(Photos: Johnnie Walker)

Two-time Grammy Award winner Sabrina Carpenter is doubling down on her Scotch whisky partnership with a limited-edition bottling that will gradually make its way across the globe.

On Tuesday, Johnnie Walker unveiled a redesign of its flagship Black Label whisky inspired by the pop star’s most recent album, “Man’s Best Friend.” The reimagining features a bespoke, baby-blue colorway, miniature paw prints on the label, an embossed golden heart and other pint-sized flourishes paying homage to Carpenter’s career.

“I adore creating little surprises for my fans, and this felt like such a cool way to bring the world of ‘Man’s Best Friend’ to life,” Carpenter remarked in a news release. “I love telling stories beyond music, so getting to put my own spin on something as iconic as the Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle was such a fun challenge. I can’t wait for everyone to see all the little details.”

The liquid contained within is standard Johnnie Walker Black Label: A 12-year-old blend sourced from various distilleries, bottled at 86 proof and sold for around $35 to $40 (parent company Diageo assures the Sabrina Carpenter edition will roll out at the same recommended retail price as its regular counterpart). If you’ve never had a chance to try Black Label for yourself, feel free to check out our review here. It’s one of the most widely distributed whiskies in the world, and a ubiquitious right of passage for anyone getting into Scotch for the first time.

The Sabrina Carpenter edition is now available throughout Great Britain in both 700-milliliter and 750-milliliter formats, and is scheduled to roll out across Mexico, India, Europe and Asia Pacific. A Johnnie Walker representative said that the bottle will hit the United States sometime next year, though the brand has yet to provide an exact date.

The “Espresso” pop star signed on as the face of Johnnie Walker almost exactly a year ago.  The first leg of the campaign set up shop at select locations on Carpenter’s then-ongoing Short n’ Sweet tour, where attendees were invited to try signature cocktails like the Short n’ Sour, the Go Go Highball and the Man(hattan)’s Best Friend.

“Stepping into this next chapter of my music has been such a thrill. It feels more confident and a lot more unapologetic,” Carpenter said at the time. “This partnership is about celebrating boldly, pushing boundaries, and moving forward with purpose.”

(Photo: Igor Golovniov / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

Workers at the Cameronbridge Distillery in Fife, Scotland, are scheduled to vote on a strike ballot following a dispute over potential layoffs at the Diageo-owned facility.

According to Unite the Strike, British alcohol conglomerate Diageo recently announced plans to slash hundreds of jobs across Scotland as part of its global restructuring initiative. The union estimates that over 70 jobs are under review at the Cameronbridge distillery alone. Organizers claim that neither staff nor union members were consulted on the proposed cuts, adding that the move will put members’ wellbeing at risk because Diageo reportedly plans to maintain the same level of production.

Cameronbridge is Europe’s largest grain distillery, producing around 110 million liters of pure alcohol per year. Its approximately 200 workers provide the core whisky base for popular blends like Johnnie Walker, J&B, Bell’s and Black & White, which are produced alongside white spirits like Smirnoff, Tanqueray and Gordon’s Gin.

“Diageo is treating its hard working and loyal workforce in an appalling manner,” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham remarked in a public statement. “The company is extremely wealthy and there is simply no reason to slash jobs across its operations. If Diageo continue down this callous path, then they will be met with the full force of Unite.”

The ballot will remain open for voting from now until Sept. 9. If the ballot passes, strike action could begin for over 100 union members by mid-September.

In a statement seen by The Spirits Business, Diageo maintained that its layoffs will only result in the loss of up to 12 jobs at Cameronbridge, adding that the company is confident it can find alternative roles for anybody who’d like one.

“We are in consultation with colleagues on proposed changes at Cameronbridge Distillery, which would see a small reduction in roles. While difficult, this follows the decision to maintain reduced production volumes to protect the long-term competitiveness of our business,” the spokesperson said. “We are committed to engaging constructively and in good faith with the trade unions, and we will continue to support all colleagues during this process.”

The dispute follows the unveiling of a sweeping three-year restructuring plan aimed at cutting approximately $1 billion in costs for the drinks giant. Shortly after the news was announced, Scotland’s The Press & Journal reported that 172 workers across Diageo’s Highlands and Islands operations had been placed at risk of redundancy, with up to 38 positions expected to be cut.

The British conglomerate is responsible for myriad bestsellers inside and outside of Scotland, including Guinness, Casamigos, Don Julio, Captain Morgan and Baileys.

