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. There are only a few restrictions as to what can be called Canadian whisky 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 .
