Scottish Blog

Johnnie Walker is the world’s most distributed brand of Scotch whiskey.

Undoubtedly to many, Johnnie Walker and its “striding man” logo is as recognizable a symbol of Scotland as that found on their own Scottish heirloom jewelry. And just like a Scottish Clan history, the origins of modern day Johnnie Walker points of pride to those close to them.

Johnnie Walker was originally created by a grocer in Ayrshire, Scotland by the name of John ‘Johnnie’ Walker in 1820. The product became popular with the locals and became and well known brand. Shortly after its inception as a product in the store, the Scotch whisky made by Johnnie Walker (at the time known as Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky) made up an average figure of 8% of his annual sales. In 1857, John Walker passed away, but his store and whisky making techniques were passed onto his son Alexander Walker.

Alexander Walker made expansions to the line of Whiskeys which would come to be known under the Johnnie Walker brand name. The most notable change to the line of whiskies sold came with an amendment to the law which prohibited the sale of blended whiskies. In 1865, Alexander Walker began production of a blended whisky, under the name of Walker’s Old Highland. Unlike this blend, there was another change, the effects of which can be seen to this day. Alexander Walker introduced the distinctive Johnnie Walker square bottle and its 24 degree slanted label.

Johnnie Walker officially came to be known by that name in 1908, after the business passed from the sons of Alexander Walker to James Stevenson (as managing director of the company). By this point the Johnnie Walker brand of whiskies had already taken on its current naming method (different blends are labeled by different colors). There are currently six different blends of Johnnie Walker in production, with only one variant being different than the original lineup, as Johnnie Walker White was discontinued in World War I and was replaced by Johnny Walker Swing in 1932. To this day Johnnie Walker is blended in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock.