Page 38 - MENU Mag - July/August 2017

Blast from the past: The warehouse rack of the Hiram Walker Distillery.
whisky is still the bestsell- ing whisky in North America according to Davin de Ker- gommeaux, one of Canada’s leading authorities on the subject of Canadian whisky. And thanks to the broader production, distillation and aging practices, our whisky makers have the exibility to adapt to ever-changing pal- ates and needs.
Canada’s Food and Drug Act only requires that whisky be
a minimum 40% alcohol and aged in wood for at least three years. Compared to bourbon, Scottish and Irish whiskeys which stipulate a certain breakdown of speci c grains, distilla- tion and aging techniques, our whisky makers have many more options in production to develop diverse avours.
“Canadian whisky is the most innovative, most creative, most adaptable style of whisky today compared to Scottish whisky, Irish whis- key and bourbon,” says Livermore. “It gives latitude to the blender.”
While the grains used in bourbon must be fermented, distilled and aged together, Cana- dian whiskies are most often made by sepa- rating the essential grains—corn, rye, wheat and barley—then fermenting, distilling and aging each separately. Corn is typically used
for the base spirit, although 100% rye whiskies like Canadian Club are also made within our borders. Double distillation in copper column stills—another common practice, removes unwanted sulphur notes and avours resulting in a lighter and smoother pro le compared to single-distilled whiskies.
Where master blenders like Don Livermore get to ex their creative muscle comes in the blending process, adding in spirits made with other grains to the base in order to achieve the desired end result. “If I want a nice spicy note, I’ll up the rye. If I want a nutty character, I’ll up the barley.”
Blenders can impart vanilla notes when aging the spirit in brand-new virgin oak barrels while used barrels o er a more grain-forward avour. And the longer the spirit is aged, the more that green apple avours are brought out. Pot distillation, which uses round squat stills as opposed to the long and slender col- umn stills, also produces a pronounced fruity and oral avour.
Thanks to its versatility, it’s easy to incorpo- rate Canadian whiskies into beverage menus. Livermore recommends bartenders pay atten- tion to the distillation technique, grains used and length of aging to select the right whisky for the cocktails they’re making. “A brand like Lot No. 40 is both column and pot-distilled which concentrates up the avour of rye,” he says. “Bartenders love that brand. It’s the spice
38 MENU
JULY / AUGUST 2017
Canadian whisky is
the most innovative, most creative, most adaptable style of whisky today