Canadian whisky lottery draws thousands as trade war shifts buying habits

CANADA Canadian whisky lottery draws thousands as trade war shifts buying habits By Cohan Sassaman Global News Posted September 22, 2026 1:03 pm 2 min read An Okanagan distillery is seeing a surge in demand for its single-malt whisky. This comes as the U.S. trade war continues to impact liquor store shelves in B.C. and many are choosing to support local. Cohan Sassaman has more. LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE What if winning the lottery didn’t mean millions of dollars, but a chance to buy a bottle of whisky? That’s what thousands of Canadians are hoping for as Okanagan Spirits prepares to release 5,000 bottles of its Laird of Fintry single malt whisky through a draw. View image in full screen Laird of Fintry single malt whisky which Okanagan Spirits only could make 5000 bottles and now opened a lottery for a chance to buy one. Cohan Sassman The Okanagan Spirit distillery received more than 42,000 entries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT Wyatt Cooper-Brown, manager of Okanagan Spirits’ Kelowna location, says the company has seen increased sales as more Canadians look toward homegrown spirits amid the Canada-U.S. trade war. View image in full screen Wyatt Cooper-Brown, manager of Okanagan Spirits’. Cohan Sassaman “The trade war for us is almost a silver lining,” Cooper-Brown said. “Massive increase in our sales.” Get breaking Montreal news Get breaking Montreal news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story. SIGN UP FOR BREAKING MONTREAL NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. He says the company’s bourbon-style whisky has seen particularly strong interest, bringing more customers to its other products. The changing buying habits extend beyond the distillery. A recent TD survey found 79 per cent of Canadians plan to support local or Canadian businesses, while 48 per cent said supporting Canadian businesses is a stronger priority than it was last summer. For some Kelowna residents, the trade dispute has changed where they choose to spend their money. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT Hubert, a local resident, said buying Canadian products is a way of supporting the country. “For us it just means that we’re defending home and kind of trying to uphold Canadian…