Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

Stephanie Intrevado has built quite an unusual collection over the years. Ever since taking her first sip of Sour Puss at the age of 18 — the legal drinking age in her home province of Quebec — she has been determined to try every flavor of the brightly colored fruit liqueur, AzerNEWS reports, citing BBC.

From passion fruit and coconut to watermelon and other limited editions, the 35-year-old says she feels “very lucky” to own several rare bottles and branded merchandise that are difficult to find today.

However, Stephanie was stunned when she discovered that Sour Puss — long considered by many Canadians to be a classic student drink — is actually produced in the United States. The revelation also raised concerns about whether the напиток would remain available in Canada amid growing trade tensions between Ottawa and Washington.

Since the spring of 2025, most Canadian provinces have been boycotting American-made alcohol in response to tariffs introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump. The restrictions created serious difficulties for Phillips Distilling, the Minnesota-based family company behind Sour Puss.

According to company CEO Andy England, the business lost nearly 70% of its Canadian sales, calling the situation “a disaster.” Sour Puss suffered the biggest blow, as Canada remains the brand’s largest market by far.

Facing mounting losses, Phillips Distilling made a historic decision — relocating part of its production to Canada for the first time in the company’s history. The move helped the brand return to store shelves across the country and gradually restore relations with provincial distributors.

“We’re in a completely different position now,” England told the BBC. “We produce and sell in Canada, and we’ve managed to convince most provinces to bring some of our products back.”

Interestingly, the situation highlights how political tensions and trade disputes can unexpectedly affect everyday consumer products and even pop culture. Analysts say similar cases are becoming increasingly common as countries use economic measures and consumer boycotts as tools of political pressure.