
- Arco Seco 5 yr
- Arco Seco 19 yr
Gin
- Gin
- Barrel Aged Gin
Vodka
Blue Agave Spirit
- Coffee Miguel
- Barrel Aged Miguel
Experiences
The Intimate Taster (4 to 9 people)
This event includes six 0.5 oz. pours, and 1 cocktail. If you would like to purchase a bottle, you’ll get 10% off during the event.
Whisky Creek Tasting (4 to 8 people)
Taste 3 to 5 Alberta whiskies and 1 cocktail of your choice. Charcuterie platter for the group followed by a chocolate. You’ll get 10% off any bottle purchases during the event.
Classic Gin Tasting (4 to 8 people)
Taste 3 to 5 Alberta gins and 1 cocktail made with the gin of your choice. If you would like to purchase a bottle, you’ll get 10% off during the event.
The Takeaway
Bragg Creek is a cool little spot out in rural Alberta with a reputation for great spirits and cocktails served in a warm, welcoming atmosphere by friendly, knowledgeable staff. Their single malt whisky is garnering rave reviews so if you are a single malt whisky lover, be sure to check them out.
Two Rivers Distillery
Located between the Bow River and the Elbow River, Two Rivers Distillery is an award winning distillery with a focus on locally sourced ingredients, and sustainability. I was here a few years ago and it’s a great local distillery.
Wherever possible, they use local ingredients like Alberta barley and glacier fed Alberta water, distilled on Canadian made equipment, and they try to source additional ingredients from within 100 km of the distillery. A commitment to sustainability is present in everything they do, such as the reuse of water to cut water usage by almost 50%. All lighting is LED, and moving to solar power is in the plan.
Spirits
Whisky
- Single Malt
- Bourbon Style
- Rye
- Maple Walnut Rye
Gin
- Cockscomb 12 Botanical London Dry Gin
- Hibiscus Cockscomb 12 Botanical London Dry Gin
- Rhubarb Cockscomb 12 Botanical London Dry Gin
- Peaflower Gin
Vodka
- Dill Pickle Vodka
- Coffee Vodka
- 1875 Vodka
- Jalapeno Vodka
Liqueurs
- Coffee Liqueur
- Nanaimo Bar Liqueur
- Sinnamon Rye
Experiences
Tastings
Stop by for a tasting of any of their spirits.
Event Space
Copper stills, candlelight, and a refined yet comfortable atmosphere create an unforgettable backdrop for your next private party.
Food
In addition to an extensive drink and cocktail list, they offer pizza and a selection of apps and snacks. Happy Hour daily from 3pm to 6pm.
The Takeaway
This is a great spot to stop in and sample some great local Calgary spirits. I have a bottle of their coffee vodka and it’s excellent. The owner is super friendly, and very welcoming. Their commitment to excellence shows in the quality of their award winning spirits, and their focus on local ingredients, and sustainability.
Burwood Distillery
A multi-award winning distillery in Calgary. Their historic location at The Stables on the Currie Barracks is unlike any distillery location you will see anywhere else. Enjoy a cocktail, or sample some local spirits in a unique atmosphere. The new Veranda restaurant offers scratch farm to table creations.
Spirits
Whisky
- Alberta Whisky
- Bourbon Style Whisky
- Single Malt Whisky
- Red & White Port-Cask Finished Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Gin
- Rhubarb Gin
- Botanical Gin
- Honey Blossom Pink Gin
- Triple Berry Seasonal Gin
- Spiced Apple Colour Changing Gin
- Winter Berry Seasonal Gin
Liqueurs and Cocktails
- Espresso Martini
- Old Fashioned
- Cherry Liqueur
- Lavender Bee’s Knees
Canned
- Raspberry Mojito
- Cucumber Mint Mojito
- Passionfruit Mojito
- Mango Lime Craft Cooler
- Raspberry Basil Craft Cooler
- Grape Lemon Craft Cooler
- Pineapple Lemon Craft Cooler
European-Style Spirits
- Barrel Aged Honey Liqueur
- Vodka
- Honey Eau de Vie
- Barrel Aged Honey Liqueur
- Medica Honey Liqueur
- Cherry Liqueur
Experiences
Tours and Tastings
Learn how Burwood Distillery ferments, distills, and ages their products to produce their unique craft spirits, followed by a guided tasting.
Cask Blending Class
Perfect for whisky lovers. Tour the distillery, then sit down and sample rare and limited release whiskies, followed by a blending session where you can blend your own bottle to take home.
Gin Making and Distillation Class
Using a pot still, and more than 60 available botanicals, blend your own gin.
Cask Club
Blend your own custom cask to your specifications, including bottling and a custom label. Great for investors, or anyone looking for a corporate gift.
Restaurant
Book a table at Veranda restaurant.
The Takeaway
Burwood celebrates Alberta by using locally grown grains and local water in its distilling process. The result is a multi-award winning craft distillery making whisky, vodka, gin, specialty liqueurs and coolers. They have a number of fun and educational classes you can take in addition to a tour and tasting at the distillery.
True Wild Distillery
True Wild is a new Calgary distillery, housed in a historic location that was once a Calgary Power substation. This historic building is a fantastic location for a distillery, with the history of this 1911 building preserved, and the new massive copper pot stills visible behind a glass wall.
