Two years ago when you ordered an old fashioned at the bar you probably hoped for real Kentucky bourbon, but these days you might be hoping for something local to the Okanagan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the trade war with the U.S. goes on and on, Okanagan Spirits CEO and president of the Craft Distillers Guild of BC Tyler Dyck said the president\u2019s latest move is actually helping producers like him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor any true Canadian brand, we have definitely seen very positive effects from the trade war,\u201d Dyck said. \u201cTheir banning of Canadian alcohol had the exact opposite effect than what they thought.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump officially banned Canadian alcohol products<\/a> including beer, wine and spirits such as whiskies, vodka and gin on Sept 29. But Dyck said most of the companies who export those products to the U.S. aren\u2019t Canadian owned, and Canadian craft distilleries do most of their business in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Empress Gin is owned by a company based in Texas even though it\u2019s distilled in B.C., Canadian Club is owned by a Japanese company with distilleries in Ontario and Crown Royal Whiskey is distilled in Manitoba but it\u2019s owned by a British Company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTrump has shot his supporters in the foot by banning a product that people misbelieve is Canadian and it absolutely is not,\u201d Dyck said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n