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EDMONTON — Alberta is aiming to regulate who can slap an Alberta whisky stamp on spirits produced in the province.
In tabling the bill Tuesday, it said it may be the first government in Canada to use artificial intelligence to help draft legislation.
Premier Danielle Smith said distillers told her government that they’re making high-quality whisky but face challenges differentiating their products from other Canadian whisky on the market.
“We think there’s an obvious solution to this challenge: define what Alberta whisky is and protect it in legislation,” the premier said.
She later tipped back a glass of the liquor with industry representatives.
Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally said the bill, if passed, would set out rules requiring whisky to be mashed, fermented, distilled, aged, proofed and bottled in the province to use the Alberta label.
It must source Alberta water, and at least two-thirds of grain used in making it must be grown in the province.
Alberta distillers could continue making other whisky products that don’t meet the label’s standards.
Nally said he doesn’t anticipate allowing AI to write legislation unfettered, but the government used it to analyze data and come up with the “building blocks” for writing this bill.
“The final product is a combination of all the tools that we used at our disposal, including human eyes, as well as the AI program.”
Nally said branding Alberta whisky is about “building pride” in the product and helping boost its reputation on the world stage.
“Just like Kentucky is known for bourbon and Scotland is known for scotch, we want Alberta to be known for great whisky,” he said.
He added that he anticipates the proposed legislation to be a significant economic driver.
“Kentucky is a smaller jurisdiction than Alberta, and we have better whisky.”
The government says there are 45 distillers producing whisky in the province, most of which are small craft distillers.
Bryce Parsons, president of the Alberta Craft Distillers Association, called it a defining moment for the province and every craft distiller.
“We’re not just creating whisky. We’re building a circular economy here. Alberta’s growing grain distilled and aged here, driving tourism, supporting farmers and bringing communities together,” he said.
Provincial agency Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis would be responsible for enforcement and inspection to ensure manufacturers using the Alberta Whisky label are following the rules.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2026.
Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press
