Field Note 004: Why Be Flavour of the Month, When You Can Be The Toast of Decades?
Written & Photos by Reece Sims
Overview:
Rather than chasing what’s fashionable, Canada’s “original craft distillery” has carved out a legacy through patience, precision blending, and a commitment to flavor that endures.
Date:
July 30, 2025 [11:00 pm – 2:30 pm EST]
Location:
Forty Creek Distillery, Grimsby, ON (Niagara Region)
The People & Places:
From Otto Rieder’s eau de vie distillery founded in 1972 to John C. Hall’s transition from winemaking into whisky in the 1990s, Forty Creek reshaped what Canadian whisky could be. Current Master Blender Bill Ashburn — who, as he puts it, “came with the building” when Hall purchased the site in 1992 — has carried the ethos forward: applying winemaking techniques to whisky, treating each grain individually and blending with precision to create spirits that are unapologetically flavour-forward.
Flavours in Focus:
• Niagara Triple Reserve (51% ABV)
• Forty Creek Chronology
• 2026 Release – Tasted, but details are embargoed. All I can say: it’s worth the wait.
Reflections:
Forty Creek isn’t flashy, but that’s the point. They’ve created a blueprint for Canadian whisky with staying power: flavour-driven, carefully blended, and quietly confident. Whether through cask strength trials, local wine finishes, or decade-spanning blends, Forty Creek crafts whiskies that feel timeless, not trendy.
Origins in Fruit & Schnapps
It all started with Otto Rieder, a Swiss immigrant who settled in Niagara and marveled at the abundance of cherries, plums, grapes, and strawberries. In 1992, he opened a distillery making eaux de vie (schnapps). The spirits were honest but never profitable, Canadian drinkers just weren’t interested.
Enter John C. Hall, a winemaker who saw the distillery’s potential and purchased it the same year, renaming it Kittling Ridge. Hall’s timing was bold: Ontario’s distilling regulations were still archaic. After two years of lobbying, Kittling Ridge secured Canada’s first license to sell spirits directly from a distillery, granted on July 1, 1994.
As current Master Blender Bill Ashburn jokes, “I came with the building.”
Reinventing Canadian Whisky
In 2000, Forty Creek launched Barrel Select, a whisky that stood apart from traditional Canadian methods. Instead of fermenting, mashing, and distilling grains together, Hall applied winemaking techniques: treat each grain individually, distill separately, mature separately, and only blend later — by weight, not mashbill percentage. The result was whiskies with greater depth and character.
In 2014, Forty Creek was acquired by Campari, evolving into a blending and bottling hub for multiple brands (including Appleton Rum). But despite the scale the ethos hasn’t changed: everything is done manually, guided by analysis, tasting panels, and a commitment to flavor.
As Bill puts it:
“We don’t want to be the flavour of the month, we want to have staying power.”
Barrels of Experimentation
Consistency may be the core, but innovation hasn’t been ignored. Recently, the team has been experimenting with barreling whisky at lower entry proofs, leading to special “cask strength” releases around 50% ABV. Lower proof entry changes how spirit and wood interact, pulling out more water-soluble compounds and unlocking different layers of flavor.
And each September, during Forty Creek Weekend, limited-edition releases showcase this spirit of exploration.
This Year’s Sneak Peek:
• Niagara Triple Reserve (51% ABV) – Twice barreled and finished in Niagara Cabernet barrels. A nod to their wine-country roots, layering red fruit, spice, and oak.
• Forty Creek Chronology ( – A living history, blending whiskies from each decade of Bill Ashburn’s tenure: 1994, 2000, 2014, and 2020. The result is layered, complex, and deeply nostalgic.
• 2026 Release – Details embargoed, but let’s just say it continues the tradition of surprising and delighting.
The Final Sip
Forty Creek may have started as a fruit schnapps experiment, but it became the launchpad for modern Canadian craft whisky. Their strength lies not in flash or trend-chasing but in flavor-forward blends built to last. Tasting through their upcoming releases was a reminder: Canadian whisky’s legacy isn’t just about the past, it’s about makers like Forty Creek, quietly ensuring it has a future.
This Field Note is part of a series as we explore whisky producers in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada.