The history of the Canadian company Seagram began in Waterloo, Ontario, in 1857. In 1928, the company was bought by Distillers Corporation Ltd, a Montreal-based business run by the Bronfman brothers and Distillers Company Limited. DCL used it to gain access to the Canadian market and more generally the American market, even during Prohibition. The Bonfman brothers bought DCL's shares at the end of Prohibition and began buying Scottish distilleries and brands, including Chivas in 1949. This policy continued over the following decades, until Edgar Jr. Bronfman, who became the CEO of Seagram in 1994, began branching out into the audiovisual sector. This diversification was unsuccessful and Seagram was bought by Vivendi, who sold the wine and spirits part of the business to Diageo and Pernod Ricard.

Crown Royal is the top-selling Canadian whisky in the United States.