The focus is whisky

On the techniques, challenges, and successes that leading whisky-makers experience when building unique whisky programs.

Our second Symposium will bring in whisky makers from across North America (and beyond) to share their experiences and interact with distillers. Instead of detailed technical presentations, the Symposium will focus on practical lessons in building world-class whisky programs, with:

Speakers representing various styles of whisky from around the world
Participation from whisky producers and distilleries of all sizes

Canada Whisky Symposium follows the 3rd annual ADC Conference & Trade Show, also taking place at Mount Royal University main campus in Calgary.

The Program

The Canada Whisky Symposium gathers distillers from across North American and beyond to share their unique and inspiring whisky programs with attendees.

Purchase Tickets

Keynote Q&A

Todd Leopold from Leopold Bros. Distillery & Malthouse

Over an early morning sample of their whiskey, Todd will share the story of Leopold Bros. and their resurrection of the Three Chamber Still, a truly rare and unique piece of engineering and art.

0900-1000

Session 1

Rob Carpenter from Hollyrood Distillery

Holyrood Distillery Five Years in: What we did right and what we didn't: join Co-founder of Holyrood Distillery, Rob Carpenter, for a candid tale of Canadians building a distillery in Edinburgh and the lessons learned.

10:15-11:15

Session 2

Paul Cirka from Cirka Distilleries

How does a small craft distillery attract the attention of a celebrity, navigate production challenges and get to the point of launching a new brand. This is the story of Paul Cirka, Michael Bublé and Fraser & Thompson Whisky. Launched in October 2023, this is a look into the challenges of launching a new celebrity whisky brand

11:30-12:30

12:30-1:15 lunch served

Panel

Defining Rye Whisky in Canada

Join Davin de Kergommeaux and a panel of distillers to talk about the future of rye whisky in Canada.

1:15-2:30

Session 3

Anna Mantheakis from Westward Whiskey

As a distiller with synesthesia, Anna has a unique approach to blending and tasting whiskey. She will talk about what it was like to find she had synesthesia; how synesthesia affects her process; how neurodiversity underpins her tasting philosophy; and how she honed her skills through her work with Westward Whiskey. We will learn the story of how Westward Whiskey grew from humble origins to become a well awarded producer of exceptional American Single Malt.

14:45=15:45

Session 4

Rob Easter from Workhorse Rye

Rob will deliver a deep dive into growing heirlooms grains, their differences in flavour, and how the interact with the soil differently than modern industrial grains, as well as the influence of oak on their delicate flavours. At Workhorse Rye Rob is focused on respecting the base ingredient of one's art, and our potential roads ahead that rely on community, collaboration, compassion for future generations, and raising the quality of our base ingredients.

16:00-17:00

Optional Evening Dinner

Whisky & Cocktail Dinner with Lot No. 40 at True Wild Distilling

The Whisky Dinner will feature a reception followed by a three-course meal—each dinner course will be paired with a cocktail and a whisky sample.

Featuring special guest Dave Mitton, Lot 40 Global Brand Ambassador.

6:00pm

Whisky Dinner Tickets

Meet the Speakers →

Our Speakers

Keynote Speaker

Featured

Todd Leopold

Master Distiller, Maltster & Co-Founder | Leopold Bros. Distillery & Malthouse

@leopoldbros @leopoldbrosfloormaltings

Todd Leopold is a three-time James Beard Award semi-finalist for Outstanding Wine, Spirits or Beer Producer, and a 29-year veteran of the brewing and distilling industries. He holds a Diploma in Brewing and Malting Science from the Siebel Institute, and attended the Doemens Brewer’s Academy in Germany. In addition to operating one of the largest floor malting operations in the world at Leopold Bros. Distillery & Malthouse in Denver, he revived the Three Chamber Still, a special and once-popular still used by American and Canadian distillers to produce whiskies and brandies before Prohibition. Leopold Bros. Distillery & Malthouse was founded in 1999 and was honoured as the 2015 Distillery of the Year by the American Distilling Institute and has won many awards for its whiskies and other spirits.

