2021 R
BY TOM FIRTH
ather than watching the food and beverage scene changing organically according to the whims of producers, consumers, restaurants and liquor retailers, the past year has seen a number of trends change due to necessity rather than our desires. Lockdowns and restrictions limited our dining in options for significant parts of the year, while opening the doorway to more online shopping, and consuming at home. For the spirits industry, distillers in Alberta have had a tough time with the impact on restaurants this past year, but offset somewhat by the renewed interest and community-based support for buying local. Gin seems to be showing some indications that the market is possibly saturated, or that consumers seem to be slowing down in their quests to “try all the gins,� but on the bright side, Alberta-made craft whiskies seem to be trickling into tasting rooms and onto shelves at local retailers. The quality of most are fantastic, and expect a lot of drum banging and shouting from the rooftops as new bottlings and novel aging regimes are announced. From further afield, it looks as though rum (though there are some locally made ones!) and tequila are gaining traction, whether evoking the beach or sunny destination we missed or are pining for, might be the hot new ticket this coming summer. Somewhat of a surprise is how much the readyto-drink category and pre-mixed cocktails continue to grow. Perhaps it’s that more craft distillers and brewers are making them with premium ingredients, less sugar or sweeteners, and an eye to
18 Culinaire | January/February 2021
