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Yukon Jack (liqueur)

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Yukon Jack
TypeWhisky
ManufacturerSazerac Company
DistributorSazerac Company
Country of origin Canada
Region of originYukon
Introduced1970s
Alcohol by volume 50%
Proof (US)100
VariantsPerma Frost Schnapps, Jacapple and Wicked Hot

Yukon Jack is a Canadian honey based liqueur, made from Canadian Whisky and honey, advertised as “The Black Sheep of Canadian Liquors”. The alcoholic beverage is named after the pioneer Leroy Napoleon 'Jack' McQuesten [1]. It is a 50% alcohol by volume, or 100 proof liqueurs made with Canadian whisky and honey. Yukon Jack possesses a sweeter taste than regular whiskey due to the added honey.  The brand also creates other types of liqueurs, including 'Perma Frost Schnapps', 'Jacapple', as well as 'Wicked Hot', blended with hot cinnamon. The origin of the liqueur is unknown, but it first appeared in the United States in the 1970s, imported by Heublein Inc. It is now produced in Valleyfield, Quebec and owned by the Sazerac Company. Today, it is not common to find ‘Yukon Jack’ and it must be ordered online. The Yukon Jack range retail price is from $19.99 to $22.99 dependant on what type of whisky is ordered. Additionally, Yukon Jack was selected as the regimental liqueur used for special occasions and commemorations for the South Alberta Light Horse and the 19th Alberta Dragoons.

Yukon Jack

Yukon Jack is known as “The Black Sheep of Canadian Liquors” referring to the idiom, “The Black Sheep” meaning that Yukon Jack is an odd and unique form of Canadian whisky. Yukon Jack is a 50% alcohol by volume (100 proof) Canadian whisky and honey-based liqueur blend named after Leroy Napoleon ‘Jack’ McQuesten. Yukon Jack is a brand of liqueur that uses a blend of Canadian whisky and honey as a base for its liqueurs. There are multiple types of liqueur that carry the Yukon Jack name. This includes ‘Perma Frost Schnapps', a blend of schnapps that has a peppermint flavour mixed with a small amount hot cinnamon, ‘Jacapple’, a whisky blended with spices and apple, as well as ‘Wicked Hot’, blended with hot cinnamon.

Yukon Jack is a type of Canadian whisky, which makes it unique. As legislated by the Canadian government, there are stringent regulations as to what can be called Canadian whisky, as to maintain the reputation of a high quality product. Canadian whisky shall  “be a potable alcoholic distillate, or a mixture of potable alcoholic distillates, obtained from a mash of cereal grain or cereal grain products, be aged in small wood for not less than three years, possess the aroma, taste and character generally attributed to Canadian whisky be mashed, distilled and aged in Canada, and contain not less than 40 per cent alcohol by volume.” [2].It is stated that Canadian whisky can contain flavouring, evidenced in Yukon Jack’s natural honey flavouring. Other flavours, where the whisky is flavoured in small wood barrels include black cherry, apple, hickory, sugar maple and honey locust[3].

Canadian whisky is similar to American whiskey, but the processing of the different grains used in Canadian whisky is different. In Canadian whisky, all the grains used in the creation of the whisky are distilled and aged separately, then blended at the end of the production process. Furthermore, what makes Canadian whisky unique is that there are no restrictions as to the type of barrel that the whisky is aged in, or whether it has been used for the storage of any other alcohol[4]. This freedom in the production of Canadian whisky all leads to unique flavours, which is what distinguishes Canadian whisky from other types. Along with the sweet flavouring of honey, Yukon Jack has a distinctive flavouring that differentiates itself from other Canadian whiskys.

Recent History

Yukon Jack was first recorded when it was imported into the United States by Heublein Inc. Heublein was responsible for the advertising of Yukon Jack and its popularisation in the United States. Below is an advertisement for Yukon Jack published in 1978. The brand was later taken over by Diageo plc., A British alcohol company that owns 70 brands and operates in 180 countries. In 2018, Diageo sold Yukon Jack along with 18 other alcohol brands to the Sazerac Company for $550 million. [5] It is now manufactured in Valleyfield, Quebec. Yukon Jack was also selected as the Regimental liqueur of the South Alberta Light Horse. It is used as the liqueur in official regimental toasts. It commemorates the stationing in Whitehorse, Yukon in the 1950s of the C Squadron of the 19th Alberta Dragoons, as a part of the 19th Alberta Armoured Car Regiment.

Early History

Alcohol was introduced into Canada in the 1600s, brought by French and English traders in the fur trade with native Americans. British traders and missionaries arrived in the Yukon in 1846, establishing trading posts along the Yukon river[6]. There is a strong history of alcohol culture and whisky in Northern Canada. In 1869, the Canadian government banned alcohol in the North West Territories of Canada, and prior to this, goods such as alcohol were heavily taxed [7]. The North West Territories Act in 1875 prohibited the manufacture of liquor and its importation into the Yukon region as well as the sale of liquor to Alaska natives. However, in 1891 the federal government of Canada governed the legislation on liquor issues in some districts of Southern Canada, but prohibition remained in effect in the Yukon region. This resulted in the private importation and smuggling of alcohol in the regions. In 1869, army personnel, responsible for the policing of alcohol infractions, imported whisky that was consigned “for the use of the officers of the post,” was actually sold off in an auction to the local community[6]. During this time nine hundred gallons of pure ethanol, labelled as coal oil was sold in these community auctions. As alcohol was not widely available in the Yukon region until the early 20th century[6], the trading of whisky was extremely common which allowed traders, such as Leroy Napoleon ‘Jack’ McQuesten to become a prevalent figure in the region.

