Canadian whisky isn’t just good as far as Canadians are concerned. Several Canadian distilleries boast multiple international awards, and these same whiskies are dominating the Canadian whisky market. Check out this list of top Canadian whisky brands that have won elite international awards for their single malts and blends.
Now that you have the correct background for the excellence driving our Canadian whisky industry, let’s take a look at the Canadian Whisky Awards and why these are annual awards you should be paying attention to every bit as much as the big international awards, such as the SanFrancisco World Spirits Competition, the New York International Spirits Competition, and the World Whiskies Awards.
“Founded in 2010 by Davin de Kergommeaux, the Canadian Whisky Awards is the country’s longest-running and most prestigious competition dedicated exclusively to whiskies distilled and matured in Canada. Held annually in conjunction with the Victoria Whisky Festival, the awards recognize excellence across the full spectrum of the category, from large-scale heritage producers to the fast-growing artisan whisky movement.
Reference: Canadian Whisky Awards website
All entries are evaluated through a rigorous blind-tasting process by an independent panel of seasoned whisky experts. To ensure total objectivity, the awards remain fully independent of the spirits industry.”
Here is a list of the 2026 Canadian Whisky Awards winners and notice the parallels between this list when compared to the international competitions that Canadian distilleries aced in.
Did you notice any similarities between the international winners and the CWA Gold Medal Recipients? Of course you did, and that’s because Canadian whisky isn’t the Canadian Club your grandfather drank, although we do still have that and it is a solid comfort dram. As a good Canadian girl, I’ll be the first to admit that a Crown Royal & Coke on the rocks can’t go wrong at a loud outdoor country concert. Cue Sam Smith please!
After all, I am Canadian.
What makes Canadian whisky different today is that, as you observed in the tables above, several distilleries are committed to releasing top quality distillate tailored to our nation’s whisky enthusiasts, myself included. In fact, there’s so much good whisky out there that as a Canadian whisky enthusiast I literally cannot keep up. There’s neither enough room on my whisky shelves at home, nor enough budget to obtain every incredible new release I would like to try. It’s a truly exciting time in Canadian whisky culture.
What’s your next move? Isn’t it obvious? Put the 2027 Canadian Whisky Awards in your calendar and stay tuned for the updates on their website at www.canadianwhiskyawards.com
Now that you’re excited about Canadian whisky, as you should be, get your tickets to The Victoria Whisky Festival here.
I will have the first Canada’s Whisky Trial road trip posted for easy download by Christmas 2026, so you’ll be able to visit all of Vancouver Island’s best distilleries during your stay at the Victoria Whisky Festival. CWT is a slow-time project I am working on to get you North of the Border and into the very best of the best distilleries Canada has to offer.
Here’s to your health! Sip wisely and embrace joy always.
C.M. 🥃