Speakers & Panelists

Featured

Rob Carpenter

Co-Owner & Master Distiller | Holyrood Distillery

@hollyrooddistillery

Rob Carpenter worked in Vancouver and Calgary as a corporate and commercial lawyer, concluding a 27 year legal career in 2017 as VP, Corporate Law with Enbridge. Always up for a side hustle, in 2013 he turned his business and legal experience to developing a distillery in Edinburgh, Scotland, working with his wife Kelly and former Master Distiller for The Macallan, David Robertson, to open Holyrood Distillery in the fall of 2019. Holyrood Distillery is the first single malt distillery in Edinburgh in almost 100 years.

Paul Cirka

Founder & CEO | Cirka Distilleries

@cirka_distilleries

Paul Cirka graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Landscape Architecture, after completing two years of a Bachelor of Science degree at McMaster University. An interest in computer-assisted design aids led him to graphics and the technology industry, and he spent nearly 15 years with start-ups in film special effects, television broadcast systems and creative learning solutions. Experience in software interface design, system architecture, marketing, business development and finance led him to explore early craft distilling, when there fewer than 200 micro-distilleries in the U.S. In 2014, he founded Cirka Distilleries, where as CEO and operations head he focuses on product development and business strategies. He met Michael Bublé in 2020 when Michael became a shareholder in Cirka Distilleries, and they’ve since collaborated on the creation of Fraser & Thompson Whisky.

Davin de Kergommeaux

Author & Founder | Canadian Whisky Awards

Davin is the author of Canadian Whisky: The New Portable Expertand The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries. He has written about whisky, has presented whisky seminars, and has led tasting workshops on four continents for the past two decades. He is a judge for international whisky competitions such as the World Whisky Awards and the Malt Maniacs Awards; in 2009, Davin founded the Canadian Whisky Awards, and continues as the chair of its judging panel.

Rob Easter

Founder & Master Distiller | Workhorse Rye

@workhorserye @modernancientwhiskey

Rob Easter is the original ancient grain obsessive. An elite cocktail bartender-turned-specialty-grain-and-fruit distiller from Tucson, Arizona, he attended Siebel Institute of Technology's distillation program in 2011 and started his hands dirty in the distillery and the grain fields, where he believes flavor begins. He has worked for Kings County Distillery, the American Distilling Institute and natural wineries in California, and currently keeps busy running his own brands, Modern Ancient and Workhorse Rye. Far from his days serving cocktails to the likes of Jay-Z and Robert Parker at New York’s Neta Japanese restaurant and bar, today he focuses on planting local pollinator plants and growing heirloom grains to supply to bigger farmers, along with making unique modern spirits using ancient knowledge and raw materials.

Anna Mantheakis

Lead Distiller | Westward Whiskey

@anna.distills

Anna Mantheakis holds an MS in Viticulture and Enology from University of California Davis and the General Certificate in Distilling from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling. She began her career in winemaking, crushing grapes around the world and making Pinot Noir in Southern Oregon, before transitioning into spirits. She now flexes her creativity by spearheading technical development projects at Westward Whiskey in Portland. As a distiller with a form of synesthesia (a neurological phenomenon where multiple senses are linked in the brain), in which sounds distort the flavor and texture of everything she tastes, she blends with headphones on. While working with her synesthesia as she tastes professionally, she also advocates for greater acceptance of neurodiversity.

2025 Location & Venue

Mount Royal University
Calgary, Alberta

Main Campus
4825 Mount Royal Gate SW
Calgary, Alberta

Mount Royal University’s main campus is located in Calgary’s scenic Lincoln Park neighbourhood, in the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of the Treaty 7 region in southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut'ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda, and is also home to the Métis Nation.

The main campus is situated on land where the Bow River and the Elbow River meet, just 8 minutes by car from the TransCanada Highway, 15 minutes from downtown, and less than 30 minutes from Calgary International Airport.

Whisky Dinner

You are invited to attend the inaugural Whisky Dinner, a separate, ticketed event directly following Canada Whisky Symposium.

Wednesday February 26th • 6-8pm
True Wild Distillery & Bar

The Whisky Dinner will feature a reception followed by a three-course meal—each dinner course will be paired with a cocktail and a whisky sample.

Featuring special guest Dave Mitton, Lot 40 Global Brand Ambassador.

Tickets

The focus is whisky

On the techniques, challenges, and successes that leading whisky-makers experience when building unique whisky programs.