Confluence Distilling

COVID-19 UPDATE: Currently, Confluence's tasting room is closed for dine-in and cocktails, but open 9AM - 5PM weekdays for any retail off-sales.

For thousands of years, the confluence has been a significant gathering place; It is where many world views have collided, forever changing the people and the place. The Bow and the Elbow river confluence is no exception, and laid down the foundation for modern-day Calgary. Confluence Distilling tale began in 2007 in a backyard with a 10 lb. bag of Russet potatoes, boiling water, bakers yeast and some crossed fingers. This marked the beginning of Ross’s journey into the world of distilling. Although the first (few) batches didn’t turn out too well, he was steadfast in his desire to craft his own spirits. In November 2018 Confluence Distilling opened its doors to the public.

The original team is made up of Ross (our fearless President and founder), Jamie (sales expert, growth manager and connection to the outside world) and Pheelan (the she amongst the he’s, the head taster and co-founder). All of them brought together through the love and allure of liquor. The story of Confluence isn’t only entrenched in the love of spirits and science—it’s also about a desire to create better communities and culture. Their spirits are a means for Albertans to connect with local culture, art, cocktails, and of course, each other. Their vision is to create better lives by making the good times last. Located in the inner-city district of Manchester, Confluence Distilling is proud to create premium handcrafted spirits, with locally sourced ingredients from family farmers.

When possible they handpick botanicals from the Albertan wilds. All the bottle art are original pieces by Albertan artists, designers and tattoo artists. For their business, craft means to source the majority of our ingredients locally, and hand-make every bottle. That’s why you might find every batch has its own unique characteristics, with the same delicious flavours. There might be spelling errors, or an upside-down sticker, but that’s how you know we are working hard until we’re cross-eyed. The next time you have a sip, we hope you are as excited as they are about the unique flavours, the local art and the passion behind every bottle. And remember, our spirits are best paired with friends.