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One bottle with a black label and another bottle with an ornate bottle in a velvety bag. Drinkers of one are more likely to mix with cola and watch football or Nascar. Drinkers of the other are likely to have a neat pour while cheering on their favorite hockey team.

Are these two groups of drinkers actually so different? Above are the stereotypes of the typical Jack Daniel’s and Crown Royal drinkers but they are actually both enjoyed by many types of consumers around the globe.

The thing they have in common is a love of Whiskey or is it Whisky?

Jack Daniel vs Crown Royal

Jack Daniel’s vs Crown Royal? There are some obvious differences like the country of origin, product line, and history. Beyond that they are both some form of Whiskey, right? Are they that different?

We’ll help you decipher anything and everything you would ever want to know about Jack Daniel’s and Crown Royal.

Crown Royal is a blended Canadian Whisky that was born in 1939 thanks to a visit from royalty. Samuel Bronfman, the founder of Crown Royal, came up with the iconic spirit, fancy bottle, and regal purple velvet bag as a gift for Queen Elizabeth and King George VI.

Crown Royal uses Canadian grains in its production and blends the aged whisky from barrels. The result is an exceptionally sweet and smooth drinking experience.

For the first few decades, Crown Royal was only available in Canada but they went worldwide in the 1960s. Crown Royal is still produced in Canada but has been acquired by the British beverage company Diageo.

Jack Daniel’s was launched in Tennessee in 1875 by a guy named Jack Daniel. Jack learned the art of distilling from a moonshiner and took that knowledge and started his own distillery.

There have been some ups and downs in the years since 1875 but ultimately Jack Daniel’s brand has endured and prospered. Some notable ups and downs are a Gold Medal for finest Whiskey at the 1904 World’s Fair and the temperance movement and prohibition posing a major threat.

Jack Daniel’s has a warm, sweet, and smoky taste that works well mixed with cola or in other cocktails. Jack Daniel’s is still made in Tennessee but has since been taken over by the Kentucky-based spirit company Brown-Forman.

How Are They Made?

Both Jack Daniel’s and Crown Royal are in the Whiskey family so their production has some elements in common but also some distinctions.

Whiskey (or Whisky as it’s spelled in Scotland, Japan, and Canada) is a distilled alcohol made from grain and aged in wooden barrels.

The process of making Jack Daniel’s starts by creating a mash out of grains, yeast, and water. The mixture is heated and then given time to ferment. Jack Daniel’s is a sour mash which means that some spent mash from a previous batch is also added to the new mash.

Once ready the soon-to-be Whiskey is distilled in copper stills and sent to be filtered through sugar maple charcoal. This process, called mellowing, is unique to Jack Daniel’s and adds to its distinct taste.

Once properly mellowed the liquid rests in oak barrels for a minimum of four years before being bottled and shipped off.

The process to make Crown Royal may now sound familiar. The major differences are the removal of the mellowing step and the use of some blending techniques at the end.

The Crown Royal grain bill is combined with water and yeast, heated, and fermented. After fermentation, the mixture is distilled and then added to charred oak barrels.

The Whisky is aged for at least three years and then the master blender gets their hands on it. The blender takes Whisky from multiple barrels and blends them until perfect smoothness is achieved.

What Are They Made Of?

Crown Royal is made with barley, corn, and rye grains all from Canada. They also have some flavored variants that use apple, vanilla, peach, or caramel flavoring. Depending on the version the Whisky is aged in charred oak barrels, Cognac casks, or Wine barrels.

Jack Daniel’s uses 80% corn, 8% barley, and 12% rye in the mash bill. They make their own charcoal out of sugar maple for mellowing.

Jack Daniel’s also makes their own toasted and charred oak barrels. Some variants also contain apple, honey, or cinnamon flavors.

How Are They Similar?

Jack Daniel’s and Crown Royal have a lot in common. They are both similar but different types of Whiskey. One is a blended Whisky and the other is a Tennessee Whiskey (that is very similar to Bourbon).

They are both made with corn, rye, and barley. They are aged in charred oak barrels and they each also offer some flavored variants.

Price, Size, Color, Alcohol Percentage Comparison

The original Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey is very affordable. Once you start getting into the limited edition products the price will start going up based on more aging, special barrels, and single barrels.

Jack Daniel’s offers a range of sizes from 50 ml single-serve to much larger bottles. The most common sizes are 375 ml, 750 ml, and 1.75 L. All varieties of Jack are some version of a golden brown that ranges from light amber to dark copper.

Jack Daniel’s is a high-proof spirit at 80 Proof. The rest of Jack Daniel’s collection ranges from 70 Proof to 148 Proof for some of the special releases.

Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey and Non-Flavored variants:

Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey – 80 Proof
- 750 ml, From $24.99
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye – 90 Proof
- 750 ml, From $26.99
Gentleman Jack – Double Mellowed – 80 Proof
- 750 ml, From $34.99
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel
- Single Barrel Select – 94 Proof
  - 750 ml, From $54.99
- Single Barrel Barrel Proof – 90 Proof
  - 750 ml, From $67.99
- Single Barrel Rye – 90 Proof
  - 750 ml, From $54.99
Jack Daniel’s Flavored variants – Tennessee Apple, Tennessee Honey, and Tennessee Fire
- 70 Proof
  - 750 ml, From $24.99

Crown Royal also has an extensive product line with some low-priced bottles and some high prices once you enter the old and rare part of the collection.

The size, color, and strength of Crown Royal also closely follow the pattern seen in Jack Daniel’s line. The original Crown Royal Blended Canadian Whisky is 80 Proof, the flavored varieties are 70 Proof, and a few variants go up to 90 Proof.

The Crown Royal product line is broken up into the Signature Series, Flavor Series, and Master Series.

Signature Series

Crown Royal Deluxe Blended Canadian Whisky
- 750 ml, From $24.99
Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye – 90 Proof
- 750 ml, From $32.99
Crown Royal Black – 90 Proof
- 750 ml, From $29.99
Crown Royal Blender’s Mash
- 750 ml, From $31.99

Flavor Series – Apple, Peach, Vanilla, and Salted Caramel

750 ml, From $24.99

Master Series – Top Shelf Collection

Crown Royal Aged 18 Years Extra Rare Blended Canadian Whisky
- 750 ml, From $149.99
Crown Royal XR Extra Rare Blended Canadian Whisky
- 750 ml, From $144.99
Royal Crown Reserve Canadian Whisky
- 750 ml, From $47.99

How to Drink?

Both Crown Royal and Jack Daniel’s are very versatile. They can be sipped neat or on the rocks, mixed with cola, or mixed into a more complex cocktail. Here are a couple of outstanding cocktails to try out:

Royal Crown Manhattan

1 oz Crown Royal
½ oz Sweet Vermouth
3 Dashes Aromatic Bitters
Orange Twist (for Garnish)

Stir all liquid ingredients, strain into a glass, and garnish with an orange twist.

Jack Old Fashioned

2 oz Jack Daniel’s Old No.7
½ oz Simple Syrup
2 Dashes Bitters
Orange & Cherry (for Garnish)

Fill a rocks glass with ice, pour in the Jack Daniel’s, add the simple syrup and bitters and stir. Garnish with an orange twist and cherry.

Alternatives

A fine alternative to Jack Daniel’s is George Dickel Tennessee Rye Whiskey which is another Tennessee Whiskey. A couple of other options are Bourbons like Evan Williams and Jim Beam.

There are quite a few other Blended Canadian Whisky brands out there although you could argue most are not at the level of Royal Crown. Some excellent but lower-priced alternatives are Seagram’s VO Canadian Whisky and Black Velvet.