File Photo/CHAT News

By Jesse Gill

INDUSTRY

New ‘Raise a Glass to Alberta’ campaign aims to highlight alcohol industry

May 21, 2025 | 3:34 PM

An initiative between Travel Alberta and AGLC is encouraging Albertans to support their local brewers, distillers, and winemakers in the province — including Medicine Hat.

The Raise A Glass to Alberta campaign runs across Medicine Hat and seven other markets until mid-June.

There are nearly 250 liquor manufacturers throughout the province that produce over 10,000 products.

Tannis Gaffney, chief marketing officer with Travel Alberta, said Wednesday the campaign came together as the U.S. escalated its trade war on Canada and other provinces started to pull liquor off the shelves.

“We thought, ‘why don’t we turn this into a positive?’ and put together a collaborative campaign with AGLC on the positive nature of buying local,” Gaffney said.

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“That’s what’s really important right now, is Albertans buy local, support local, support local breweries and distilleries and try to drive the economy here as much as we can.”

AGLC chief executive Kandice Machado said the manufacturers employ Albertans and use Alberta agricultural products.

“It’s such a value add to our economy, and so we want to just make sure that we’re supporting them every way we can,” Machado said.

“Albertans know about them, and so the Raise a Glass Alberta website really promotes what each manufacturer offers and showcases them as Albertans are making their plans.”

Hell’s Basement, a brewer in Medicine Hat open since 2016, distributes its products throughout Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan.

One of the 15 Alberta Ale Trail‘s in the province runs along Highway 3 from the Crowsnest Pass to Medicine Hat, something that already helps support visits to several breweries.

Hell’s Basement head brewer Ty Pyette said they have a blend of local and non-local visitors to their brewery, and is happy to see the push to buy Canadian made products.

“I hope we get to steal some of the shelf space from our friends down in the U.S.,” Pyette said.

“I really hope it promotes interprovincial trade more as well.”

Gaffney, of Travel Alberta, said there are interesting add-on experiences that many producers are starting to do.

“You can go and have a drink or have a mocktail and then have an experience there too,” Gaffney said.

“Whether that’s like a cultural experience or sort of a history lesson or even being able to experience a farm firsthand,” she added.

“That’s kind of exciting that there’s something actually to do once you get to some of these places.”

For example, Hell’s Basement plans to offer a brewery tour.