Whiskey Production In The Rideau Valley

At its peak of production in 1840, the Town of Richmond’s distilleries could legally produce about 600 gallons a day or 4,200 gallons of rye whiskey a week. On an annual basis, the license capacity of Richmond distilleries legally permitted them to produce 218,400 gallons of rye or 6,240 barrels.

There was a “staggering” amount of whiskey (pun intended) being produced in Perth in the 1840s. By 1844 the daily malt whiskey production from the distilleries of William Lock; John Ferguson and Robert McLaren was 2000 gallons per day.

William Lock had one vat that could produce 1,400 gallons of malt whiskey in a single batch!!

In addition, rye whiskey was also being produced in copious quantities at several other Town distilleries. And then there was all that beer being produced in the Town’s breweries, which amounted to several hundred more gallons of “spirits”. The residents of Perth … all two thousand of them … never had to go thirsty!!