Canadian Whisky – It Never Went out of Style
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NORTHERNEXPOSURE Canadian Whisky – It Never Went Out of Style By Alia Akkam From the very first episode of Mad Men, AMC’s beloved drama revolving around Madison Avenue’s most thrilling circa 1960 ad agency, it’s clear that Don Draper, the charismatic protagonist, savors drinking Canadian whisky. His love for rye, as it was then called, is so nuanced, it’s Canadian Club in particular he seeks out; as the series progresses, it is this iconic brand we constantly see him reaching for, drinking straight up. CANADIANWHISKY Scotch. Bourbon. Irish whiskey. They certainly are more famous than their 2009 WHISKY VOLUME* Canadian counterpart yet this lack of at- Millions of 9-Liter Cases tention is misleading: Canadian whisky 20 is actually the most popular of the lot. HE MAD MEN EFFECT 15.8 What may be deemed a “cool, new cat- TA notable presence on Mad Men has cer- 15.1 egory” thanks to Mad Men has actually 15 tainly helped bring that vision closer to always been strong according to Alan reality. “The office of Mr. Draper is not a George, brand director of Brown-For- 10 bad place to be; he served the best spirits man’s Canadian Mist. “Canadian whisky 7.9 to impress his high-profile clients. Place- is the largest and most successful of the ment on a show such as Mad Men is a 5 major whiskey categories,” attests Dean great way for us to reach a new audience Phillips, CEO and president of Phillips of engaged consumers,” Cockram adds. 1.1 1.1 Distilling Company, which has just re- 0 Canadian Club may have lucked out released Revel Stoke, the first spiced Ca- in terms of product placement but its sig- nadian whisky on the market. Blended Single Bourbon Irish Canadian Scotch Malt & Whiskey Whisky nificance has the power to stimulate the According to DISCUS, in 2009 Scotch Tennessee entire category. Greg Don Nasser, mixol- 15.8 million nine-liter cases of Cana- *Source: DISCUS ogist at Kimpton’s Grand Cafe Brasserie dian whisky were sold in contrast to 7.9 & Bar in San Francisco, says that “Mad million for blended Scotch; 1.1 million Men is a success because it depicts such Michael Cockram, senior director for Single Malt Scotch; 15.1 million for a seductive decade. The heady cocktails of Canadian whiskies at Beam Global bourbon and Tennessee whiskey; and and classic signatures of that era are mak- Spirits & Wine, also agrees the spirit 1.1 million for Irish. In terms of 2009 ing a comeback.” has maintained a low profile: “Scotch gross revenues, Canadian’s $1.47 billion Beal points to the larger trend of enjoys a reputation for complexity; accounted for 27.5% of the $5.34 bil- a return to brown spirits for helping bourbons have benefited from frequent lion whiskey category trumping all but bring attention to Canadian whisky. special releases like small batches. No- bourbon in total sales. Almost half of He sees customers drinking it up at body has talked about Canadian whis- the Canadian revenues were represent- WhiskyFest, and United States Bar- ky for a long time. We want Canadian ed by super-premium sales. tenders’ Guild mixologists integrating Club to be the champion of the catego- it into cocktails. ry, to get it back on people’s radar and Lisa Smith, marketing director for back into conversations. Consumers Constellation Brands’ Black Velvet, com- are drawn to authenticity and heritage ments, “Don Draper’s preference for Ca- which are two things Canadian Club nadian whisky is certainly a benefit to the NORTHERNEXPOSURE brings to the table.” ACK “IN THE LIMELIGHT” category, as it helps increase awareness BYet despite this stronghold on the cate- and makes it hip to once again order a gory, Canadian whisky’s reputation hasn’t drink made with ‘rye.’ But recent trends always been as glamorous as, say, sipping a should also be a factor in the continued Scotch on the rocks. growth of Canadian whisky. Considering Steve Beal, San Francisco-based Mas- the product benefits of this category, in- ter of Whisky for Crown Royal, says the cluding its mixability, consistent quality brand in particular “is really pervasive; it’s and affordability, coupled with the recent a part of the American fabric. Not to say trends in brown spirits and classic cock- that it’s been taken for granted, but it’s al- tails, the future looks positive.” ways been here, and people just expect it Phillips notes how Canadian whisky to be around in a way.” first became popular during Prohibition; “Canadian whisky distillers tradition- its profile was then raised through mar- ally offered a very modest range of ex- keting by Seagram and Hiram Walker pressions which, I believe, limited appeal that positioned it as lighter and more among whisky aficionados,” points out drinkable