Spirits
- Whisky
- Gin
- Vodka
Experiences
Distillery Tour and Tasting
Learn how True Wild crafts small batch spirits with a grain to glass process. Sample 3 – 5 of their signature spirits.
Restaurant
Book lunch or dinner in the on-site restaurant.
The Takeaway
True Wild offers a rich, engaging distillery experience in their modern distillery housed in a heritage building with roots that go back more than 100 years in Calgary.
Confluence Distilling
Multi-award winning Confluence Distilling is a cocktail focused artisan distillery and cocktail bar. The name Confluence refers to the meeting of the Bow and the Elbow Rivers, a meeting place where people can gather and enjoy a craft cocktail and great conversation.
Spirits
- Aquavit
- Amaro
- Brandy
- Gin
- Vermouth
- Vodka
- Whisky
- RTDs
Experiences
Tours and Tastings
By request, on the Confluence Distilling website. Tours take place after 5pm on week days and 3pm on weekends.
Cocktail Workshops
Up your bartending skills with a professionally led cocktail workshop where you’ll learn some history, and how to craft that perfect cocktail.
Private Events
Host your own private event, including a signature cocktail made for your event. Bring in your own food. Capacity is 40 indoors + another 45 on the patio.
The Takeaway
Confluence is an artisanal distillery with a focus on crafting artisanal cocktails from their own quality spirits. In addition to the online store, their website has dozens of cocktail recipes using their own spirits. This goes beyond making a basic drink. There are instructions for making your own infusions, syrups, and more. This is the place to elevate your cocktail game.
Last Best Brewing & Distilling
This is a fun spot. I was here a few years ago; great service and drinks. In addition to their core beer lineup, Last Best Brewing and Distilling batch also distills award-winning craft gin. Their 3 expressions offer a range of taste profiles that can be sampled on their own, or in a wide range of cocktails to satisfy any gin lover.
Spirits
Gin
- First Love: Punchy and Floral. World Gin Awards – London Dry Gin Gold Medal (Canada)
- Afterglow: Fresh and Lively. World Gin Awards – London Dry Gin Gold Medal (Canada)
- Fortunella: Classic and Juicy. World Gin Awards – Silver
RTDs
- Gin-Arita
- Tom Collins
Experiences
Stop by and enjoy a cocktail at the bar before settling down for a full meal.
Event Space
Book one of their rooms, or the entire space for your private event. Last Best can accommodate anywhere from 30 – 300 people including indoor and outdoor spaces. Audio/visual equipment is available.
The Takeaway
Last Best has a long bar, as well as other seating areas with a full menu. It’s a fun spot to stop in for a cocktail or a full meal. Grab a bottle of their award winning gin, or a pre-made Gin-Arita or Tom Collins, made with their own gin, to take to your next party.
Go to Last Best Brewing & Distilling
Eau Claire Distillery
Eau Claire Distillery is an award-winning farm to glass distillery southwest of Calgary, in Turner Valley. Alberta barley, traditional farming techniques, glacier fed water, and Alberta’s variable climate combine to create Eau Claire Distillery’s award-winning spirits.
Eau Claire has won multiple awards from both regional and international spirits competitions every year from 2015 to 2024, including numerous double golds and best in class. That’s a notable achievement, and something not to be taken lightly. I’m sure you’ll find something to love here.
Spirits
Whisky
- Canadian Whisky
- Single Malt Whisky
- Rye Whisky
- Tawny Port Cask Whisky
- Maple whisky
Gin
- Dry Gin
- Christmas Gin
- Flourish Gin
- Cherry Gin
Vodka
- Clearwater Vodka
- Prickly Pear EquineOx Vodka
- Three Point Vodka
RTDs
- Blackberry Gin Smash
- Vodka Mule
- Prickly Pear Pink Lemonade
- Gin and Tonic
- Hard Iced Tea
- Dill Pickle Ceasar
Experiences
Located in the former 1929 Turner Valley Movie Theatre and Dance Hall, the Eau Claire Distillery includes a whisky lounge, a speakeasy, and a store and parlour with a patio, in addition to the distillery itself.
The Prohibition Experience: Tour and Tasting
Starting at the Whisky Lounge, take a guided tour of the distillery property and hear stories about Eau Claire Distillery and about prohibition in Alberta, followed by an educational walkthrough of the distillation process, and a tasting of Eau Claire Distillery premium spirits.
Host a Private Event
The Speakeasy
The newly renovated Speakeasy transports you back to the 1920s for a nostalgic experience.
Perfect for 120-150 guests
Rupert’s Parlour
Newly renovated parlour and patio.
Perfect for 40-50 guests.
The Whisky Lounge
Industrial charm meets rustic elegance.
Perfect for 50-60 guests.
Live Music
Come enjoy live local music on Friday evenings in the speakeasy.
The Takeaway
Eau Claire Distillery may be last on our list, but don’t let that dissuade you from making the trek out to Turner Valley. This is a first class establishment with a fun prohibition tour and tasting, great spirits and cocktails, and an immersive speakeasy that takes you back to the 1920s.
So get out and enjoy some fine craft spirits, cocktails, and experiences at these distilleries in and around Calgary. Did I miss your favourite? If there are distilleries you think should be added to this list, let me know in the comments below.
Comments
Be the first to leave a comment.