Walker & Sons Beer Distillery Pub + Plant Tour

Walkerville Hiram Walker & Sons 

Beer Taste Experience Tour

To remember my third year living in Windsor, I chose this topic as one of the most interesting beer taste tour I have ever experienced in Canada. First of all, Hiram Walker & Sons received Canadian Whisky Award recognition of its whisky, brand as J. P. Wiser, Lot No. 40,  Gooderham & Worts, McGuinness Butterscotch, Malibu Vodka, Ice cold Rum, are recognized as most popular brand in commercial distilled society here in Hiram Walker & Sons Plant. This company has been awarded Distillery of the Year, with the very professional distillation standing on understand customers taste, and their passion, bold and creative in pursuing whisky legendary, their distillery technology has been as old as Canadian history, and as far as a broad knowledge in innovative collaboration. Its culture represent a Canadian culture in creating North American whiskey associated brands, in together with other international whiskey brands, such as Jameson Irish Whiskey, Beefeeter gin, Kahlua Liqeur, Mumm Champagne and Jacob's creek. There was once upon a time when civil war let some smuggling of whiskey from Canada to USA across Detroit River, as US dollar plummeted, and this time the business gain more sales in both Canada and USA. From 1858 to now, its technique in distillery has been upgraded in many different aspects, with more brands to brought whisky to Canadian dining table.

After we sit down and listen to the introduction, I start to realize this kingdom of distillery is a huge manufacturing of liqueur that start from 19th century, up to today 21st century, it has a ground sourcing of flour and different types of ingredients from Canadian farm. Looking at the menu, also taste five different kinds of beer products. I realize that ale, especially scotch ale is kind of bittersweet, Pilsener is much regular with a dry and crisp with some German style. While Doppelbock is also with bready and banana taste. Last the Easy Stout, it blend a dark chocolate with rich and regular flavor. Also I find IBU (International Bitterness Unit) with the highest number 55 and 6.3% of ABV (Alcohol by Volume). So start from today, I will select a less IBU number when I go to liqueur shop to buy a beer, I murmur to myself.

A cabinet illustrating all successful beer bottle design  

It also illustrated some of old bottle graphic design, it is a rare but quite traditional way of using soft cork with a ring shape of wire to press onto the cork. After several design renewal, the latest version which is what can be seen in liqueur store, that has a label printed in different graphic design and a simple aluminum bottle cup. But when you look more details, you will find some historical print as well as some of distillery plant crew life story printed onto those bottles. This remind me of a campbell soup, does it a very attractive advertisement not only because long history and well recognition in the market, but also people use it so often so that the label of the can has become part of their consciousness as to the tomato soup.

The processing of beer remind me of very old town has barrels of bear, they packed, and sit there on the shelf. If a customer comes in, a waitress can brought even a jar of beer, or a cup of ale in front of them. Sometimes a morning a barrel of Mcquinness could run out, so that a second barrel has to be filled up quickly in case there is not enough supply. On the shelf, these barrels of some of incoming materials of syrup of sugar cane and main ingredient as packed in a sac of bags. These bags of flours are mostly coming from Ontario flour mills where farmers of black oak, wheat and some winter stored bailey stored for summer distillation. According to the guide, he distinguish beer with IBV mostly distinguish from their content of rye or flour barley concentration. Most of time a darker colour in beer indicate a higher content of ryes. He also used three volume cup to get three different kinds of oaks for us to taste, some is quite like a soybean flake but it actually come from an extract of bailey, according to guide introduction.

One corner of beer craft shop

Three bottles of raw ingredients, which are oak, bailey, rye. 

 Distillation is one part that has proprietary technology in it. So this part I could not talk, but I just listen to rotatory sound inside of mixer it remind me of the squeeze soy sauce crusher. Also time, moisture, and procedures are all play together in a scientific methods. Just look at those big tanks, I could feel the fine distillation inside and the long patience of workers who work on two shifts each day in this plant.

At last, I would bring a few more pictures around this place. It is more like plant-dining-bar in the same area. With some pictures decorating the wall, there are some tables, chairs, sofa around the dining area. Because of the openness, customers who has their beer could also have a direct image of what is over there at other side of rooms, are the metal distillery equipment. Overall, this place no matter indoor or outdoor is very friendly and energetic. This is a really interesting place to spend for a weekend afternoon. I wish I could write something more about any summer event around this Walkerville center area, but time is limited, this is the end of my tour into this place.