Whisky from Nisku, Alta., chosen as House of Commons' Speaker's Whisky
For the first time ever, the House of Commons' speaker has chosen a Canadian whisky for its Speaker's Whisky.
Nisku’s Rig Hand Distillery is thrilled to have its Rocking R Whisky chosen for the long-standing tradition in the House of Commons while also breaking the norms of selecting a scotch.
“We had to send samples down," Geoff Stuart of Rig Hand Distillery explained. "We ended up getting shortlisted to the tasting panel where the MPs actually go in and taste and vote. It’s a double blind taste test which is a true test if you ask me. Our hundred per cent rye whisky, Rocking R Whisky, won first place by a landslide.”
House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota explained how the Nisku-made whisky was chosen.
“Although we chose the scotch initially, with COVID coming into play we had a hard time getting a supply from Scotland,” said Rota. “It was the perfect excuse to see what Canada had to offer.”
Rota said every distillery in Canada was eligible to send out their samples to the House of Commons for selection where the Rocking R Whisky came out on top out of the six shortlisted whiskies.
Former House Speaker Peter Milliken was inspired by British and Scottish Parliament to select a Speaker’s Scotch in 2003 with the goal of sharing the selected beverage with MPs and the general public.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jessica Robb
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.