An Ottawa-area distillery is redirecting its expansion plans after Canada-U.S. trade negotiations collapsed and new 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods took effect on Saturday. Stratford-Fox Distillery had been preparing to enter the much larger U.S. market. General manager and master distiller Adam Brierley says that plan is now being reconsidered. “A big part of our plan was to move into the United States,” Brierley said. “It’s a bigger population, the U.S. dollar is usually stronger, and we’re now reconsidering that and looking to Europe.” The United States imposed 50 per cent tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian products, including alcohol, after negotiations broke down Friday. Prime Minster Mark Carney suspended further talks and said Canada intends to respond to the tariff’s dollar for dollar. Brierley says Stratford-Fox will instead concentrate on expanding east and west within Canada. The distillery is discussing potential listings in Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, while also considering opportunities in Europe. The company produces its whisky, vodka, gin, rum, and liqueurs locally using Ontario-grown grain. Its cardboard packaging is also manufactured in Ontario, while its glass bottles are sourced from Europe. “We invested very early in making sure that our supply chain was as Canadian as possible,” Brierley said about the company which was founded in 2020. “I’m glad to see that that’s paying dividends now that we have all of this trade uncertainty.” The dispute has created opportunities for the distillery within Ontario. Before American alcohol was removed from LCBO shelves, Stratford-Fox had one product listed with the provincial retailer. Its whiskey is now available at more than 200 LCBO locations and has become the eighth-most-popular whisky in Ontario, according to Brierley. Earlier this week, Carney asked premiers to consider returning American alcohol to provincial stores as Canada attempted to secure an agreement with Washington. With no agreement in place, Ontario has not announced any change to the current LCBO boycott. Outside an Ottawa LCBO on Saturday, shoppers expressed support for Canada’s decision to walk away from the proposed agreement. “I think President Trump needs to be put in his place,” said Ottawa resident Paul Fennell. “I think Carney – I believe he’s doing the right thing to make it happen.” Carol Lenz said the latest developments have not changed her commitment to avoiding American products. “Absolutely no interest in buying anything American if I can avoid it, and certainly not American liquor,” she said. Despite the additional shelf space and growing interest in Canadian products, Brierley said he ultimately hopes both countries can find a path back to stable trade relations. “I do hope that we get to a deal at some point in time,” he said. “Speaking personally, I do hope that trade relations normalize.”
