Canadian Whisky - BlueToad

Canadian whisky sometimes gets a bad rap.
Not as dark and smoky as its trendy Scotch
and Irish cousins, Canadian whisky is known
for its light color and mellow, smooth taste.
Many mixologists consider it a perfect addition
to cocktails. (Darcy O’Neil, author of the Art of Drink blog,
calls Canadian whisky “friendly and easy-going, the way many
people see Canadians.”).
Canadian whisky has a storied heritage in the U.S. for good
reason. Prohibition in the U.S. put Canadian whisky in many
American homes and speak-easies but John Molson gets
credit for being the first Canadian distiller in 1799, according
to bourbonandwhisky.com. When the U.S. banned drinking
in 1919, Canadian distillers seized the opportunity. Hiram
Walker, an American who built a whisky distillery in Detroit in
1858 but was worried about the state’s growing temperance
movement, had already relocated his operations across the
Detroit River to what’s now Windsor, Ontario. During the dry
1920s and 1930s, his distillery was perfectly positioned on the
American/Canadian border to take advantage of Americans’
appetite for rye whiskey (smuggler Al Capone was a regular
customer). Similarly, in Montreal, Samuel Bronfman, operating
a distillery which later became Seagram Co. Ltd. (and now
Diageo) also supplied bootlegged liquor to larger U.S. cities
like Boston, New York and Chicago.
Canadian whisky is not straight rye whisky. It’s made mostly
from corn, and can contain a fermented mash of wheat, rye
and/or barley; it’s also usually a blend of whiskies and its
proof and barrel-type for aging is usually at the Canadian
distiller’s discretion. To be called Canadian whisky, it must be
aged in oak casks for at least three years. It may be bottled in
either the U.S. or Canada and the age statement on the bottle
is the youngest whisky
When the U.S.
banned drinking
in 1919, Canadian
distillers seized the
opportunity.
used in the blend (U.S.
law states that Canadian
whisky must be
produced in Canada, be
a blend and contain no
distilled spirits less than
three years old). After
blending, the whisky
is returned to barrels
to allow the newly combined whiskies to mingle. As a rule,
Canadian whiskies are slightly pale and light-bodied.
Sample a Canadian whisky and see for yourself why it’s
been popular for decades; many brands are now on sale at
your local New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet. Here are
some brands to try.
24 | celebrate NH • march 2o12