Quebecers who’ve been missing Sour Puss can finally relax. The tangy, neon-coloured liqueur that disappeared from SAQ shelves due to the province’s ongoing boycott of American-made alcohol is officially coming back. And this time, it’ll be made right here in Montreal.
In a Tuesday press release, Phillips Distilling Company, the Minnesota-based owner of Sour Puss, confirmed that production of the liqueur will move entirely to Montreal in 2025. It’s the first time in the brand’s history that the product will be made in Canada, marking what the company calls a “strategic and economic move” to get closer to its main market.
The vast majority of Sour Puss consumers are Canadian. @sourpuss_ca | Instagram
Why Sour Puss is coming back
According to Phillips Distilling, almost all of Sour Puss’s sales were already Canadian. In 2024 alone, more than a million bottles were sold nationwide — including over 270,000 in Quebec — for a total of nearly $23 million in sales. In other words, about 27% of all Sour Puss sold in Canada was bought by Quebecers.
That’s a lot of Sour Puss, and the company says the numbers made it clear: moving production north of the border was the logical next step, especially after the trade dispute that triggered Quebec’s alcohol boycott earlier this year.
“Canadians have appreciated Sour Puss for many years, and we are proud to bring its production home for the first time,” said Rumi Jaffer, Director of Sales at Phillips Distilling Company. “This move allows us to better meet consumer expectations while showing that our local manufacturing sector has nothing to envy from other North American markets.”
Made in Montreal
The company says bringing Sour Puss production to Montreal will also help support jobs across several provinces, particularly in Quebec, where demand for the liqueur has always been strong.
The raspberry-flavoured favourite is expected to return to SAQ shelves in December 2025, just in time for the holidays. It’ll be the first time since March that Quebecers can get their hands on it, making for a comeback that’s likely to please nostalgic fans who never quite replaced their go-to party drink.
This article was inspired by “Le Sour Puss sera bientôt de retour au Québec malgré le boycott : voici pourquoi,” which was originally published on Narcity Quebec
