Conference Seminars

While conference began with Monday’s optional technical workshops (see Workshops), the main ADC 2022 program was held on Tuesday, October 25th, at the stunning Vancouver Convention Centre West building, facing Stanley Park and the North Shore mountains.

The Day 2 program consisted of two plenary sessions—a morning keynote and an afternoon panel—and two parallel seminar tracks throughout. See the schedule here.

KEYNOTE

State of canada’s Artisan Spirits Industry: 10 Trends, Predictions, Facts & Myths

Featuring Charlene Rooke (Distill)

Kicking off the day’s program in 2022 was thought leader Charlene Rooke, a WSET-certified spirits educator, industry writer, judge for the Canadian Artisan Spirits Competition (CASC), and Academy Chair for Western Canada for the World’s 50 Best Bars.

General Session 9:00 - 9:45 AM

Panel DiscussionS

Diversity & Distilling

Featuring Debbie Shing (Vinequity), Jenna Diubaldo (Sons of Vancouver Distillery), Alayne MacIsaac (Sheringham Distillery), Pheelan Mah (Confluence Distilling)

How does a small industry sector accommodate the very reasonable expectations for contemporary hiring and business practices that promote and support equity, diversity, and inclusion? This interactive panel discussion featured female-identifying and ethnically underrepresented members of Canada’s small-scale distillery community addressing this topic and others related to breaking down historical barriers in this fast-growing industry as it grapples with a changing workforce, market, and expectations.

General Session 1:30 - 2:15 PM

Retail Best Practices: Retailer, Agent & Manufacturer Perspectives on Selling Across Canada

Moderated by Darryl Lamb (Legacy Liquor Stores), and featuring Paul Rickett (VARketing!), Alayne MacIsaac (Sheringham Distillery), Andrew Doyle (Lone Tree Cellars)

This panel of experts—a retail expert, an agent who distributes small-batch spirits across the country and a spirits manufacturer—speak from experience on how to get your product on shelves in various Canadian provinces. As artisan spirit brands continue to proliferate and competition for space on shelves increases, find out how to get to know your customer demographics, how to build loyalty with consumers, how to manage sales channels and what your distillery needs to do—with or without an agent—to be retail-ready for various Canadian provincial markets.

Track Session 3:45 - 5:00 PM

seminars

Quality Control & Problem Solving: R&D Support and Solutions

Dr. Leonard Lermer (Chemistry Department, Okanagan College)

Okanagan College in Penticton, B.C. is home to the Beverage Technology Access Centre (BC BTAC), part of a federally funded network of centres providing applied research and other assistance to Canadian industries. From the research team's recent experience with local fermented and distilled beverage projects there, discover how working with an R&D partner and accessing research grants can help improve your product line and bring your new products to market. From one of its top researchers, learn how laboratory analysis testing can help establish quality standards, and identify areas for optomization and process improvement, at your distillery.

9:45 - 11:00 AM

Growing Expertise: Selecting Distillers Grains & Malt, and Making Farm-to-flask Spirits

Matt Hamill (Red Shed Malting)

Canadian agriculture is still in the infancy of providing artisan distillers with grains to optimize a wide range of products, from white spirits to whisky making. From an Alberta family-farm malting operation, hear about how everything from protein and starch content of specific strains impacts quality and yields, to connecting with seed suppliers and farmers to cultivate grain crops to make your spirits production efficient and unique. The focus of this session will be malted barley, as well as Canadian wheat. This session will include a robust Q&A session: please come with questions, or send them in advance.

9:45 - 11:00 AM

Cracking Export Markets: Advice for Artisan Distillers

Janet Dorozynski (Global Affairs Canada)

Join Canada's Trade Commissioner for the alcoholic beverage industry and find out exactly what your distillery needs to do to become export ready and succeed internationally. Through an overview of key markets and the regulatory requirements for export, learn what to expect if you want to take your business global. The session will highlight how the Trade Commissioner Service can assist you in identifying contacts, how to participate in trade and media events in key export markets along with information on funding programs to assist SME companies prepare an export plan and break into new international markets.

11:15 AM - 12:30 PM

Yeast: Optimizing Spirit Production to Improve Quality, Efficiency and Profitability

Annick Mercier (Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits)

The past few years have shown us that operational upsets are always right around the corner. During that time, Montreal-based Lallemand Distilling operation worked with distillers to help them get the most out of their production. During this session, find out how to improve efficiency, quality and profits through technical improvement on existing processes. Lallemand's experts will discuss easy-to-implement actions in mashing, yeast strain choices and fermentation conditions. Backed by real-life data and case studies, their proposed changes and optimization can result in increased spirit quality as well as production cost savings.

11:15 AM - 12:30 PM

Barrel Management: Optimizing your maturation and warehouse operations

Charisse Woods (Kentucky Artisan Distillery)

Kentucky distillerys’ trash can become a Canadian distillery's treasure. Get expert insight on sourcing and receiving ex-bourbon and other casks, and learn how to store, track and maintain barrels within warehouse facilities of all sizes and scales. Discussions on safety (including fire safety and tackling so-called distiller's mold), as well as ways to optimize warehouse space and organization systems to keep track of all your barrels, will be part of this in-depth session.

2:15 - 3:30 PM

Building & Scaling: Overcoming Physical Plant Challenges

Bryce Parsons (Last Best Brewing and Distilling)

Whether you're considering opening a Canadian artisan distillery, or have recently opened one, you know there are multiple hurdles to building out a new manufacturing facility. From location and zoning to fire code and equipment, learn from hands-on expert experience what challenges you should be prepared for, and how to overcome them. For young distilleries and those on a growth trajectory, find out how to build scalability into your plans. Our expert will take questions on a wide range of other topics, from as finding possible synergies with other manufacturing operations (from beer to cider and wine) to sustainability options and best practices.

2:15 - 3:30 PM

Sensory in a Production Environment: Ensure Consistency & Identify Potential Faults

Brendan Cook (Driftwood Spirits)

An introduction on how to do a sensory evaluation of your spirits: from how to nose and how to create a set, to how to form a sensory-evaluation panel and basic sensory tests to incorporate at your distillery. Using supplied sample kits, we'll identify some common faults, and diagnose where and how they commonly occur (from raw material handling to cuts, casks and cleaning errors) with tips and tools for correcting them.

3:45 - 5:00 PM