True Wild Distillery amps up Highfield Industrail Park with goals to become Canada’s largest craft distillery

Breathing new life into a historic space, the partners behind True Wild Distillery announced today plans to convert one of Alberta’s earliest electrical substations into one of Canada’s largest craft distilleries. Located in central Calgary’s Highfield district with an anticipated opening of June 2024, the 1.21-acre urban estate will include the distillery, tasting room, restaurant, patio and a private event space.

Originally completed in 1911, the concrete “cast-in-place” structure was home to Calgary Power’s (later TransAlta’s) first substation, establishing the wholesale supply of electricity to The City of Calgary. The transformation of this historic space into a distillery and public gathering space will bring premiumization to distilling in Calgary in all the venue’s offerings. A full-service restaurant, innovative cocktail program and bespoke experiences promise to bring grandeur to the landscape.

“This is a dream project for us. Calgary is truly the best place in the world for True Wild to call home,” said Bryce Parsons, whisky maker and founder. “It’s an ambitious undertaking and we take incredible pride in bringing new energy to a piece of Calgary’s past. We can’t wait to introduce our premium spirits, engaging experiences and world-class architecture to Albertans and the World,” he said.

This ambitious undertaking will highlight a significant reinvention of one of Calgary’s oldest industrial districts. True Wild Distillery champions meticulous crafting of small batch whisky using Canadian-made custom brewing and distillery equipment including Canada’s tallest copper pot alembic still.

There are plans for a full-service restaurant and patio with a menu reflecting local terroir as well as versatile event space capable of hosting groups of up to 250 for a range of functions.

For more information, visit True Wild or follow on Instagram at @truewilddistilling for project updates.