The restructuring comes as Diageo faces slowing demand across segments of the beverage industry. The company has pursued a string of sell-offs and cutbacks over the past year, halting whisky production at its Balcones and George Dickel distilleries, shuttering a visitor center for Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin and closing a prominent manufacturing plant in Hyderabad, India.

(Photo: Johnnie Walker)

The Knicks’ finals win has swept the streets of New York City with a wave of hype, awe and once-in-a-lifetime camaraderie. So what better brand to throw its hat into the ring than a quintessentially Scottish whisky distiller?

On Thursday, Johnnie Walker unveiled a limited-edition reimagining of its Blue Label bottling, the most expensive offering in the brand’s core lineup. Since Johnnie Walker isn’t an official partner of the NBA, the bottle isn’t technically a collaboration with the team — no logos, no basketball players, no declarations of “Knicks in Five.” But that doesn’t mean that the brand’s influences aren’t clear as day.

The wraparound label is stuffed with easter eggs paying homage to the Big Apple. Keen-eyed fans will spot the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, a slice of pizza, a bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel and a floating “Bing Bong,” a reference to a popular meme that’s made the rounds in New York over the past few years. There’s also a sighting of the viral Knicks-themed subway station at 34th Street, which Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced will be kept intact through the end of next year’s NBA season.

Not to overstate the obvious, but it’s also worth noting that a blue label placed atop orangeish whisky draws some not-so-subtle parallels to the New York basketball champions.

The bottle is now available for purchase online exclusively through TheBar.com at a suggested retail price of $289. The liquid contained within is the same as ever. Originally launched in 1992, Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a non-age-stated whisky intended to recreate the character of Scottish spirits circa the 19th century.

Over 300 limited editions of Blue Label have been released since its inception, including a recent Year of the Snake bottling, a collaboration with Porsche and a particularly expensive King George V edition.

(Photo: Johnnie Walker)

On Thursday, Johnnie Walker announced it’s adding a permanent expression to its lineup for the first time in more than 15 years. Black Cask, a blended Scotch whisky aged in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels, goes on sale March 1 at a suggested retail price of $34.99 per 750-milliliter bottle. It is bottled at 43% ABV (86 proof) and will be sold at spirit retailers across the United States.

Unlike many blended Scotch whiskies, which age in a mix of cask types, Black Cask uses only American white oak ex-bourbon barrels — a choice intended to push the flavor profile toward the sweeter end of the Scotch spectrum. Expect notes of vanilla, caramel, baking spice and warm oak, says Johnnie Walker

The whiskies inside come from three distilleries: Cameronbridge, a grain whisky producer, and the single malt distilleries Glen Elgin and Roseisle. All three also supply whiskies that appear in Johnnie Walker Black Label.

Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker led the development.

“At Johnnie Walker we are constantly pushing the boundaries of what great whisky can be,” Walker said in a news release. “For more than 200 years, Johnnie Walker has shaped the world of Scotch, and that heritage gives us the confidence and authority to innovate. With Black Cask, we’ve brought together two remarkable whisky traditions in a way only Johnnie Walker can, starting with some of the most expressive whiskies from the heart of Black Label and maturing them exclusively in American white oak ex‑bourbon barrels to unlock new depth, sweetness, and warmth. The result is a beautifully layered whisky that feels excitingly new yet remains unmistakably Johnnie Walker.”

Parent company Diageo is supporting Black Cask with a national campaign that includes tastings and events in Texas, California, Florida, New York, and New Jersey. Dr. Emma Walker will lead educational sessions throughout the rollout.

Jesse Damashek, SVP of North America Whisky Portfolio at Diageo, said the release reflects where American drinkers’ tastes are heading.

“Johnnie Walker has never stopped moving forward. Progress and innovation are at the core of what we stand for embodied by ‘Keep Walking,'” he said. “Black Cask is a powerful example of how we break through the expected: a new whisky that reflects evolving tastes while staying true to what people love about Johnnie Walker. This whisky reinforces our commitment to delivering the world’s most exceptional whisky experiences.”

What Sets Black Cask Apart From Black Label

Black Label uses a blend of cask types including ex-bourbon and refill casks. Black Cask commits to ex-bourbon barrels only. That narrower approach amplifies the vanilla and caramel notes that come from American white oak, according to Johnnie Walker, bringing the scotch closer to the flavor territory that American whiskey drinkers recognize.

Both expressions use whiskies from the same core distilleries, but the barrel choice drives them in different directions. Black Cask is a distinct product, not a replacement.

How to Drink It

Johnnie Walker recommends serving Black Cask neat, over ice, or in cocktails. Two recipes accompany the launch.

