Cocktails with Canadian rye whisky
Canadian rye whisky is a Canadian grain whisky, historically named for its rye content, usually blended and column-distilled.
ABV40–45%
Substitutes for Canadian rye whisky
Any Canadian whisky works one for one: under Canadian law, rye whisky is simply another name for Canadian whisky, with no rye minimum. For more rye spice, pick a 100% rye such as Alberta Premium (40%) or Lot No. 40 (43%). A light blended Irish whiskey also works, with less spice.
American rye whisky
At least 51% rye by US law, and usually spicier and fuller than a Canadian blend. It works one for one, and the drink comes out a little drier and more peppery.
On the label
- "Rye" on a Canadian bottle
- A name, not a recipe. Canadian whisky, Canadian rye whisky and rye whisky are interchangeable in law whatever is in the mash, and most bottles are a light column base blended with a small share of more characterful whisky that need not be rye at all.
Description
Canadian practice is to distil the base and the flavoring whiskies separately and blend them afterwards, which is the opposite of the American approach of mashing the grains together first. The base is usually a light column-distilled corn whisky and the flavoring share is small, which is why the category is smooth by design rather than by accident. Canadian law also allows up to 9.09% of the blend to be something other than Canadian whisky, often bourbon or wine. That allowance is part of why a bottle can taste sweeter and rounder than its grain bill suggests.
