Gretzky aims for top shelf with new whisky
Already a 10-year veteran of Ontario’s wine industry, Great One takes shot at spirits
It appears No. 99 is going to be on ice again.
After more than10 years in the wine business with partner Andrew Peller Ltd., Wayne Gretzky launched his No. 99 Red Cask Whisky Monday at a private tasting in Maple Leaf Square’s LCBO.
While he admitted he’s more of a Pinot Grigio guy (his own, of course) and that noon was too early for him to take a sip of his new rye, he noted “my kids love it,” — referring to his drinking-aged daughter Paulina and sons Ty and Trevor.
As with anything the hockey legend does, he’s aiming to make his new beverage a game-changer, not just another celebrity-branded booze. The release is a hat-trick of sorts for high-profile rye launches following recent offerings from rapper Drake and the Trailer Park Boys.
“We wanted to do something first class . . . to bring something different and unique to separate ourselves from other whiskies,” he told reporters, adding he had no idea Drake had also just introduced one.
For a different twist on the Canadian classic, the spirit is finished in his winery’s red wine casks, which give the whisky a pale amber hue. And the same soils that produce the grapes for his wine in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., also grow the grains that are used to produce his signature blend. (Gretzky also produces wine in the Okanagan in B.C. and in Sonoma County, Calif.)
“We wanted . . . to bring something different and unique to separate ourselves from other whiskies.” WAYNE GRETZKY
“They clearly are aiming for the connoisseurs and whisky lovers and this first whisky is going to get them a lot of favourable comments from people who know their whisky,” said Canadian whisky expert Davin de Kergommeaux.
He said he poured it for a Scotch club in Calgary a few weeks ago and that it was a “strong favourite” with many single-malt drinkers.
“This is not a gimmick or cynical line extension of the Gretzky brand. It is a serious attempt to make good whisky in Niagara,” said de Kergommeaux, a respected whisky writer and author of Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert.
The Great One’s new drink is priced at $34.95, midway between Liquormen’s Ol’ Dirty Canadian Whisky from the Trailer Park Boys at $29.95 and Drake’s Virginia Black American Whiskey at $39.95.
“The other two are not intended for whisky connoisseurs, but rather for the majority of people who don’t really know or care about whisky — but they are great conversation pieces,” added de Kergommeaux.
Gretzky — who quipped that his first drink ever was “my grandmoth- er’s cold beer” — agreed that people buy celebrity brands the first time out of curiosity. But he said “people are smart” so it’s important to have a top-quality product to keep them coming back for more.
And given the “great success” of his award-winning wines in collaboration with the Peller family, he added: “I have a strong belief this will do well too.”
It’s been a busy time lately in Wayne’s world. Besides introducing a new whisky, he has just opened up a wine and whisky bar at the Edmonton International Airport to coincide with his signing on as partner and vice-chair of the Oilers Entertainment Group last week.
He has also just released a new book, 99: Stories of the Game, to coincide with the 99th anniversary of the NHL. (Gretzky hung up his skates in 1999.)
And his new Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery & Distillery in Niagaraon-the-Lake will open to the public in the spring of 2017. The 23,000square-foot facility is the first of its kind in the region, featuring both wine and distilling production and tasting rooms. His team hired a professional distiller trained in Scotland and have also installed top-notch stills and equipment.
Shoppers had no idea the Great One would be at the LCBO presenting his new brand to media, but Gretzky happily signed a few autographs and posed for photos with customers and staff.