Sazerac Company pays homage Sam Bronfman, the founder of the modern day distilled spirits industry, and the vast contribution he made to the industry, with Mister Sam, a highly limited blended whiskey expression made with some of Sazerac’s finest American and Canadian whiskeys.
Bronfman, or “Mister Sam” as he was known, propelled Seagram’s into the then largest and most successful distilled spirits company in the world and created some of the world’s most iconic spirit brands while at the helm of the empire until his death in 1971. The tie between the Seagram and Sazerac Companies was formed in the 1940s, when Sazerac’s owners became one of the first distributors of Seagram brands in the United States. Today, Sazerac owns 15 former Seagram’s brands including the iconic Seagram’s V.O., Seagram’s Five Star, and Seagram’s ’83, along with its own Distillery in Montreal.
The Mister Sam blend was created by Sazerac’s Master Blender Drew Mayville whose career included a 22-year stint at Seagram’s where he was the fourth and last Master Blender under the Seagram dynasty. Mayville had the vast array of Sazerac’s American and Canadian whiskey stocks at his disposal while developing the final blend. This project holds a special place in Mayville’s heart, a native Canadian now living in Kentucky.
“I was thrilled to be able to work on the blend for this exciting tribute whiskey,” says Mayville. “Mister Sam was known to say ‘Distilling is a science; Blending is an art,’ and he’s right. Creating the elusive perfect blend is every bit about experimentation and precision. We’re very proud of the whiskey we’ve created.”
Bottled at Sazerac’s Old Montreal Distillery in Montreal, Mister Sam is 133.8 Proof and will be released once a year. The bottles will be housed in an elegant wooden box (seen above) which will include a copy of the legendary “From Little Acorns” book which Sam Bronfman penned in 1970 and which details the history of the Seagram’s company. The recently bottled 2019 release features just 1,200 750ml bottles and will be sold only in the United States and Canada for $249.99.
