Friendliest Canadian Club

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Canadian Club is a brand of Canadian whisky produced by Beam Suntory. Popularly known as CC, Canadian Club was created by Hiram Walker and Sons, an evolution of a brand around a product that took place over the second half of the nineteenth century. Hiram Walker merged with Gooderham & Worts, Ltd. in 1926, yielding Hiram Walker-Gooderham & Worts, Ltd.

Canada rye whisky and Canadian whisky are used almost interchangeably. Canadian whisky distillers began throwing a little bit of rye grain into their spirits, which added a strong rye flavor prompting people to ask for rye whisky. American rye whiskey requires a minimum of 51% rye in the mash bill, but there’s no legal requirement for rye percentage in Canadian whisky.

The legal requirements for Canadian whisky are that it must be aged a minimum of three years in its native country in wooden barrels no larger than 700 liters, mashed and distilled in Canada, with at least 40% ABV. Canadian Club was popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Following prohibition, which closed many American distilleries, and World War II, when some of the major American distilleries transitioned into war-time tasks like making penicillin or fuel, it took a while for American distilleries to catch back up.