200 Years of Tradition: The Story of Canadian Whisky

Patricia Myers is a historian with the Historic Sites and Archives
Service, Alberta Community Development and the author of Sky Riders: An
Illustrated History of Aviation in Alberta, 1906–1945.

Lorraine Brown, curator of an exhibit that provided the inspiration for
this interesting little book, tells the story of the Canadian whisky
industry, from its beginnings in the grist mills of what is now Ontario
through to the present day. She covers all aspects of the whisky
business, including prohibition, liquor merchandising, smuggling, the
intricacies of whisky manufacture, and taxation matters.

Although Brown’s narrative rattles along quite well, it is
occasionally repetitive and seems to lose sight of its intended
audience. It seems at times a bit too juvenile for an adult audience,
but, on other occasions, too adult for younger readers. The book is
beautifully and copiously illustrated with period photographs, posters
and other print materials, and color photographs depicting artifacts
from the Seagram Museum in Waterloo, Ontario, as well as modern
operations and processes. All in all, a good overview of a fascinating
topic.