Tucked against the cool, freshwater expanse of Georgian Bay, the Canadian Mist distillery resides in the quiet town of Collingwood, Ontario. Less a postcard scene and more a working monument to industrial precision, its vast complex benefits from the region’s soft, mineral-rich waters and the gentle climatic rhythms of Lake Huron’s shoreline. Though its architecture leans toward functional rather than romantic, the steady pulse of production has long intertwined with the town’s grain-trading legacy and maritime history.

Founded in 1967 by Barton Brands, the distillery was purpose-built to meet growing North American demand for light, approachable whisky. Brown-Forman soon acquired it in 1971, maintaining control for nearly five decades before passing the reins to Sazerac in 2020. Throughout its tenure, a loyal workforce, many of whom have spent entire careers at the facility, has overseen each phase of production, blending automation with a quiet guardianship of consistency. The plant’s in-house cooperage, one of the few remaining in Canadian whisky, crafts and maintains the casks essential to its maturation process.

Distillation is performed on tall, continuous triple-column stills using corn as the dominant grain, complemented by rye and malted barley for balance. The clear Georgian Bay water shapes both the mash and cooling processes. Once distilled, the spirit rests in new and lightly used charred white oak barrels for at least three years, allowing delicate notes of vanilla, honeyed toffee, citrus peel, and gentle rye spice to emerge. Much of the whisky makes its way into the Canadian Mist blend, while select batches are reserved for the richer, oak-forward expressions of Collingwood. Unassuming yet unwavering, Canadian Mist remains a quiet engine of Canada’s whisky landscape.