1805

THE BEGINNING
THE LEGEND OF JOHNNIE WALKER

John Walker, the first son of Alexander Walker, was born on Todriggs Farm located in a small Scottish town called Kilmarnock. This is the beginning of the grand voyage of Johnnie Walker.

1820

COURAGEOUS DECISION

John Walker was only 14 years old when he began his business following the death of his father. Using the money he acquired by selling the farm, he opened a small grocery store in Kilmarnock.

1825

THE FIRST STEP

Initially, the single malt whisky blended by taking hints from tea blending was sold only to loyal customers. This excellent quality whisky became popular in no time, and the whisky business of this small grocery store achieved great success.

1852

THE NEW ERA

This year, the store’s stock was almost entirely destroyed by a flood that hit Scotland. Notwithstanding this misfortune, John's son Alexander Walker, who was still in his teens at the time, exhausted every avenue to rebuild his father's business, and managed to recover the business within a couple of years.

1857

CLEAR VISION

When the founder John Walker passed away, Alexander took over his business. He had a vision of distributing the whisky bearing his father’s name around the world. He cut a deal with ship captains setting out on voyages, and that is how Johnnie Walker took a first step on its global journey.

1867

THE ORIGIN OF THE STYLE

The Walker family has perfected the Old Highland Whisky, the origin of their current blending style. Its excellence became synonymous with the best whisky of the time. Its iconic square bottle with a label tilted at an angle of 24 degrees became recognizable around the world.

1889

PASSING DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION

Alexander passed away, and his two sons took over: Sir Alexander II as the blender, and George as the business manager. The entrepreneurial spirit and vision of Sir Alexander II led Johnnie Walker to even greater success.

1908

CREATION OF THE STRIDING MAN

While having lunch with the Walker brothers, Tom Browne, a satirical cartoonist, drew the Striding Man on the back of a menu, which became a precedent for world-famous brand logos.

1909

BRAND OF TIMELESS POPULARITY

The new names of “Johnnie Walker Red Label” and “Johnnie Walker Black Label” were introduced, following the habit of customers who used to identify different types of Old Highland Whisky by their label colors.

1920

BORN IN 1820 - STILL GOING STRONG

In 1920s Johnnie Walker had become the first real global brand being sold in more than 120 states in the world, which was established in small town Kilmarnock Scotland.

1934

ROYAL WARRANT

John Walker & Sons was granted a Royal Warrant – a symbol of excellence and authenticity. Johnnie Walker has remained an official purveyor of whiskey to the Royal Household to this day.

1992

A GAME-CHANGER

“Johnnie Walker Blue Label” was created under the philosophy to craft a truly best whisky by blending young and old. It threw the common sense of the whisky industry out the window, and pioneered the new category of luxury whisky.

2005

STEP INSIDE THE CIRCUIT

In 2005 Johnnie Walker took a bold step on its journey of global success, by partnering with one of the most iconic teams in Formula 1, McLaren.

2011

A SYMBOL OF LUXURY SCOTCH WHISKY

Blue Label, which revolutionized the whisky industry as a flagship of Johnnie Walker, revealed a new design. While keeping the iconic look, the new design adds more sophisticated presence and is a worldwide success that goes beyond the realm of scotch whisky.

2012

UNPARALLELED HIGH QUALITY

Johnnie Walker’s luxury line, the John Walker & Sons Collection, was introduced. As a highest collection bearing the company name, it marks a new chapter in the history of Johnnie Walker. Signature Blend, a program targeting individual clients, is an ultimate bespoke experience only made possible by the No. 1* scotch whisky house.

*Source: IMPACT Databank, 2020 Report