It has been quite an adventure up until this point. From driving through a flooded Chicago and getting in accidents to running through the rain in Canada, I needed some recovery time. I slept well last night, and when I woke up I was ready for a new day.

I was very disappointed to find out that the tour only covered the Heritage Centre, which was Hiram Walker's home and offices, and not the actual distillery. So instead of seeing actual production, we got a giant history lesson about old dudes. So I goofed around and pretended to be Hiram Walker, cooking the books like usual.

The history of this company was pretty cool. During the days of prohibition, this distillery was the largest in North America, and gangsters such as Al Capone met in this very room (the basement speakeasy) to negotiate sales. Capone and his fellow gangsters would buy cases of whiskey for a minimal cost, then turn around and sell it in the US for a huge profit. Of course, they would be assuming all risks and penalties for doing it, but the reward was greater than the risk. Many improvements to bottling and shipping were developed during this time period that protected the products from breaking during smuggling. Things such as semi-curved bottles (like how a flask is shaped) that people could hide in their boots (which is where the term bootleggers comes from) or thicker glass with a smaller neck were invented. There were some funny moments of commentary during the tour courtesy of Aaron and myself, and our tour guide was a real hottie (there's a picture of me and her in one of the upcoming pages). I was too busy trying to learn more about her than I was about Hiram Walker, so the tour good for me. Although Aaron graduated with a degree in History, even he said it was time to stop learning and time to start drinking some whisky.

I know the question that you are asking right now, and the answer is yes, I am wearing pants. I also know the second question that you are asking, and the answer is no, I did not take these pictures. These are pictures of the Hiram Walker Distillery, where such popular brands as Canadian Club Whiskey are made. I stole them off of the internet since I didn't have access to a boat to take me out onto the Detroit River.

The hotel didn't have a pool, which severely disappointed me, but it did have suite rooms and an awesome breakfast. It was a hot buffet style one, complete with waffle makers. Aaron and Melissa were down with that, but I stuck to my bagel and yogurt.

Home

Oh Canada + Motown Madness - Brewers vs. Tigers in Detroit

We drove around the Hiram Walker Distillery for a few minutes while were trying to find the Tour Center. I wanted to take some pictures, but for whatever reason I didn't. Which is why I erased that regret by taking these pictures off of the internet. This place looked very much like the Miller Brewing facility down in the valley, which made me feel a little closer to home. We were still a little early for our tour, but instead of walking around and checking things out, we went inside the tour center to sit and wait. Like always, I had no idea what was next.

While waiting for our tour, I read about one of the saddest times in US history and one of the happiest times for Canadian Club - prohibition. Although US law forbid the making and sale of alcohol, people still needed their fix, and Canada was willing to illegally help the fine citizens get it. Which is why I can't hate on Canada.