Premier Smith bets Alberta whiskey in Stanley Cup Final

Alberta sold around $220 million of whiskey in 2021/22

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is putting up another Alberta-made product against an American counterpart in the Stanley Cup Final.

In the finals, the premier bet Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that if the Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup over the Florida Panthers, Gov. DeSantis must send her a bottle of fine Florida rum.

Dear Governor @RonDeSantis,

This is for all the marbles…
The Stanley Cup! 🥅 🏒

Our Edmonton Oilers are going to beat the Florida Panthers and when we do, would you send some of your finest Florida rum to Alberta for us to celebrate with?

If by some miracle the Panthers win… pic.twitter.com/8qH1AbP6kH

— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) June 8, 2024

And “if by some miracle the Panthers win the series, then I will send some fine Alberta-made whiskey down to Florida,” the premier said on X.

Alberta sold the third-most whiskey by province in 2021/22.

That year, Alberta’s whiskey sales totaled more than $220 million, data from Stats Canada says. Only B.C. and Ontario sold more whiskey.

And some distillers pride themselves on using Canadian ingredients.

Alberta Distillers, for example, says its Alberta Premium whiskey is “made with 100 % Canadian Prairie Rye.”

And Burwood Distillery’s vision is “to celebrate Alberta’s agriculture by handcrafting world-class spirits from local ingredients.”

Alberta whiskey is also recognized on the world stage.

In 2024, Alberta distilleries won multiple medals at the World Whiskies Awards and the Canadian Whisky Awards.

Premier Smith made the bet on the afternoon of June 8, prior to the series’ first game, which Florida won 3-0 to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

And it appears Gov. DeSantis has accepted.

Not only has he accepted the terms, but he’s upped the ante as well.

“And I also said, ‘You know what I feel good about how the cup is going to proceed. So if somehow the Oilers win, I’ll not only send the rum, I’ll also throw in a key lime pie to boot,'” he said Monday, Florida media reports.