than Scotch or bourbon. To- Phillips. “Success is probably the catego- Do As Don Does: Mad Men’s central character day’s corresponding fascination with ry’s Achilles heel.” savors a glass of Canadian Club vintage cocktail habits bodes well for CANADIANWHISKY Canadian whisky. This is why Phillips Crown Royal has always been per- Phillips pinpoints the ideal Revel felt it was timely to re-release Revel ceived as an upper marque, “transcending Stoke early adopter as “a music-loving, Stoke this September. When it made its the category overall,” points out Beal. “It outdoors-exploring, craft brew-buying debut in 2000, it attracted a cult follow- can appeal to a 24-year-old graduate or LDA-45-year-old who relishes discovery ing. But after Phillips began focusing its Harvard lawyer.” and sharing with friends.” Through re- efforts on different brands such as Bel- A younger audience, one that places search and intuition he believes Revel vedere, Revel Stoke began to disappear an importance on seeking out quality spir- Stoke “will attract new buyers to the from shelves. “The growing number of its, has become a coveted demographic for whisky shelf; it will be incremental to the requests we’d been receiving for Revel Canadian whisky brands. Since its launch category in the same way Captain Morgan Stoke, from the U.S. and Canada, as far in 2003, Hood River Distillers’ Pendleton expanded rum volume. It will attract— away as Europe and Australia, indicated Canadian Whisky has proven to be one of and trade up—spiced rum drinkers, appeal that something was bubbling. The ex- America’s fastest-growing whisky brands. to current North American whiskey con- plosion of spiced rum, growth of higher According to Adams, it grew 29.8% from sumers and has the potential to become a proof brands and emergence of flavored 2007 to 2008. “Our demographic is the very popular shot brand.” whisky over the past decade also make everyday man and woman who lives and now the perfect time to re-introduce enjoys the Western lifestyle. Pendleton Revel Stoke. It was a different world in Whisky was specifically created to cel- 2000,” Phillips explains. ebrate the bold spirit of independence and the hard work ethic of the American cowboy and cowgirl, and we have stayed true to this audience over the years,” says ARTENDER’S CHOICE Ron Dodge, president and CEO of Hood BCanadian whisky drinkers tend to be River Distillers. loyalists, sipping it neat or on the rocks. Black Velvet is capitalizing upon a George says this has to do with past tra- PPING THE ANTE brown spirits resurgence to expand the ditions. Canadian Mist, for example, has UCanadian Mist consumers craved some- current consumer base. In January of this been recognized as primarily an off-prem- thing new. “It’s been popular for a long year they launched a sleek, contemporary, ise brand, but the new Black Diamond time with its core brand, but other new package, kicking off a series of ini- has the potential to make inroads to the brands in other categories have an up- tiatives aimed at the legal drinking age on-premise. “We as a collective need to scale expression,” notes George. “That (LDA) audience. remind consumers of and reinforce the was a gap, and people were disappointed Currently, Canadian Club’s main tar- reason the category was born to begin there was nothing to trade up to for spe- gets are men ages 40-59 but they are also with: Canadian whisky is light and versa- cial occasions.” Enter Black Diamond, looking to reach a younger base of con- tile. While it’s enjoyed neat, on the rocks, Canadian Mist’s new, smooth, upscale sumers now, showcasing its smooth profile with water or a simple mixer like ginger offering flaunting a higher sherry and and flexibility “that meshes with younger ale, it’s also a great fit for a cocktail such as rye content. guys’ interests,” adds Cockram. an Old Fashioned,” George explains. Canadian Mist Revel Stoke Pendleton Canadian Club Forty Creek Crown Royal Black Velvet Black Spiced Whisky Blended Whisky Classic Barrel Select Blended Whisky Blended Whisky Diamond 12 Years aged CANADIANWHISKY Today’s fascination with vintage cocktail habits bodes well for the Canadian whisky category. Each of Canadian Club’s 6-year, 10- drinkers. “It’s milder than most other year reserve, classic 12-year and sherry whiskies and can be easily enjoyed in cask expressions offers a different ex- a cocktail with juices and mixers,” says perience to consumers. Cockram sees Nicolas Pelaez, restaurant manager at drinks like the Manhattan, Whisky Kimpton’s Bookstore Bar in Seattle. Sour and “CC & Ginger” gaining mo- “In the right drink, Canadian whisky mentum: “We expect to see this resto- can taste just as light and refreshing as ration of classic style and masculinity in what they’re used to.