THE STORY OF CANADA IN WHISKY

Third edition unveils new discoveries in Canada’s Whisky History

Whisky played a prominent role in the birth and growth of our nation, but Canada’s whisky is a long-neglected aspect of our history. Distilleries were once the largest source of government revenues, however, the disapproving influence of the temperance movement along with the politics of newspaper and book publishers, and sources prolific in other areas, generally kept the subject off limits. As well, annual reports written to encourage shareholders while minimizing tax liabilities, and outright fake news reports originating with the distillers themselves have kept much of that history obscured or confused.

Many of today’s online resources, while easy to find, don’t help to lift the veil. Even newspaper obituaries sometimes tell different tales depending on the political persuasion or citizenship of the editors. As much as possible we have visited public and private archives across the country to verify our stories. Nevertheless, our knowledge of Canada’s historic whisky makers will continue to evolve as new sources of reliable information are found to fill the gaps and take us in new directions. 

Online news, views and reviews by whisky author, Davin de Kergommeaux, supplementing his book Canadian Whisky, The Essential Portable Expert.