Make no mistake, this is not only your dad’s but also your grandfather’s whiskey. Depending on your age and where your family was during prohibition, it might even be your great-great-grandfather and/or grandmother’s whiskey. Say what you like about Canadian whisky, it’s stood the test of time.

Sometimes referred to, particularly in Canada, as rye despite the fact that it’s primarily made with corn spirits, Canadian whisky, unlike now resurgent American rye whiskey, never threatened to go away. Still, while some uninformed bartenders still think rye is just the name of a type of Jewish bread, it’s the rare bar that doesn’t stock Seagram’s V.O., Canadian Club, Crown Royal and often Black Velvet. Its the even rarer connoisseur or cocktail aficionado who will admit to being excited about them, with some liquor snobs deriding Canadian as “brown vodka.” Following their lead, younger drinkers who have taken to premium brands of bourbon and Scotch, have largely ignored it. That’s not to say unassuming Canadian Whisky has no fans among the cognoscenti. We kind of love it and no less an authority than cocktail historian David Wondrich suggests Canadian Club — a value-priced favorite of ours — as the perfect vehicle for an Old Fashioned, the most purist-friendly whiskey cocktail we know.

In any case, pop culture seems to be slowly becoming more aware of American rye whiskey’s almost-as-retro northern cousin. The 2008 primary elections saw Hillary Clinton swigging a much-discussed shot of Crown Royal, the very smooth Chivas Regal of Canadian. Though the label is angled so that the logo is just slightly out of our view, it’s clear that Canadian Club — first brewed by distilling legend Hiram Walker — is Donald Draper’s poison of choice on “Mad Men.” (In the first episode, newbie secretary Peggy Olson is informed that rye is the same as Canadian, and told it’s what her new boss drinks.) It also sure looks to be Canadian Club that washing up on the Jersey shore in HBO’s bootlegging themed early gangland drama, “Boardwalk Empire.” By law, Canadian whisky must be aged at least three years, though Canadian Club and Seagram’s V.O. are both aged for six

In fact, the popularity of Canadian whisky — which many insist must be spelled sans “e” — in the U.S. goes back to those dark days for everyone but gangsters between 1920 and 1933 when the sale and manufacture of liquor was illegal in the land of free and home of the brave, but thoroughly legal up north. Jewish-Canadian entrepreneur and liquor distributor Samuel Bronfman became wealthy and powerful beyond anyone’s wildest dreams by staying more or less on the right side of the law while doing business with the likes of Al Capone. He purchased Joseph E. Seagram’s and Sons and launched what became, for a time, a massive commercial and media empire. (It’s worth noting that the line’s flagship brand, Seagram’s 7 Crown, best known as the non-7-Up ingredient in a “7 and 7,” is not technically Canadian whisky. The U.S. version, at least, is bottled in Indiana and marketed as “an American whiskey,” whatever that is.)

Since it’s primarily blended and is generally not a very complex kind of a whiskey, it’s likely that Canadian will never have the cachet of bourbon, rye, or Scotch, but its hipness quotient may be improving slightly. Canadian Club has shrewdly played on its history with a series of attention-grabbing print ads with the slogan “Damn right, your dad drank it.” The ads alluded to the allegedly racy lifestyles of fathers of yore and used actual family photographs from Canadian Club employees.

As for cocktail and liquor aficionados, New York Times writer Robert Simonson blogged some time ago that his contacts in the gourmet and mixology worlds became obviously bored at the mere mention of Canadian whisky. However, Simonson’s April 2011 article details how there are real changes brewing in the world of Canadian booze. He specifically cites the highly acclaimed Forty Creek distillery and also attempts by better known makers of Canadian whiskey to brew blends that will appeal to drinkers used to the more complex flavors of today’s premium whiskeys.

Forty Creek does appear to be the most prevalent of the “new style” Canadian whisky manufacturers and we were able to pick up a bottle on sale at out local big-box beverage emporium. Our reaction was a bit mixed; we still think Canadian Club is more tasty and given its extremely low price, difficult to beat. Even so, we anxiously await the arrival of more and better Canadian whiskys. It’s time to see if our polite and funny friends to our north can create some premium whiskeys that will give some real competition to Kentucky and Tennessee, not to mention Scotland and Ireland.

We were able to get a sneak peek at the trailer for Victoria’s Secret supermodel Marisa Miller’s newest commercial for Captain Morgan where she gets to play the role of a sexy pirate. The sexy spot will premiere next week and it chronicles Marisa’s newest job as Captain Morgan’s First Mate – where her duties include protecting the Captain’s legendary spiced rum and kicking a little ass along the way. It’s a fun video, and anything involving Marisa Miller is worth a look!

The gang at Johnnie Walker was kind enough to send us some samples of each of the scotch bottles above. Needless to say, productivity at Bullz-Eye headquarters immediately plummeted.

It did, however, give us another great idea for a Father’s day gift. Booze may not be the most creative gift, but it’s usually a winner with most fathers, particularly when it involves great Scotch.

You see above that you can choose among five different “labels” for Johnnie Walker, each with a different color. Check out the web site and you can choose the best one for you or the lucky gift recipient. After extensive taste testing, we’re partial to Johnnie Walker Black Label and Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

Two hundred years in the making, Black Label is the signature blend from the House of Walker. Big whisky flavors with hints of rich fruit and smoke make this Scotch whisky the perfect gift for the father who stands strong as the cornerstone of his family. You can’t lose with this one, and at a retail price of around $34 it won’t break the bank.

If you’re looking to spend a tad bit more, try the Blue Label which runs around $220. This is the rarest, most exceptional whisky from Johnnie Walker, and it’s a good choice if you’re looking for a more memorable gift. Just make sure you’re around when he opens the damn thing!

Today is Cinco de Mayo, and we’re going to help you get the party started with a review of an excellent tequila.

The Cabo Wabo brand of tequila was created by The Red Rocker, Sammy Haggar, who also owns a night club with the same name in Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico. This premium tequila is the genuine article – 100% Weber Blue Agave.

The folks at Cabo Wabo were kind enough to send us bottles of all three varieties you see above, and we definitely had some fun giving them a try. The bottles have recently been redesigned, and as you can see they’ll look great in your bar or drink cart.

You can read more about the different kinds of tequila here, but the difference in the types of tequilas come from the amount of time they are aged from the time of distillation to the time they are bottled. The Blanco (or Silver) is bottled right away, while the Reposado and Añejo are aged longer which give them more color and more complex flavors.

I liked the Blanco the best, but all three varieties were great. If you’re only experience with tequila involves cheap shots at the bar, you’ll be shocked when you try a premium tequila like Cabo Wabo. The tequila is delicious and can be sipped like other high end spirits.

Of course, you can also shoot it and use it for great mixed drinks, so when you’re enjoying Cinco de Mayo today, order up some good tequila like Cabo Wabo and impress your lady friend!

Looking to plan a summer vacation but don’t know where to go? Let Liquor.com take care of all the details, like spending six exciting days drinking your way across Brazil, starting with a visit to Distillery Maison Leblon in Minas Gerais. To get you in the mood, check out our Brazilian Bikinis gallery.

You’ll see how Brazil’s national spirit, Cachaça, is produced, from the cutting and pressing of sugarcane to the distilling and bottling. The trip would not be complete without a visit to Rio de Janeiro where the lucky winner and a guest will get to drink tasty Caipirinhas on the sands of Ipanema, Copacabana, and Leblon Beach.

Click here for the details to enter the giveaway which ends on June 30, 2010.