The recent Banff Craft Beer Festival showcased a variety of premixed cocktails alongside the traditional selection of IPAs, lagers, and sour beers. Frozen margaritas, hard iced teas, and canned espresso martinis have become popular additions as craft beer brewers in Alberta respond to evolving consumer preferences.
Statistics Canada reports a decline in beer consumption in Alberta over the past decade, with the market share of ciders, coolers, and ready-to-drink cocktails doubling during the same period. While beer still leads in sales, the province’s 140-plus small beer breweries have observed this shift.
Dan Allard, co-founder of Cold Garden Beverage Company in Calgary, noted a decrease in beer demand and began producing premixed cocktails in 2020 to meet changing consumer needs. Allard emphasized the importance of adapting to consumer preferences to ensure business sustainability.
Premixed cocktails currently contribute around 30% of Cold Garden’s revenue, with expectations of this share increasing to 50% by the next summer season. The craft beer industry in Alberta, which experienced its peak in 2018, is now focusing on diversification to maintain profitability over the long term.
Blair Berdusco from the Alberta Small Brewers Association highlighted the successful adaptation of breweries to consumer tastes, with many expanding into the ready-to-drink canned cocktails category. The industry anticipates further creativity and innovation from breweries to meet evolving consumer demands.
Peter Johnston-Berresford, an instructor at Olds College’s brewery and beverage program, acknowledged the changing landscape of the craft beverage industry. The program has evolved to include a broader range of beverages such as canned cocktails, ciders, and kombucha to cater to consumer preferences.
Johnston-Berresford emphasized the need for breweries to innovate and diversify their product offerings to remain competitive in the market. He highlighted the growing popularity of canned cocktails as a response to consumer fatigue with traditional beers, noting that breweries must adapt and learn new techniques to thrive in the evolving industry landscape.