Whisky on Screen: Famous Characters and their Favourite Whisky
Putting the dram in drama and always being ready for a closeup, there’s no spirit as bold, diverse and scene-stealing as a luxury malt – and the fact so many iconic movie and TV characters agree is proof.
Smooth like Bond. Fiery like the cast of Mad Men. Surprising like Calamity Jane. The versatility and fluidity of whisky is evident in some of these iconic ‘whisky on film’ moments.
01
Not to shake (nor stir) you to your core, but 007 is not, canonically, a Martini man. Sure, he famously ordered the Vesper Martini in Casino Royale for the first time, but, in the original pages of Ian Fleming’s novels, Bond has a recurrent penchant for whisky. In Thunderball, the suave spy is described as waking up after having indulged in whisky and soda - an on-brand whisky cocktail for Bond. Looks simple. Deceptive, complex layers and flavours.
For fans of the movies, they would have spotted plenty of whisky appearances. Pierce Brosnan’s Bond enjoyed a Talisker 10-Year-Old in two of his outings, The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day.
Bond has even opted in for a bourbon, with Brosnan again and Timothy Dalton partaking in the American classic. So indulge like His Majesty’s finest, and try out a Bulleit for your next whisky experience.
02
A mockumentary-style sitcom, Parks and Recreation ran for over 100 episodes and won 14 Emmys. A hugely popular show, one of its leading characters was the gruff-but-loveable Ron Swanson.
A man who preferred the simple things in life – peace, quiet, and a crisp glass of scotch whisky – Ron was shown loving Lagavulin throughout the series – inspired by the fact the actor, Nick Offerman, was (and still is) a huge fan of the heritage brand.
The character’s Lagavulin loving was so intense that, in the lore of Parks and Recreation, he ended up visiting and owning the Lagavulin distillery (don’t be disheartened if you visit and find out this isn’t true, there’s still plenty of reasons to visit!)
The Islay distillery crafted a limited-edition collaboration in celebration, with the Lagavulin Offerman 2024 Caribbean Cask Finish Edition being the latest offering in the collection.
03
She just blew in from the windy city, and she needs a whisky to whet her whistle. The rootin’, tootin’ frontierswoman was made famous around the world thanks to the musical movie starring Doris Day.
Jane was a rebel, swapping ladylike conventions for gun slinging with the likes of Wild Bill, and she proved that whisky was just as much a women’s drink.
While not directly inspired by her, Johnnie Walker released a limited-edition, Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker in 2018.
At the time, the maestro behind the blend, Master Blender Emma Walker, described the bottle as “a celebration of the pioneering women who stretched boundaries throughout the history of Johnnie Walker, and the whisky is an excellent example of the depth of flavour and innovative blends we can create from our incredible reserves.”
If you fancy raising a toast to like minded women, you’ll love Cardhu’s single malts and the Speyside distillery behind the bottles. Cardhu was the first distillery successfully run by two generations of pioneering women – Helen and Elizabeth Cumming – and the 200-year history continues to champion the power of women in whisky.
04
Sophisticated. Powerful. Complicated. Words to describe a top-quality malt, and the perfect summation of Mad Men’s advertising anti-hero, Don Draper.
Set in 1950s New York – where long, liquored lunches and chain-smoking inside was the norm – Don is rarely seen without a whisky tipple. Throughout the show, he often enjoys a classic Old Fashioned, and it’s widely credited that he enjoys a Canadian whisky. This brand is a lighter, blended Scotch – close to a J&B Rare or a Johnnie Walker Black Label.
05
Scotch whiskies are some of the most well-known, but did you know there’s a number of countries who produce their own distinct malts? Irish whiskey - spelt with the E - was the preferred serve of the Shelby family in the award-winning gangster epic, Peaky Blinders.
What’s distinct about an Irish whiskey is how it’s made, mixing a blend of malted and unmalted barley and corn through a triple-distillation method to create a smoother texture and cleaner taste.
While his lifestyle is not something we’d advise trying to emulate in a hurry, we can’t fault his taste in whiskies. Sip like a Shelby with a Roe & Co Irish Whiskey.
06
When Marlon Brando’s powerful and mysterious Vito Corelone says, “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse,” he might have been referring to offering a crisp, neat whisky. After all, who could say no?
The Corleones are often seen with a whisky bottle on their tables throughout the iconic movie, and while there’s no clear label shown, we’d like to hazard a guess that they could afford the very best, something as refined as a Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
The diversity in these characters prove something we’ve always known - whisky isn’t just for country clubs or a certain type of man. Whisky can be for everyone. Find out more about the different types if you’re keen to discover your own way into whisky.
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