The gold rush era

The gold rush era in the Yukon region, known as the Klondike Gold Rush, and large quantities of liquor and excessive drinking habits became common place in the region. The discovery of gold drew over 100,000 prospectors to the region. As a result of the gold rush era, there was increased reliance on the trading of goods, including alcohol. The widespread nature of the abuse of alcohol promoted the disregard for the earlier liquor laws introduced by the Canadian government[6].

Leroy Napoleon 'Jack' McQuesten

Photograph of Leroy Napoleon 'Jack' McQuesten

Leroy Napoleon ‘Jack’ McQuesten was a trader and gold prospector in the Yukon region of Canada in the mid to late 1800s. He traded with natives and other prospectors and traders in such products as whisky, furs, dried meat, tobacco, guns and ammunition[6]. With large discoveries of gold in the region in the 1880s and 1890s, prospectors migrated into the Yukon and Klondike regions, bringing large amounts of whisky into the region. McQuesten was a part of the Alaska Commercial Company and helped establish trading posts along the Yukon River [8]. In 1893, McQuesten established Circle City, as a trading centre in the same region.  McQuesten arrived in the Yukon region during the gold rush and developed his trading posts by ‘grubstaking’

prospectors, which involves offering supplies in return for a share of profits from their gold claims[7]. Often, this included the trading of whisky for prospectors during the winter months. Jack McQuesten was also known at various times as “Yukon Jack,” “Captain Jack,” “Golden Rule McQuesten,” “Old Jack,” “Father of Alaska,” and “Father of the Yukon.”[1]. McQuesten had such a substantial impact on the region that there is a mineral belt named the McQuesten Mineral Belt where a record 25,000 new gold claims.

Other events in the life of Leroy Napoleon 'Jack' McQuesten

Leroy Napoleon ‘Jack’ McQuesten was also known for his invention of the “Sourdough Thermometer”. The Sourdough Thermometer consisted of a row of four bottles, each with liquids that had different freezing points that would indicate how cold it was in the northern regions of Canada. The liquids of Mercury, coal oil, Jamaica Ginger and Perry Davis’ Painkiller each had a freezing point of -40°C, -45°C, -51°C and -67°C. The “Klondike” Flask was also a creation used to honour the pioneers and prospectors that made the gold rush possible, including major contributors like Leroy Napoleon ‘Jack’ McQuesten. It was made in the late 19th century to memorialise the Klondike gold rush in the Yukon territory of northern Canada. The Klondike Flask is a small six inch high glass bottle shaped like a mountain. It has a metal lid that seals a threaded neck and covers the top of the bottle. McQuesten married his wife Katherine “Kate” James Satejdenalno McQuesten in 1878. Over the time that Jack McQuesten was in the Yukon River operating and opening trading posts for the Alaska Commercial Company, Kate had eleven children, three of which died young. After the gold rush was over sometime after 1894, at the age of 48, McQuesten retired and moved himself and his family to Berkeley, California, bringing his fortune amassed during the gold rush. This included the transportation of a metric tonne of gold worth $664,541. Jack and Kate McQuesten lived in their mansion until Jack died in 1909 and Kate in 1921[1].

Cocktails

Yukon Jack is a whisky blended with honey. The flavour of the honey acts as a sweetener to the strong drink that is Yukon Jack. The whisky contains 50% alcohol by volume, or it is 100 proof. Hence, it has been described as a ‘very strong and very sweet drink with fruity undertones.’ [9]. The Canadian honey blended whisky is commonly drunk neat (without ice) or on the rocks (with ice). However, Yukon Jack, due to its unique flavour profile, is a versatile liqueur that can be used in a range of cocktails. There are 89 well known cocktails that are made using Yukon Jack and are conventionally served in a highball glass with ice [10].

References

  1. ^ a b c Munsey, C. (2004, Summer). “YUKON JACK” Part I. Bottles and Extras. 15(3), 14.-16.
  2. ^ Branch, Legislative Services (2020-09-28). "Consolidated federal laws of canada, Food and Drug Regulations". laws-lois.justice.gc.ca. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  3. ^ Mastorovich, C. Silvestri, R. (2018). UNPRECEDENTED WHISKY FLAVORS PART 1: GC-MS ANALYSIS OF UNPRECEDENTED WHISKY FLAVORS CREATED BY A NOVEL AGING PROCESS. The Ohio Journal of Science; Columbus. 118(1).
  4. ^ New York Times. (2018). Canadian Whisky’s Long-Awaited Comeback.Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/11/dining/drinks/canadian-whisky-crown-royal-comeback.html
  5. ^ "Diageo Sells Seagram's VO to Sazerac in $550 Million Deal". Bloomberg.com. 2018-11-12. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  6. ^ a b c d e Ehrlander, M. (2010). The historical roots of a frontier alcohol culture: Alaska and Northern Canada. Northern Review, 32, p.63(41)
  7. ^ a b Plante, Jeffrey P. (2006). "Hallowell, Gerald, ed. The Oxford Companion to Canadian History. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2004. Pp. 748. $79.95". Urban History Review. 34 (2): 61. doi:10.7202/1016017ar. ISSN 0703-0428.
  8. ^ Cooke, Alan; Holland, Clive (September 1972). "Chronological list of expeditions and historical events in northern Canada. VIII 1853–80". Polar Record. 16 (102): 383–409. doi:10.1017/S0032247400063075. ISSN 0032-2474.
  9. ^ "Yukon Jack | European Bartender School". www.barschool.net. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  10. ^ "Yukon Jack® Canadian whisky information". www.drinksmixer.com. Retrieved 2020-11-02.


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