John Philip Wiser

John Philip (J.P.) Wiser (October 4, 1825 – April 30, 1911) was an American-born Canadian distiller, manufacturer, rancher and political figure.

His whisky distillery was the third largest in Canada, and he served a term as a Liberal Member of Parliament for Grenville South, from 1878 to 1882.

Wiser's son, Harlow, operated the distillery to an output of 500,000 gallons a year, but he died in 1895 at the age of 36 from a heart attack.

By the early 1900s, Wiser was exporting whisky around the world and his distillery in Prescott became the third largest in Canada behind Hiram Walker's in Windsor and Gooderham & Worts' in Toronto.

His name continues today on several brands of J.P. Wiser Whisky, including his original Red Letter Rye.