Crown Royal Apple is a flavored Canadian whisky made by Crown Royal. The main alcohol in Crown Royal Apple is Canadian whisky, which is distilled from a mash of grains including corn, rye, wheat and barley. The apple flavor comes from the addition of natural apple flavors to the whisky after distillation.
Canadian Whisky as the Base Spirit
All Crown Royal products, including Crown Royal Apple, start with Canadian whisky as the base spirit. Canadian whisky is similar to American bourbon, but with some key differences in the distillation process and types of grains used.
The basic process for making Canadian whisky involves:
- Mashing – Mixing ground grains with hot water to extract sugars
- Fermentation – Adding yeast to convert sugars to alcohol
- Distillation – Heating/cooling alcohol to increase purity and flavor
- Aging – Storing whisky in wooden barrels for color and flavor
- Blending – Mixing different aged whiskies to achieve desired flavor
Compared to bourbon, Canadian whiskies tend to use more rye grain in the mash bill. They also often involve mixing whiskies aged in different types of barrels, like former bourbon, sherry or wine casks. This contributes to their characteristic smooth, light and sweet flavor.
Adding Natural Apple Flavoring
To make Crown Royal Apple, natural apple flavorings are added to the finished Canadian whisky. The exact process used is proprietary to Crown Royal, but typically involves:
- Selecting concentrated natural apple extracts and essences that provide the desired apple aroma and taste.
- Blending the apple flavorings into the whisky in specific proportions for consistency.
- Allowing time for the flavors to marry and integrate.
- Diluting to drinking strength of 70 proof (35% ABV).
- Bottling the flavored whisky.
The result is a sweet, smooth whisky with prominent fresh apple notes on the nose and palate. The apple complements the vanilla and oak from barrel aging the whisky. The alcohol burn is very mild for 70 proof, making it easy to drink straight or in cocktails.
Nutritional Info
As a distilled spirit, Crown Royal Apple has no fat, carbohydrates, protein or nutritional value. The nutrition facts per 1.5 oz serving (one shot) are:
- Calories: 105
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbs: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
Crown Royal Apple Cocktails
Crown Royal Apple combines very well with other ingredients in a variety of cocktails. Here are some popular recipes:
Apple Crisp
- 1.5 oz Crown Royal Apple
- 3 oz apple cider
- 0.5 oz lemon juice
- 0.5 oz honey syrup
- Dash Angostura bitters
- Cinnamon sugar rim
- Apple slice garnish
Apple Pie Martini
- 2 oz Crown Royal Apple
- 1.5 oz butterscotch schnapps
- 1 oz apple juice
- 0.5 oz cinnamon schnapps
Apple & Ginger
- 1.5 oz Crown Royal Apple
- 4 oz ginger beer
- Squeeze of lime juice
- Mint sprig garnish
Conclusion
Crown Royal Apple is a sweet, apple-flavored Canadian whisky. It starts with a base of rye-heavy Canadian whisky aged in barrels. Natural apple extracts are then blended in to provide fruity apple notes. The result is a smooth, easy-drinking whisky that works well in cocktails featuring apple cider, schnapps and ginger beer. While flavored, Crown Royal Apple retains the richness of the underlying aged whisky.