Corby Spirit and Wine Limited is a Canadian alcohol manufacturing and distribution company. It was founded in 1859 in

Corbyville, Ontario Corbyville is a community located within the City of Belleville, Ontario. Its origins begin when Henry Corby immigrated to Canada. Corby had been a baker in England and when he arrived in Belleville in 1832, set up a small food shop. After serving ...

. As of 2008, the company is 46% owned by Pernod Ricard. The company distills several Canadian specialities, as well as marketing Pernod Ricard's products in Canada. Corby is listed on the

Toronto Stock Exchange The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX; french: Bourse de Toronto) is a stock exchange located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the 10th largest exchange in the world and the third largest in North America based on market capitalization. Based in the ...

under the trading symbols CSW.A and CSW.B.

History

* 1837,

Henry Corby Henry Corby (1806 – 25 October 1881) was an Ontario baker, businessman, and politician. Born and raised in England, Corby immigrated to Upper Canada in 1832. After building businesses in Belleville, Ontario, he served as the 9th mayor of Bell ...

sells his bakery and starts buying grain before he opens his distillery in Corbyville, ON, near Belleville * 1905, sold to

Mortimer Davis Sir Mortimer Barnett Davis (February 6, 1866 – March 22, 1928) was a Jewish Canadian businessman and philanthropist. The mansion that he built in Montreal's Golden Square Mile has been renamed ''Purvis Hall'' and is today owned by McGill Un ...

as "H. Corby Distillery Company Limited" * 1918, sold to Canadian Industrial Alcohol Company Limited, merged with JP Wiser's Distillery Limited of

Prescott, Ontario Prescott, Ontario is a small town on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Canada. In 2021, the town had a population of 4,078. The Ogdensburg–Prescott International Bridge, east of Presco ...

, J.M. Douglas and Company Limited, and Robert Macnish and Co. Limited of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. * 1935

Gooderham and Worts Gooderham and Worts, also known as Gooderham & Worts Limited, was a Canadian distiller of alcoholic beverages. It was once one of the largest distillers in Canada. The company was merged in 1926 with Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd., and the merged fir ...

acquires 51% share * 1952, the company wins right to produce United Rum Merchants of London's Lamb's Rum in Canada * 1954, the company buys stake in

Tia Maria Tia Maria is a dark coffee liqueur made originally in Jamaica using Jamaican coffee beans, but now made in Italy. The main ingredients are coffee beans, Jamaican rum, vanilla, and sugar, blended to an alcoholic content of 20%. History The hi ...

* 1969, the name is changed to "Corby Distilleries Limited – Les Distilleries Corby Limitée" * 1978, purchases Meagher's Distillery Limited of Montreal and its subsidiary,

The William Mara Company ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

of Toronto * 1985, Corby's parent company is purchased by

Allied Lyons Allied Domecq PLC was an international company, headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, that operated spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses. It was once a FTSE 100 Index constituent but has been acquired by Pernod Ricard. The ...

PLC * 1988, Corby divests itself of

Robert MacNish Scotch Company The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, purchases McGuinness Distilling Co. Ltd from

Heublein Heublein Inc. (also known as Heublein Spirits) was an American producer and distributor of alcoholic beverages and food throughout the 20th century. During the 1960s and 1970s its stock was regarded as one of the most stable financial investments ...

, and the spirits division of

Nabisco Nabisco (, abbreviated from the earlier name National Biscuit Company) is an American manufacturer of cookies and snacks headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey. The company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Mondelēz International. Nabisco's ...

* 1989, the distillery in Corbyville, Ontario closes * 1991, Corby buys

Upper Canada Brewing Company Upper Canada Brewing Company is a division of Sleeman Breweries in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Founded by Frank Heaps and Larry Sherwood (of Granville Island Brewery) in Toronto, it started brewing beer in 1985 and grew to become one of the largest ...

, resold in 1995 * 2005, Corby's parent company purchased by Pernod Ricard of France * 2006, Corby sells stake in Tia Maria to Pernod Ricard and purchases international rights to Lamb's Rum * 2011, sold 17 of its non-core brands and the Montreal bottling and production facility to

Sazerac The Sazerac is a local variation of a cognac or whiskey cocktail originally from New Orleans, named for the ''Sazerac de Forge et Fils'' brand of cognac brandy that served as its original main ingredient. The drink is most traditionally a combi ...

. * 2013, Corby changes its name to Corby Spirit and Wine Limited * 2016, Corby acquires the spirits assets of Domaines Pinnacle Inc., operating as a new Corby subsidiary, Ungava Spirits Co. Ltd.

Canadian brands

Today, Corby owns or represents many of the 25 top-selling brands in Canada and is expanding its sales to the US, Europe and other international markets, such as Australia. Corby's portfolio includes

J.P. Wiser's Whisky Established in 1857, J.P. Wiser's Whisky is one of Canada's oldest continuously produced Canadian whiskeys. Hiram Walker & Sons Limited currently produces it at their Windsor, Ontario, . Since 1935, J.P. Wiser's has been the majority shareholder ...

, Lamb's rum, Polar Ice vodka and McGuinness liqueurs. Corby also represents leading international brands such as

ABSOLUT vodka Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, in southern Sweden. Absolut is a part of the French group Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard bought Absolut for €5.63 billion in 2008 from the Swedish state. Absolut is one of the largest brands ...

, Chivas Regal,

The Glenlivet distillery The Glenlivet distillery is a distillery near Ballindalloch in Moray, Scotland that produces single malt Scotch whisky. It is the oldest legal distillery in the parish of Glenlivet, and the production place of the Scottish whisky of the same ...

and

Ballantine's Ballantine's is a range of Blended Scotch whiskies produced by Pernod Ricard in Dumbarton, Scotland. The Ballantine's flavour is dependent on fingerprint malts from Miltonduff and Glenburgie, blended with 50 single malts and four single gra ...

Scotch whiskies,

Jameson Irish Whiskey Jameson ( or ) is a blended Irish whiskey produced by the Irish Distillers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. Originally one of the six main Dublin Whiskeys at the Jameson Distillery Bow St., Jameson is now distilled at the New Midleton Distiller ...

, Beefeater Gin, Malibu rum,

Kahlúa Kahlúa () is a brand of coffee liqueur owned by the Pernod Ricard company and produced in Veracruz, Mexico. The drink contains rum, sugar, and arabica coffee. History Pedro Domecq began producing Kahlúa in 1936. It was named Kahlúa, mean ...

liqueur, Mumm Champagne, and Jacob's Creek, Stoneleigh, Graffigna, Campo Viejo, and Wyndham Estate wines. * Wiser's whisky * Polar Ice Vodka *

Lamb's Lamb's Navy Rum is a sugar-cane based Caribbean rum popular in the UK and Canada. In 1849, 22-year-old Londoner Alfred Lamb, son of wine and spirits merchant William Lamb, blended 18 different rums from Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad to p ...

Rum * McGuinness Liqueur Family * Pike Creek Canadian Whisky * Lot 40 Canadian Whisky * Hiram Walker's Special Old * Royal Reserve * Cabot Trail * Ungava Premium Gin * The Foreign Affair Winery * Chic Choc

References

External links

* (age-restricted access) {{Pernod Ricard Canadian whisky Companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange Distilleries in Canada Food and drink companies based in Toronto Manufacturing companies based in Toronto Pernod Ricard brands Cuisine of Ontario 1859 establishments in Ontario Food and drink companies established in 1859 Canadian companies established in 1859