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Canadian Whisky Facts and Trivia
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Celebrate the CFL playoffs and the upcoming 97th annual Grey Cup with another great Canadian tradition -- Canadian whisky. And while you're enjoying some, here are 15 facts you might not know about Canadian whisky.
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By Thats the Spirit
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1. Canadian whisky has been produced in Ontario and Canada for more than 200 years with the first commercial scale production beginning in the 1850s.
2. Two world famous, Ontario-made Canadian whiskies recently celebrated the 150th anniversaries of their creation: Wiser's, first produced in Corbyville in 1858 and Canadian Club, first distilled in 1859 in Walkerville.
3. In line with historic whisky production methods used in the British Isles, Canadian whisky is the product of mashed and fermented grain which is then distilled and aged in small wood barrels to allow the whisky distillate to mature; in order to legally be termed Canadian whisky, distillate must be mashed and distilled in Canada and aged in "small wood" for a minimum of 3 years.
4. While many smaller stills operated in villages throughout what was then the British colony of Upper Canada, commercial production of Canadian whisky was centered in York (now Toronto), along the shore of Lake Ontario west of Kingston and on the Detroit River near Windsor.
5. Early producers of Canadian whisky were often grist millers who were paid in grain by farmers for their grinding services; to avoid grain spoilage, pest infestation and fungal growth, fermentation and distilling was employed to preserve the value of the grain.
Canadian whisky and the rest of the world
6. Consistent with Canada's history of welcoming newcomers from across the globe, whisky-making skills arrived in Canada with successive waves of emigration from Scotland, Ireland and other western European countries and was enhanced, over time, by immigrants from eastern European countries and other regions of the world.
7. Canadian whisky is one of only four broadly recognized and protected whiskies, the others being Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey and Bourbon whiskey from the United States. More recently, countries such as Japan and Korea have demonstrated skill in producing excellent local distilled spirits known as Shochu or Sochu. (And, even more recently, India).
8. Known as a lighter and softer spirit, Canadian whisky is regarded as among the best as a whisky for mixing to create a wide assortment of cocktails; indeed, its "mixability”' continues to attract new consumers who wish to experience the taste of grain but not be overpowered by it.
Check out these 20 cocktails featuring Canadian whisky.
9. Canadians continue to enjoy whisky such that it remains the largest selling category of spirits sold in Ontario and Canada. Within the category, Canadian whisky is by far the dominant style of whisky preferred by Canadian consumers.
10. Canadian Whisky is also well known to Americans; it is the most popular whisky sold in the United States.
Canadian whisky, bootlegging and prohibition
11. Canadian whisky has long been enjoyed by discerning American consumers and the product became a highly valued commodity during the years of legal prohibition in the United States; indeed, it was the primary adult beverage sustaining most speak-easy's and other U.S. drinking establishments of questionable legal status.
12. Although the then United States government regarded whisky smuggling and its subsequent distribution and sale in the U.S. as serious criminal activity -- not unreasonable considering that it helped establish and underpin the growth of organized crime and gangsters such as Chicago's Al Capone and others -- the passage of time allows Canadians to acknowledge the role that several famous Canadian distilling families played in selling whisky that was subsequently smuggled from Canada to the United States.
13. The largest distillery operating in North America is the Hiram Walker & Sons distillery in Windsor. Opened in 1859 by Hiram Walker, an American, this distillery produces a wide portfolio of Canadian whisky brands including Canadian Club, Wiser's, Gibson's and others.
14. Ontario, the largest producer of Canadian whiskies, boasts a robust spectrum of styles and brands from super premium and deluxe to value brands. In addition to the three iconic brands mentioned above, Ontario is also home to Crown Royal, Canadian Mist, Seagram's VO, Royal Reserve, Forty Creek, McGuinness Silk Tassel, Seagram's 83 and Walker's Special Old, plus numerous other brands produced for selected export destinations.
15. In recent years, the industry has seen an explosion of innovative new premium and super premium Canadian whiskies, as well as innovative extensions of longstanding brand icons. Examples include extra aged products such as Canadian Club 30 year-old, Wiser's Red Letter, Forty Creek Barrel Select and Crown Royal Extra Rare as well as a range of interesting deluxe products such as Wiser's Small Batch and Canadian Club Sherry Cask.
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