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Crown Royal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the 2001 musical album by Run DMC, see Crown Royal (album).
| Crown Royal | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Canadian whisky |
| Proof | 80 |
| Manufacturer | Diageo |
| Country of Origin | Gimli, Manitoba Canada |
| Introduced | 1939 |
| Variants | Limited Edition, Special Reserve, XR |
Crown Royal is a blended Canadian whisky, 40% alcohol (ethanol) by volume, 80 proof. The brand is currently owned by Diageo who purchased it when the Seagram portfolio was dissolved in the year 2000[1]. It is the number one selling Canadian Whisky in North America.[citation needed]
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The production of Crown Royal began in 1939 coincident with the first Royal Tour of Canada by reigning monarchs King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. To mark this historic occasion, Samuel Bronfman, President of the Seagram Company, decided to create a quality whisky to be packaged in a crown-shaped bottle and dressed in a distinctive royal purple bag. Like the packaging, the name chosen for the product was intended to reflect the quality of the spirit, a marketing concept that quickly caught consumer attention. It was available only in Canada until 1964.
Today, Crown Royal is produced solely at the Crown Royal distillery at Gimli, on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Previously, it was produced in Waterloo, Ontario prior the closure in 1992 of the Waterloo plant. Daily production of Crown Royal uses 10,000 bushels of grain and requires 6,000,000 gallons of water. The whisky produced at the Manitoba distillery is stored in 2 million barrels, stored in 46 warehouses, over 5 acres of land. 2006 sales of Crown Royal amount to over US $500M.
In 2006, Crown Royal XR (extra rare) was introduced in the US by allocation and the Canadian market (initially, only in Ontario, Alberta). This limited-release special blend of Crown Royal is sold in numbered bottles, and is made from the last batch of whiskey distilled at the Waterloo distillery. After mothballing in 1992, the Waterloo Distillery burned down in 1993, with only a small and finite amount of whisky being left behind. As a point of comparison, in February 2007, a .750 liter bottle of Crown Royal could typically be purchased in the United States for around US $18; a .750l bottle of Special Reserve for $US 40, and a .750l bottle of Crown Royal XR for US $140.
In January, 2007, production of Crown Royal was nearly interrupted as a result of a labor dispute at the Gimli distillery. 52 of the 53 workers (98%) at the Manitoba distillery, members of United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Local 200D, voted on January 23rd to strike as soon as February 1st.[2] However, subsequent negotiations resulted in approval by nearly 75% of the workers, the night before the strike deadline, of a new three-year contract. [3]
Crown Royal has a very smooth flavour. Crown Royal is often mixed with another, usually non-alcoholic, beverage for added flavour such as the classic mixture of Crown Royal and ginger ale or the popular mixture of Crown Royal and Coca-Cola. Common names of these beverages include: Crown Sidecar, Crown & Soda, Crown & Coke, Crown Lemon-Lime, and Crown Fizz.
There are some "premium" Crown Royal variants; including Crown Royal Limited Edition and Crown Royal Special Reserve. The Spirit Journal gave the Special Reserve its "highest recommendation" rating of 5 stars, and Whisky Magazine gave the Special Reserve its Editor's Choice Award.
- Crown Royal is also involved in NASCAR sponsorship, sponsoring the #26 Ford of Jamie McMurray, and the Crown Royal 400.
- From 2004 until 2006, Crown Royal was the title sponsor of the International Race of Champions.
- Former Loveline Co-host Adam Carolla used to have a Crown Royal bag covering the base of his microphone
- ^ The Bronfmans: The Rise and Fall of the House of Seagram; Nicholas Faith; Thomas Dunne Books - May 30, 2006 - ISBN 0-312-33219-X
- ^ UFCW Press Release. Crisis Brewing at Crown Royal as Strike Deadline Looms at Distillery (English). Market Wire/CCN Matthews. Retrieved on February 11, 2007. http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=207366
- ^ Sun Media. Distillery workers OK pact, averting strike (English). Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved on February 11, 2007.