The Alberta distillery behind the vodka bottles is asking for an apology from the minister

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EDMONTON — The Alberta distillery behind the controversial four-liter bottles of vodka this week says it has been unfairly targeted on social media and is apologizing to cabinet, which it says was not responsible for pricing the product.

Earlier this week, Alberta Services Minister Dale Nally said the price of the product, sold at some Edmonton stores for $49.95, was offside even though it met all the rules.

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Yvonne Irnich, CEO of Edmonton-area distillery T-Rex, told The Canadian Press on Friday that the community's negative reactions to pot were overwhelming at first.

“That's why I'm so angry right now – because of the minister's comments and the damage done to my business. I didn't do anything,” said Irnich.

“I would like to see an apology from the public.”

The jars had been on the market for nearly a year until a photo of the special sale containers caught the attention of social media.

“It was an extreme load of hatred,” Irnich said.

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T-Rex announced on Monday that it will cease production. By Tuesday, Super Value Liquor Stores announced that it would remove the special sale price and sell remaining stock at the regular price of $60.

“Yes, we got a lot of publicity, but not all of it was good publicity,” Irnich said.

Since then, Irnich said, support from customers praising the product's affordability has prompted the distillery to restart production next week with the goal of putting the jugs back on shelves for $56.99 within days.

“It's a matter of supply and demand, and there's a lot of demand for lower-priced alcohol,” Irnich said, adding that there are cheaper vodkas on the market.

Under existing regulations, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis sets the wholesale price that retailers must pay for the product. Sellers, in turn, can set the selling price.

After Nally raised concerns about vodka jugs and said he was looking to intervene, he clarified that he would not set a minimum price.

In response to questions from the Canadian press on Friday, including whether the fixed label price of Nally's vodka bottles believes in social responsibility, its spokeswoman Nikki Goquan issued a brief statement.

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“The Government of Alberta supports a free and open market, prioritizing social responsibility and the health and safety of Albertans involved in gambling, alcohol and cannabis. Alberta distilleries are known to produce world-class products, and we want to maintain that reputation,” Guoquan said.

The distillery has called on the government to reinstate a rule requiring distilleries to produce at least 80 percent of their products in-house. When T-Rex had that rule lifted a few years ago, it forced them and others to lower prices to stay in business.

Nalley said he sees the rule as red tape and doesn't want to reinstate it.

This Canadian Press report was first published on April 12, 2024.

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