A little more than a week after the announcement of the closure of the Distillerie du St. Laurent, the Union québécoise des microdistilleries is calling for urgent help to avoid other, foreseeable disappearances.
“In recent months, the Distillerie de la Chaufferie as well as Champ Gauche-Distillerie Fils du Roy have also closed their doors. UQMD anticipates with desolation that several other closures will take place in the coming months,” the group wrote in a press release released Monday.
Distillers point to laws and regulations that limit their development and are calling for legislative reform.
“Once again, UQMD turns to François Legault and Eric Girard, calling on them to fully assume their responsibilities in this crisis. We urge them to demonstrate political courage and act decisively to modernize the legislative framework for our industry. It is crucial that our leaders understand the urgency of the situation and take concrete measures to support our local distilleries,” believes the group of distillers whose spokesperson is now the secretary general of the Union, Vincent Lambert.
The president of the same group is Joël Pelletier, one of the two founders of the Distillerie du St. Laurent. Unable to come to an agreement with its creditors, this Rimouski company announced that it was closing permanently around ten days ago.
The Union québécoise des microdistilleries speaks of this bankruptcy as a bolt from the blue in the world of Quebec spirits: the Distillerie du St. Laurent had an excellent reputation and had inspired several others to make drinks with local products.