We are excited to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Heaven Hill’s acquisition of Black Velvet Canadian Whisky. The acquisition officially closed on November 1, 2019, so we want to celebrate this addition to the Heaven Hill portfolio, of so many great team members to the Heaven Hill family, and another facility added to the global Heaven Hill footprint.

Acquiring Black Velvet Canadian Whisky, and the Black Velvet Distilling Operations located in Lethbridge, Canada was very exciting for Heaven Hill for several reasons. Canadian Whisky is a significant category in the distilled spirits industry and one in which our portfolio had a significant void of merchandisable and marketable products. As the second largest selling Canadian Whisky in the world, Black Velvet is a great compliment to other high-volume brands in our portfolio such as Admiral Nelson’s Rum, Burnett’s Vodka, Christian Brothers Brandies, and Evan Williams Bourbon. Much like these brands, Black Velvet Canadian Whisky has stood the test of time with a steady consumer base after 65 years of distribution. At Heaven Hill, we pride ourselves on offering our customers a wide range of products and the addition of Black Velvet was an important step toward maintaining our diverse portfolio.

In addition to enhancing the portfolio, Heaven Hill was excited to welcome 62 new team members to the Heaven Hill family. These employees have been a great asset, bringing new skills and experience to the company and we are so grateful to have them as part of our team. Additionally, Heaven Hill acquired the full distilling, bottling, and aging operations in Lethbridge, Canada. In another article, we will be sharing several enhancements we’ve worked on at the distillery to create a more efficient facility for the production and distribution of this important product.

What is Black Velvet Canadian Whisky?

The Origin of Black Velvet

Black Velvet Canadian Whisky was developed in 1946 and was first introduced into market in 1951. However, the legacy of the brand began nearly 95 years earlier in 1857 when the Gilbey brothers, Walter and Alfred came home to Hertfordshire, England after serving in the Crimean War. In search of a business venture, they began importing wine from South Africa which quickly developed into a full-blown company as family members joined the brothers. Finding they had a knack for the spirits industry, in 1872 Walter and Alfred built their first gin distillery in England. Gilbey’s Gin quickly became popular worldwide and in 1906 the brand was introduced in Canada. With international expansion came international success. On September 11, 1933, the brothers opened the doors of W&A Gilbey Distillery in Toronto, Canada where the first Canadian Gilbey spirits were produced. Soon after, the brothers were joined by distillers Crosbie Hicks and John S. (Jack) Napier who developed several different Canadian Whiskies such as Old Gold, Special Old, Very Best, Red Velvet, Gold Velvet, Royal Velvet and Black Velvet. While the 10-year-old Royal Velvet was expected to be the top selling product, Black Velvet became the company’s leading product and is now the number two selling Canadian Whisky in the world.

Why “Black Velvet?”

Originally, Black Velvet was to be named Black Label. Due to potential confusion with the classic Johnny Walker Black Label Scotch, W&A Gilbey reconsidered. When Distiller John Napier had his first taste of mature whisky, he instantly compared the texture and consistency to velvet – thus the name Black Velvet was coined.

The Black Velvet Distilling Company

In 1962, W&A Gilbey garnered industry interest and took on International Distillers and Vintners (IDV) as a partner – which would later become Diageo. The 1970’s brought growth for the Canadian Whisky category and in turn, in 1972 and 1973 IDV built Palliser Distillery in Lethbridge, Alberta, located on the banks of the Oldman River near a desert called ‘The Badlands’, to support production of the wildly successful Black Velvet Canadian Whisky and Smirnoff Vodka. In 1999, Diageo sold several Canadian Whisky brands, including Black Velvet, to Canandaigua Brands, now known as Constellation. In 2009, Constellation shifted focus to mid-premium brands like Black Velvet and moved its Whisky production to the Palliser Distillery which was renamed The Black Velvet Distilling Company.

The Product

This product has stood the test of time with a steady consumer base after 65 years of distribution. According to Davin de Kergommeaux’s Canadian Whisky the New Portable Expert: Volume Two, Black Velvet Canadian Whisky features a flavor profile of, “crème caramel, black fruit, and nose-tickling spirit, dusty rye, fresh timber followed by glowing hot pepper and ginger with hints of cloves, fresh lively, and bright.”

Historic, Iconic Marketing Programs

In the 1960s and 1970s, Black Velvet was extremely popular with vast marketing programs featuring famous spokespeople. In 1969, Black Velvet introduced the first Black Velvet Lady, Patricia Victoria Miller. Through the years, other Black Velvet Ladies have included: Model Christie Brinkley; Actress Cybill Shepherd; Model and Actress Kim Alexis; Model Cheryl Tiegs; and Model Kelly Emberg.

Additionally, several notable actors and singers have served as the face of Black Velvet including Larry Hagman from the hit TV shows Dallas, I Dream of Jeannie, and Knots Landing; George Burns, American comedian, actor, singer, and writer; Country Music Icon Tanya Tucker; and Telly Savalas who is best known for playing New York detective Theo Kojak in the American drama series Kojak.

Stay tuned as we explore the difference between American Whiskey and Canadian Whisky production as well as the impact Heaven Hill has had on Black Velvet Canadian Whisky thus far.