8Black Velvet
Owned by New York-based Constellation Brands, Black Velvet DeLuxe was the only liquor available to submarine officers at Midway in World War II, where it was known as ‘Schenley’s Black Death’.
Originally called ‘Black Label’, the name was changed to ‘Black Velvet’ in the late 1940s by Jack Napier, due to its velvety taste and smoothness.
Black Velvet comes in 3 varieties which are primarily sold on the export market to the U.S.: Black Velvet, Black Velvet Reserve and Black Velvet Toasted Caramel, which is ranked #2 in Canadian Whiskey market share, behind #1, Crown Royal.
The Canadian beverage has seen marginal declines and growth over the past 5 years, reporting a 2% sales decline to 2.2 million cases in 2013.