Black Cask Old Fashioned

This build plays up the whisky’s vanilla, caramel, and spice notes.

• 1.5 oz Johnnie Walker Black Cask Blended Scotch Whisky
• 0.25 oz rich honey syrup (4:1 honey to water)
• 1 dash almond bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Garnish: orange peel

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a rocks glass over ice and stir. Garnish with an orange peel.

Black Cask Gold Rush

A citrus-forward serve that draws out the whisky’s oak and spice.

• 1.5 oz Johnnie Walker Black Cask Blended Scotch Whisky
• 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
• 0.75 oz cinnamon honey syrup
• Garnish: cinnamon stick

Directions: Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

(Photo: Johnnie Walker)

Johnnie Walker turned Los Angeles into a branded stage during the Grammy Awards weekend, spotlighting a single drink across industry parties, skyline projections and select bars: the Go Go Highball.

The Scotch whisky brand, identified by IWSR 2024 as the world’s No. 1 Scotch whisky by volume, activated across the city in partnership with Grammy Award-winning artist Sabrina Carpenter. Carpenter, nominated for six Grammy Awards this year, served as the face of the campaign, with her signature Johnnie Walker Black Label cocktail positioned as the weekend’s toast.

The brand lit up the Los Angeles skyline with large-scale animated projections and hosted an invite-only event at Max and Helen’s on Larchmont Boulevard. The space featured cherry-themed décor and floral accents, aligning with the visual identity tied to Carpenter’s latest album cycle.

Johnnie Walker also served as the exclusive spirits partner at several pre- and post-awards events, including gatherings connected to Universal Music Group. The Go Go Highball was featured prominently at those events and rolled out for a limited time at select Los Angeles bars, including Melrose Umbrella, Roger Room and Hotel Figueroa.

The collaboration marks the next phase of the Johnnie Walker x Sabrina Carpenter partnership, which first launched ahead of her Short n’ Sweet tour in 2025. According to Diageo’s global whisky leadership, the campaign aims to connect Scotch whisky with contemporary music culture and nightlife spaces.

Make the Johnnie Walker x Sabrina Carpenter Go Go Highball at Home

For readers looking to make the Go Go Highball at home, the full cocktail breakdown and recipe is available here.

(Photo: Johnnie Walker)

Johnnie Walker and French fashion designer Olivier Rousteing announced their second collaboration, The Couture Blend, on Friday. It will be released at select luxury retailers.

The Scotch whisky, created under the Johnnie Walker Vault platform, follows April’s The Couture Expression collection, composed of four whiskies. Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker crafted the blend using 10 whiskies chosen from a stock of more than 10 million casks. The selection includes experimental whiskies, ghost stocks from closed distilleries such as Port Dundas and Caledonian, and vintage malts aged for more than 40 years.

Rousteing, creative director at Balmain, designed a crystal decanter to house the whisky. The bottle reinterprets Johnnie Walker’s square design, first used in the 1800s, with sharp architectural lines and a couture aesthetic. Each decanter is numbered, with some editions offering personalized collars engraved with the buyer’s initials.

The Couture Blend is available for a suggested retail price of $2,500 while supplies last.

(Photo: Johnnie Walker)

Grammy Award-winning pop star Sabrina Carpenter has timed the release of her latest album, “Man’s Best Friend,” to coincide with big news in the liquor sphere.

On Friday, Carpenter announced a multi-year partnership with Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky that will effectively make her the face of one of the world’s best-selling spirits brands.

The first leg of the campaign will set up shop at select locations on Carpenter’s ongoing Short n’ Sweet tour, where attendees of legal drinking age are invited to enjoy signature Johnnie Walker Black Label cocktails, including riffs on the Manhattan, Whiskey Sour and Highball. Elsewhere, fans can tune into a digital sweep helmed by video director JJ Stratford and photographer Bryce Anderson.

Parent company Diageo (the same firm behind Don Julio, Guinness and Casamigos) says that it’s the first in a series of partnerships with “progressive voices” in music. Though the brand hasn’t hinted at any future celebrities just yet, those collaborations are all but certain to make headlines in months and years to come.

“Stepping into this next chapter of my music has been such a thrill. It feels more confident and a lot more unapologetic,” Carpenter remarked in a news release. “This partnership is about celebrating boldly, pushing boundaries, and moving forward with purpose.”

