An Unlikely Winner in a Trade War
When the Quebec government directed the Société des alcools du Québec to remove American alcohol products from its shelves last spring, a direct response to U.S. tariffs, local distillers didn’t know quite what to expect.
They expected more customers. They didn’t expect this.
From March 2025 to January 2026, local whisky sales in Quebec shot up 114%. That’s not a rounding error. That’s a transformation.
The Numbers Are Real
The SAQ’s category manager for spirits, Éloïse Michaud, is matter-of-fact about what happened: “Removing the offer of important U.S. products has just given more room for Quebec products.”
Whiskies from producers like Distillerie de Montréal have seen demand double, or more. “Our whisky production has gone up majorly. We’ve more than doubled our sales,” said production manager Alex Arpin.
Co-owner Lilian Wolfelsberger put it similarly: “The international context with our American neighbours has allowed them to have more shelf space.”
One of their standout performers? Abeille, a honey whisky liqueur that became one of the distillery’s best-selling products during the surge.
Why This Is Surprising
Here’s the thing: Quebec historically wasn’t a whisky province. Wine has long dominated, and whisky underperformed relative to other parts of Canada. The category was small, enthusiast-driven, and growing, but slowly.
Whisky also takes time. It requires a minimum of three years of aging before it can legally be called whisky. Local distillers weren’t sitting on enormous reserves when the SAQ cleared the American section.
That makes the 114% figure even more remarkable. It reflects real sales of existing local product, not a flood of newly matured stock.
Can It Last?
Paul Goulet of the Union québécoise des microdistilleries offers a measured take: “Whisky is a growing market but it is a small portion of the products that our members are making.”
In other words, distillers are delighted, but they’re also dealing in patience. The long game of whisky production means today’s increased production won’t show up on shelves for years.
Whether U.S. products return to the SAQ depends on how the broader trade relationship evolves. For now, Quebec’s distillers are making the most of their moment.
Source: CBC News
