John Fray on March 4, 2025: Canadian Whisky Distillers

First off, I have to mention that I smile when I think of the variance in the spelling of the alcohol beverage. In the U.S. it is spelled "whiskey" whereas in Canada it is spelled "whisky."

For reasons partly sentimental and partly cultural (I have Canadian relatives), I prefer Canadian whisky. There is a multitude of varieties of such. Here in Pennsylvania, we have the "State Store" system which provides the only means to purchase whiskey/whisky in person. The local store offers a reasonable variety of sections. All of the "Canadian whisky" offerings are bottled in the U.S., mostly by the Beam company which is owned by the Japanese business conglomerate Suntory. The bottled "Canadian whisky" products start off as whisky which is distilled and placed in barrels at Canadian distilleries. The whisky in the barrels is aged for the aporopriate length of time. After aging, the whisky is shipped to the American bottling facilities, such as Beam in Kentucky. The bottled Canadian whisky is what is referred to as a "blended" whisky. The contents of the bottles derive from multiple batches of distillation. Flavorings, colorings, and pure alcohol are also common ingredients.

I do not know how much of an increase in the price of a bottle Canadian Whisky sold at the local State Store will result from the Trump tarriffs. I am thinking that the price of a bottle of inexpensive Canadian whisky may rise from $17 to $20.

As for the Canadian bourbon drinkers and the ban which the government of Canada is placing on liquor products from the U.S., I do not think those Canadian Jim Beam drinkers will be crying in their drinks. They can modify their drinking preference. Their country provides a plethora of delictible rye whiskys. Some of the smaller distilleries which produce those rye whiskys are Canadian owned, but most of the large Canadian distilleriers are owned by worldwide conglomerates.