David Farran

Founder & President, Eau Claire Distillery

David is a proven entrepreneur with experience in local, national and international success stories such as Associate Veterinary Clinics (AVC/VCA), Eau Claire Distillery, Big Rock Brewery, Pipestone Travel and others.

David’s passion for Eau Claire began with a sincere belief that Alberta’s world-class agricultural bounty should be the home to a strong distilling industry. When we ship our grain worldwide for spirits production, it seemed extraordinary that Alberta didn’t have a craft distillery producing local, handcrafted spirits. Combined with deep historical roots in Alberta farming and ranching, David’s hobby of farming with draft horses seemed to be a perfect combination – thus Eau Claire was born.

As a former Vice President of Big Rock Brewery, a Canadian-born British Diplomat, a packager of international adventure travel, and a well-respected leader in North America’s veterinary industry, David’s awards and accolades include Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies, Alberta’s 50 most influential people and many others.

David’s entrepreneurial zeal is evident in Eau Claire’s pioneering and purist take on the Alberta remake of craft distilling. As Founder and President of Alberta’s first craft distillery, David connects a love for agriculture, a deep understanding of craft artisanal spirits and a conviction that Alberta should be the home of ‘best-in-class’ distilled products.

David also sits as a board member of the world-famous Calgary Stampede, the Inter-Municipal Economic Development Committee of Black Diamond and Turner Valley, Travel Alberta Foothills Tourism Steering Committee and is a director at the Vein Treatment Centre.