July 1st, 2009


A Day in the Life of a Canadian Club Party
by Patricia Noonan

Last fall, I was invited to a great party in Windsor. The150th Birthday Bash of legendary Canadian Club Whiskey! The bad part was I had to get up early, but traveling Via One (that's first class) made that ....not so bad. After straggling onto the train with croissants and muffins on the run, I soon shifted into sleep mode because I had to lunch and taste and dine some more and... did I forget to mention I had to drink a lot of CC?

Four hours later, the train pulled into the Walkerville train station. Walkerville is the town created by Hiram Walker when he decided to set up shop in Canada in 1857. It was also the first 'Corporate Town' ever created in North America, circa 1863. On a previous visit, I wandered through beautiful, historic Walkerville, imagining what it must have been like all those years ago. From the mansions of the corporate elite to the pretty cottages of brewery and distillery workers, the town is a snapshot of another era.

After arriving at the station, we were whisked off to Caesars Palace, the casino makeover of the old Casino Windsor. It's as grand as, well, a five star casino should be. After being comfortably ensconced in my topnotch digs, I was off to lunch at Papa Cheney's just opposite the Detroit River and the silver skyline of Detroit’s Motor City.

Papa Cheney’s sells more Canadian Club than any other restaurant or bar on the planet. They make pretty mean pub grub too. I had some killer voodoo perogies. The dish sounded so unusual but my server assured me it was a big seller. Spicy dishes like this work well with fruity based cocktails so I tried a CC Sidecar, but there are many other whiskey based cocktails to choose from. I just tend to go for the classics. Why mess with perfection? Several perfect drinks later, we're all off to get ready for the tasting and soiree at The Canadian Club Brand Centre.

As I stepped onto the drive of the Florentine style mansion, formerly the home of Hiram Walker and now the Canadian Club Brand Centre, it was like stepping back in time. After the whiskey tasting with Brand Ambassador Dan Tullio, we made our way onto the gorgeous terrace overlooking the river. The party was reminiscent of the prohibition era that made Hiram Walker so rich and Canada so famous. With my smart Manhattan in hand, I flung my boa over my shoulders and sauntered out to the elegant event, to the strains of 1920’s jazz. Now, parties like this aren’t possible every day, but at least Canadian Club is!

CC Sidecar
Rim a chilled cocktail glass with sugar
Add ingredients to shaker, shake and strain into glass
1 oz lemon juice
1.5 oz CC

½ oz triple sec

CC Classic Manhattan
Chill cocktail glass with ice
Add the following ingredients to shaker and stir or swirl until chilled
Strain into glass after removing the ice
1 part Canadian Club Classic whisky
1/3 part Sweet Vermouth
Dash Angostura bitters

Garnish with a maraschino cherry

The Canadian Maple Leaf
Fill rocks glass with ice
2oz CC Premium
Juice of half a lemon
1oz Maple Syrup

Pour lemon juice and whisky over ice, top with Maple Syrup, stir and enjoy.

 

 

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