Hiram Walker, a successful grain trader, founded the Canadian Club in 1858. The first distillery was built in Walkerville, Ontario because of the exceptional quality of the grain there.
Canadian whiskey differs from other blended whiskeys mainly by the variety of ingredients: rye, wheat, barley and corn - sometimes malted, sometimes unmalted - are used. The use of different yeasts and the production with different stills contribute to its distinctive character. Canadian Club is produced using a unique distilling process that only leaves the fine flavors in the whiskey. Another special feature is that the whiskeys are blended in American oak barrels before being stored. Canadian Club is the only Canadian whiskey made using the barrel blended process.