Forty Creek marks Canada 150 with new design

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canada’s Confederation, Gruppo Campari-owned Forty Creek Distillery has launched a limited edition bottle design of its blended whisky.

The new packaging was created by Calgary-based artist Sheila Schaetzle

Called Forty Creek Confederation Oak, the whisky pays homage to the process that saw British colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick united into one Dominion of Canada on 1 July, 1867.

The “full-bodied” whisky has layers of “maple, raisin, vanilla and fig”, followed by “spice and orange blossoms” on the nose.

On the palate, flavours of “vanilla and buttercream” come through with a “long-lingering” finish.

Forty Creek invited Canadian artists to design a new package that would showcase the Grimsby region and Canada’s heritage.

Gracing the packaging is an illustration titled To the Confederation, created by Calgary-based artist Sheila Schaetzle.

“We received many impressive submissions from artists across the country and we are very appreciative of the enthusiasm each artist demonstrated,” said John Andersen, senior brand manager, North American Whiskies.

“We wanted to celebrate this monumental Canadian anniversary in a way that fully encompassed the essence of Forty Creek as a true leader within the whisky category.

“Sheila’s submission did an outstanding job in artfully combining the richness of Canada’s history and the important role it plays in the Forty Creek Confederation Oak whisky.”

Schaetzle added: “To honour our heritage, I wanted to emphasise the strengths of the Canadian white oak. The black and white theme – the cool haze of the tree tops, puts the focus on the soldiers. It demonstrates a strong foundation kept simple, and something that is uniquely Canadian.”

Gruppo Campari entered the Canadian whisky market with the acquisition of Forty Creek Distillery in March 2014.