The conventional wisdom is that Canadian Whiskey owes its success to the United States’ brief and mostly unsuccessful attempt at Prohibition. There’s a lot of truth to that. But while that storyline explains a lot of the growth and popularity of Canadian Whiskey, the spirit has a long history in Canada, and continued to be a big seller ever as U.S. distillers got back into the business.

Officially, the first distillery in Canada started manufacturing spirits in 1769 in Quebec City, with John Molson getting the credit to be the first whisky distiller in 1799. Since many of the new immigrants were from Scotland and Ireland, home to some of finest spirits around, they were inclined to distill the leftover grain after the harvest season into whiskies.

As the years passed and the temperance movement became more powerful in the United States, Canadian distillers started turning a closer eye towards exporting their products to their neighbor to the South. Some made a success of that in the 19th century, such as Hiram Walker and what would become Canadian Club Whiskey. The Industrial Revolution and the establishment of easier means of transportation, such as railroad lines (and then automobiles) made this a profitable venture. You can find more information about the history of Canadian Whiskey here. If you are interested in Canadian Whiskey brands, bourbon and whiskey website got you covered – follow this link.