What Kind Of Liquor Is Crown Royal, Anyway?

Browse the shelves of any liquor store, and you'll be met with an abundance of choices. Even among the colorful packaging, the labels designed to be eye-catching, and the unique bottles, Crown Royal stands out. It's not just the famous purple bag, either; there's something undeniably regal about the packaging, the label, and the design. But what, exactly, is it? The short answer is that it's a blended Canadian whisky, but there's a slightly more complicated and ultimately fascinating explanation that goes along with it.

The regal vibe that matches the aptly-named liquor isn't just for show. Crown Royal's history goes back to 1939, when it was carefully crafted, packaged, and presented to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. It was a monumental visit: Even though Canada had been under British rule since 1763, the visit marked the first time reigning monarchs toured the country in person. As the story goes, around 600 blends were sampled before the final one was selected — and that is what came to be Crown Royal.

It's worth noting, too, that Canadian whisky isn't the same as what comes from countries like Scotland and Ireland. There are only a few boxes that need to be checked in order for a liquor to call itself Canadian whisky, and they're almost surprisingly vague.

So, here's a weird thing: All Canadian whisky can be called rye whisky — even if it doesn't contain any. Weird, right? The reason goes back to the early days of liquor production when rye was the most widely available grain. That formed the basis of most whisky production; whisky was widely referred to as rye, and here we are. 

Crown Royal's flagship product is Blended Canadian Whisky, which means it's made from several different recipes that are then blended together. Specifically, five unique recipes are made and aged separately, and then they're combined to create the final product. While Canadian whisky doesn't have to contain rye, Crown Royal does — along with corn and barley. 

As Canadian whisky, Crown Royal has to fall within a few other guidelines. In addition to being made in Canada, it is aged for at least three years in barrels no larger than 700 liters and has additives that amount to no more than 9.09% of the total product. That includes things like colors and flavors, and it's also why some whisky connoisseurs have a tendency to look down on Canadian whisky. Is that the right attitude to have? Not really, because it means that Canadian whisky distillers have the freedom to create some truly incredible spirits.

Since Crown Royal is a blended whisky, it's carefully crafted and specially designed for a very specific flavor that's also incredibly smooth. That makes it ideal for drinking straight or on the rocks, and in fact, The Daily Meal ranked it among the smoothest whiskeys to drink straight. Although it was the Fine Deluxe that made the list, that's true of many of its products. For anyone interested in learning more about the difference between a very rye-heavy whiskey and a whiskey made from a mix of grains, Crown Royal's Rye — which is made from 90% rye — is excellent for sipping side-by-side with its standard product line to compare.

Crown Royal's Flavor Series is also excellent for anyone looking to dip their toe into the world of Canadian whisky: It offers Vanilla, Apple, and Peach as regular products and occasionally features limited edition runs like Blackberry. 

As a smooth blended whisky, Crown Royal works well in any cocktail that calls for whisky, including some of the most iconic classic cocktails that everyone should try at least once. Use it in an old fashioned, a Manhattan, or a whiskey sour, the latter of which can be modified into a myriad of drinks to suit any palate, like the rhubarb whiskey Sour. Wondering what is the best whiskey type for a whiskey sour? Some might argue that's bourbon, but others suggest a rye-forward whiskey, including Crown Royal.