Striding Man
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| Type | Scotch Whisky |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Diageo |
| Country of origin | Scotland |
| Introduced | 1820: Grocery store 1865: Scotch blending |
| Discontinued | White Label |
| Variants | Red Label, Black Label, Double Black Label, Swing, Swing Superior Label, Pure Malt Label, Green Label, Island Green Label, Gold Label, Gold Label Reserve, Platinum Label, XR 21 Years Label, Oldest, Blue Label, Blue Label King George V, The John Walker |
| Related products | Ballantine's, Buchanan's, Chivas Regal, Cutty Sark, Dewar's, Vat 69 |
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky owned by Diageo that originates from the Scottish town of Kilmarnock, a large burgh in East Ayrshire, which is where the brand's creator, John Walker began making and distilling the whisky in the Johnnie Walker Bond located in the town centre. It is the most widely distributed brand of blended Scotch whisky in the world, sold in almost every country, with annual sales of the equivalent of over 223.7 million 700 ml bottles in 2016 (156.6 million litres).
With the advancement of technology and the ability to monitor operations in real time on a global basis, the brand's owners, Diageo, found that a restructuring programme was required across Scotland with a view to upgrade and expand bottling capacity in anticipation of future growth in demand for its brands, including an evergrowing portfolio of Johnnie Walker blends. Analyses showed that production in the brand's original home in Kilmarnock would need to be moved to Diageo plants in Leven, Fife and Shieldhall, Glasgow. On 1 July 2009, Bryan Donaghey, Diageo Managing Director for Global Supply Scotland, announced that Diageo intended to cease production at the plant in Kilmarnock. Protests at every level notwithstanding, the Johnnie Walker plant situated in Hill Street in Kilmarnock closed its doors in March 2012. (See Closure in Kilmarnock, Scotland below)
Originally known as Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky, the Johnnie Walker brand is a legacy left by John "Johnnie" Walker after he started to sell whisky in his grocer's shop in Ayrshire, Scotland. Surprisingly, John first sold this whisky, a self-created and distilled malt whisky, in 1850, only seven years before his death in 1857. The brand became popular, but after Walker's death it was his son Alexander 'Alec' Walker and grandson Alexander Walker II who were largely responsible for establishing the whisky as a favoured brand. Under John Walker, whisky sales represented eight percent of the firm's income; by the time Alexander was ready to pass on the company to his own sons, that figure had increased to between 90 and 95 percent.
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