Saturday evening’s showcase at Roy Thomson Hall is being billed as Canada’s premier whisky show for connoisseurs by connoisseurs.Spirit of Toronto/Supplied
Johanna Ngoh was prepared to host this year’s Spirit of Toronto whisky festival without American bourbon, after provinces removed it from liquor-store shelves amid the trade war with the U.S.
But she didn’t expect that producers around the world would be adversely affected by prevailing uncertainty created by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“We were bracing ourselves for there being no American spirits, but we weren’t prepared for how hard the rest of the industry would be hit,” says Ms. Ngoh, who has been the event’s executive producer since its inaugural tasting in 2004.
“A lot of the people I am talking to are saying, business-wise, it feels like the pandemic because of the uncertainty surrounding everything.”
The day after Mr. Trump’s April 2 announcement imposing baseline tariffs on most countries, Ms. Ngoh, who works with import agents and companies to secure exhibitors for the annual showcase, received a flurry of cancellations from vendors. Producers, who initially believed Mr. Trump’s tariff threats were sabre-rattling, realized there was no hope of a quick resolution.
Canadian whisky is good, actually
As a result, whisky lovers attending Saturday evening’s showcase at Roy Thomson Hall – an event billed as Canada’s premier whisky show for connoisseurs by connoisseurs – will experience a smaller, more intimate tasting featuring rare and limited production labels from Scotland, Ireland and India.
The U.S. is an important market for Scotch and Irish whisky producers. In 2019, during his first presidency, Mr. Trump imposed 25-per-cent tariffs on single malt Scotch whisky imports. The Scottish Whisky Association puts industry losses at £600-million in sales for the 18 months the levies were in place. At that time, Mr. Trump threatened similar sanctions on Irish whisky but never followed through.
“Everyone is sort of winging it right now,” she says.
Import agents with a significant part of their portfolio dedicated to U.S. wine and spirits are reeling from a lack of sales and reducing workforce as a result, Ms. Ngoh says.
Whisky lovers attending this year’s Spirit of Toronto will experience a smaller, more intimate tasting featuring rare and limited production labels from Scotland, Ireland and India.Spirit of Toronto/Supplied
“That’s really been the knock-on effect,” she says. “It’s one thing to say, we are going take these products off the shelf. But there are a lot of moving parts involved getting those products onto the shelf and to consumers.”
In an ordinary year, American spirits represent 25 to 30 per cent of the bottles opened for sampling. Their absence has some consumers staying home, too.
“We got feedback from some people who said they were going to pass on the event because they specifically come to taste bourbon, which is fair,” she says. “I don’t think anyone actually thinks there’s a replacement for bourbon. Bourbon is a very specific product, with a very specific profile.”
Scottish distilleries are using the opportunity to introduce some older single malt to attendees. The list of samples featured on spiritoftoronto.ca includes the likes of Lagavulin 1980 Distillers Edition, Port Ellen 1981 and Tamnavulin 1979. Ontario representatives at this year’s event include Dunrobin, Last Straw and Spring Mill distilleries.
“Whisky and spirits lovers are, by their nature, promiscuous,” she says. “It’s the variety of what’s on offer, that’s of interest. The appeal for most people is to try a range of different things from different places.”
