Master Blender Bill Ashburn to Give Keynote Address at Inaugural Canada Whisky Symposium

Grain-to-Glass Pioneer and Forty Creek Legend Brings 35 Years of Experience to Whisky Conference in Vancouver this Fall

July 12, 2023 – Vancouver, BC – Master Blender Bill Ashburn, of the award-winning, Ontario-based Forty Creek Distillery, will headline the inaugural Canada Whisky Symposium, on October 25, 2023, in Vancouver.

Master blender Bill Ashburn.

"Bill Ashburn is one of the few master blenders that every other master blender wants to hear from, especially given the successes of Forty Creek products,” said Alex Hamer, Canada Whisky Symposium organizer. “Having him kick off the Canada Whisky Symposium and share some insights from his 30 years behind one of Canada's highest-calibre, award-winning whiskies is a real treat."

Ashburn will review his stellar 35-year career, in the context of innovation in Canadian whisky in conversation with Canadian whisky expert Davin de Kergommeaux.

Featuring technical seminars and panels focusing on whisky-specific topics such as grains and malting, mashing and fermentation, distillation and maturation, and explorations of innovation in regional styles of whisky production, the Canada Whisky Symposium will also give participants the opportunity to hear from some of the country's most-respected whisky experts.

“The goal of the Canada Whisky Symposium is to provide distillers unique access to first-hand knowledge about their craft, and there are few who can match the expertise of this year’s keynote speaker," said Hamer.

Canada Whisky Symposium is one of two events to be held for North America's growing spirits beverage sector this fall to feature icons in the “grain-to-glass” movement. The Artisan Distillers Canada (ADC) Conference and Trade Show will take place from October 23-24, also in Vancouver.

Now in its second year, the ADC Conference brings together artisan distillers from across the country for peer-to-peer learning, demonstrations, and knowledge-sharing, all led by successful distillers and industry experts through expert-led seminars, interactive panels, and technical workshops.

Matt Hofmann, co-founder of Seattle-based Westland Distillery, will provide the keynote address for the 2023 ADC Conference. "Canadian distillers can learn a lot from someone like Matt Hofmann, particularly his experience building a small-scale distillery into one of North America's leading producers of quality, regional spirits—we're thrilled that he’s participating."

In addition to featuring two of the distilling industry's most-respected pioneers, both Canada Whisky Symposium and the ADC Conference and Trade Show will provide participants networking opportunities for owner-operators, distillers, and thought leaders, including two dozen industry suppliers showcasing their products and services in a trade show format within the conference facility.

Both events take place at UBC Robson Square in Vancouver. Tickets for the Artisan Distillers Canada Conference and Trade Show and Canada Whisky Symposium go on sale Wednesday, August 16, 2023.

For more information and to subscribe to updates, visit conference.artisandistillers.ca