Thomas Molson, Canada’s first known whisky maker, did not distill rye at all at his Montreal distillery. However, Canada did not begin with all-rye whisky. Taste Canada’s Vast Array of Rye: 10 Bottles To Try Today, Alberta Distillers mashes all the common whisky grains but still focuses on rye for its top whiskies. Eighty years later that distillery, specifically designed and built to process rye grain, is still committed to its purpose. Among the cereal grains being cultivated, rye was popular for its ability to withstand the harsh Alberta winters and generally unpredictable weather-drought one year, flooding the next. Just prior to the Alberta oil boom in the 1940s, two Calgary philanthropists were casting about for a way to create jobs and provide local farmers with a market for their grain. The fact that Alberta Distillers excels in the production of all-rye whisky is a quirk of fate. In many cases consumers had no idea what they were drinking even the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board lists Lock Stock & Barrel 18 year and Hochstadter’s 16 year as “made in PA.” However, one thing was apparent about these Canadian-born ryes: they were superb, finding great acclaim among reviewers, connoisseurs, and mixologists. Other producers saw his success, resulting in torrents of Alberta rye filling American bottles: Masterson’s, Lock Stock & Barrel, Jefferson’s, and Hochstadter’s. Pickerell, the long-time master distiller at Maker’s Mark who passed away last year, is well-regarded as a whiskey visionary. In 2010, distiller Dave Pickerell launched Vermont’s WhistlePig using 100 percent rye whisky that he purchased from Alberta Distillers Limited (ADL) in Calgary, Canada. Look closely at the label of some of America’s notable ryes and you’ll find that the contents originated not in Kentucky, but in Canada. Fortunately, a northern neighbor has come to the rescue. After all, it takes years of barrel aging to make a decent rye whiskey. distillers now struggling to satisfy America’s thirst. The surging demand caught nearly everyone by surprise, particularly U.S. However, since 2009, volumes have increased 934 percent, growing to 912.2 thousand cases in 2017. According to the Distilled Spirits Council, sales of U.S.-distilled rye were marginal before 2007. (Photo by Jeff Harris)Īmerica has fallen back in love with rye whisky. Canada's traditional rye producers represent only a segment of the country's relationship with the grain and whisky style.

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