John Philip (J.P.) Wiser (October 4, 1825 – April 30, 1911) was an

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-born

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

distiller Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heatin ...

, manufacturer, rancher and political figure. His whisky distillery was the third largest in Canada, and he served a term as a

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for

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, from 1878 to 1882.

Early life

Wiser was born in

Oneida County, New York Oneida County is a county in the state of New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 232,125. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, one of the Five Nations of the Iroquois League or ''Haudenos ...

, the son of Isaac J. Wiser and Mary Egert. In 1856, he married Emily, the daughter of Harlow Godard.

Distillery

Wiser moved to

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 ...

in 1857 to work for his maternal uncle, Charles Egert, who owned the local Charles Payne Distillery and Farm with business partner Amos Averell. Wiser started as manager of the distillery. Five years later he bought out Egert and Averell to become sole owner of the distillery and farm. At the time, the distiller was producing 116,500 gallons of whisky a year. By the time of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, Wiser's Red Letter Rye was sold in Canada and Wiser's Canada Whisky was for export. Wiser introduced whisky in bottles at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Prior to this time, whisky was only sold in casks or barrels. Wiser's son, Harlow, operated the distillery to an output of 500,000 gallons a year, but he died in 1895 at the age of 36 from a heart attack. By the early 1900s, Wiser was exporting whisky around the world and his distillery in Prescott became the third largest in Canada behind Hiram Walker's in Windsor and Gooderham & Worts' in Toronto. By 1935, all three of these competitors operated under the same majority owner. Wiser's large farm raised cattle and racing horses. After Wiser's death, the distillery in Prescott was merged with

Corby Distilleries Corby Spirit and Wine Limited is a Canadian alcohol manufacturing and distribution company. It was founded in 1859 in Corbyville, Ontario. As of 2008, the company is 46% owned by Pernod Ricard. The company distills several Canadian specialities, ...

. His name continues today on several brands of J.P. Wiser Whisky, including his original Red Letter Rye.

References

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External links

J.P. Wiser’s Whiskey Empire Helped Make Prescott Thriving Town
1825 births 1911 deaths Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Liberal Party of Canada MPs People from Oneida County, New York American emigrants to Canada People from Leeds and Grenville United Counties Drink distillers {{Liberal-Ontario-MP-stub