Hockey And Whisky: A Perfect Combination

Wayne Gretzky circa 1997
(Credit: Håkan Dahlström/Wikimedia Commons/CC by-SA 3.0)

The combination of whisky and ice hockey has always been a winner. Over the years, we have seen some fine examples of how these two things go together perfectly.

This has been even more obvious in recent years, as ex-players have teamed up with leading distilleries or created their own distilleries. The following are some of the hockey-related whiskies that you might like to try.

J.P. Wiser and Three Famous Captains
J.P. Wiser is a Canadian whisky brand that is owned by Corby Spirit and Wine. They have teamed up with some of the most fondly remembered ex-players to produce a range of hockey-themed whiskies.

Their recently launched Alumni Whisky Series puts the spotlight onto the greatest captains to have led their teams onto the ice. This had led to the introduction of bottles honoring the following three players: Mark Messier, Yvan Cournoyer and Dave Keon.

The Mark Messier whisky has a strength of 47% ABV. It is aged 11 years to celebrate the number this captain wore in a sparkling 25-year NHL career at the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, and Edmonton Oilers.

Yvan Cournoyer’s whiskey is aged 12 years, to reflect his number with the Montreal Canadiens. It was inspired by this famous game-winning pass to Paul Henderson in the Canada 1972 Summit Series.

Dave Keon’s whisky has a 45% ABV, which marks the number of points he scored in his first NHL season. This drink is said to be well-balanced like Keon’s playing style and is aged 14 years to match the number that he wore during his career.

The Wayne Gretzky Distillery
Many hockey fans will tell you that Gretzky was the greatest player to have ever played the game. The numbers certainly back up this claim. He is the NHL’s leading scorer, racking up goals and assists like no other player has ever done.

In fact, “The Great One” is the only player to have ever got more than 200 points in a single season. Not only that, but he did it four times. In total, he broke 61 records in the NHL during a dazzling, 20-year career.

Regarded as one of the first true team players of the sport, Gretzky retired in 1999. He then turned his attention to a variety of business ventures. Among them, he produces whiskey that is blended by Master Distiller Joshua Beach.

He offers tours of his distillery and of the vinery that he also owns. To date, his Red Cask Canadian Whisky is probably the best-known product.

Belfour Spirits
Hockey-related whisky can also be seen with The Spirit of Champions^TM from the Belfour Spirits brand. Ex-NHL star Ed Balfour is the founder of this company.

Belfour was a goaltender who played for a number of top-level teams and is often described as being the best goaltender in the history of the NHL. If you like to bet on hockey or other sports, like the NBA free picks online, then you probably saw him in action for the likes of the Chicago Blackhawks or the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He now says that he is one of the few people lucky enough to do what they love, “not once in a lifetime, but twice”. The company’s whiskies have received strong reviews, with the likes of his Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Texas Pecan Wood and Rye Whiskey both receiving excellent scores from reviewers.

It is clear that the connection between good whisky and ice hockey is here to stay. If you are enjoying watching a game with a quality drink in your hand, then the number of hockey-themed whiskies you can choose from is likely to keep on growing.