DISCOVER THE JOHNNIE WALKER STORY

MAKING AN ICON

Who is Johnnie Walker? Discover his story and where our Whiskey history begins. It all started in 1820 when a determined young man named John opened his grocery shop in Kilmarnock - a thriving town in Scotland, after the death of his father. Despite a difficult start, John had a spark in him that would ignite his success. Learn more about the man behind the world-renowned Whiskey brand.

JOHN HAD A NATURAL GIFT FOR BUSINESS. HE ALSO HAD A GENIUS FOR WHISKY.

Within the year, the family farm had been sold and the money used to set him up with his own grocer’s shop in the thriving local town of Kilmarnock. It was a smart move. In those days, most grocers stocked a line of single malts, but they were never consistent. This wasn’t good enough for John. So he started blending them together to create a whisky that tasted just as good every time.

It proved an extremely popular addition to the inventory.

A historic illustration depicting a grand building with ornate details, likely a factory or warehouse from the industrial era.

When John passed away after a full and prosperous life in 1857, he left his son, Alexander, with a very healthy business. These were fast-moving times. Britain was the pulsating heart of an Industrial Revolution that was set to change absolutely everything. In Kilmarnock, the railway had arrived, carrying goods to great ships travelling to the four corners of the world. Like his father, Alexander knew a good opportunity when he saw one.

A timeline of our history

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HISTORY.