It isn’t her first foray into the world of alcohol. Last November, the musician joined forces with  Kahlúa and Absolut Vodka for an espresso martini kit that paid homage to Carpenter’s breakout single, “Espresso.” The branding was full of not-so-subtle nods to everything Sabrina: a box inscribed with the words “Short n’ Sweet,” a coupe glass decorated with a lacy red ribbon and edible kiss-shaped garnishes.

It also isn’t Johnnie Walker’s first foray into celebrity partnerships. The brand has a passion for working with A-listers who, on paper, don’t have a whole lot in common with blended scotch whisky. Believe it or not, Johnnie Walker’s most recent crossover was inked in partnership with comedian/rapper Lil Dicky and Netflix’s hit show, Squid Game (a combination of words unlikely to be uttered in the same sentence ever again). Previous collaborations have enlisted the likes of actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, HBO’s Game of Thrones and fashion designer Olivier Rousteing.

No doubt that Carpenter is one of, if not the most, buzziest stars the brand has recruited to date.

“Music plays such a meaningful role in everyone’s life journey, and it has always been a way of connecting people to Johnnie Walker’s ‘Keep Walking’ mantra, which is aimed at inspiring personal progress,” John Williams, Global Head of Whiskeys at Diageo, added. “We are thrilled to welcome Sabrina as the newest voice in our story. Her fearless creativity and deep connection with a new generation make her a powerhouse addition to our Johnnie Walker family. Together, we’ll harness the power of music to bring a bold, new energy to the whisky experience.”

Johnnie Walker Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker (left) with acclaimed French creative director Olivier Rousteing. (Photo: Johnnie Walker)

Johnnie Walker announced on Tuesday that French creative director Olivier Rousteing will serve as the first cultural partner for the brand’s Vault series, launching a new collection called Couture Expression. The limited-edition release features four bespoke whisky blends priced at $20,000 per decanter.

The Couture Expression collection marks the first collaboration under the Johnnie Walker Vault, a hidden creative space beneath Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh. Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker curated the blends from rare, well-aged and “ghost” casks — a term for whiskies made by distilleries that have since been shut down — highlighting some of the rarest whisky stocks available to the brand.

Each of the four expressions represents a season — spring, summer, fall and winter — inspired by Rousteing’s emotional connection to seasonal changes. The whiskies are housed in crystal decanters from French luxury house Baccarat, each featuring metallic colors symbolizing the seasons and topped with a winged stopper.

The spring blend is said to offer notes of blossom, berries and freshly cut grass, featuring 1985 Cragganmore, 1977 Caledonian and 1978 Port Ellen whiskies. Summer highlights tropical fruits from an experimental Cardhu Wine Cask Finish and a 1990 Clynelish. Fall showcases smoke, spice and tonka with influences from an experimental Teaninich chocolate malt and 1978 Port Ellen. Winter brings rich, smoky layers of Islay malts from Port Ellen and Brora, alongside baked strudel and mandarin campfire notes.

Each whisky blend carries an ABV of 45.8% and is bottled in a 700-milliliter decanter.

Beyond the Couture Expression, Johnnie Walker Vault offers private sessions where whisky enthusiasts can create a personalized blend alongside Dr. Walker.

(Photo: Johnnie Walker)

On Wednesday, Johnnie Walker paid homage to the legacy of Scottish distilling with a 52-year-old blend of six rare malt whiskeys and two grain whiskies. The batches were sourced from a variety of ghost distillers, some of which shuttered their doors as early as the 1980s.

The expression has been limited to just 200 bottles slated to go on sale at a suggested retail price of  £23,500 ($25,000). Here’s what the whisky entails:

For the single-grain whiskies, master distiller Emma Walker gathered liquid from Cambus, which closed in 1993, and Caresebridge, which closed a decade earlier in 1983. The single grains are said to imbue flavors of butterscotch, spice, tea leaves and hints of menthol to the final product.

Things get a little more complicated when it comes to the single malts. Five of the six were sourced from closed distilleries: Glenury Royal, Glenlochy, Glen Albyn and Brora. The final whisky in the batch was produced at Dalwhinnie, which continues to distill its namesake liquor brand to this day.

According to the brand, the Glenury Royal and Glenlochy liquid added flavors of berries, confectionary fruit and oiliness while Glen Albyn and Dalwhinnie contributed “salinity, cured meat and cacao.” The Brora whisky is said to impart “soft smoke, blue cheese and deep complexity.”

“Alongside my small team of whisky experts, we hand-selected some of our oldest and most precious casks of Highland single malt and Lowland single grain whiskies for my first ultra-rare release as master blender,” Walker remarked in a news release. “With this deceptively simple cask combination, our intention was to create a new, masterful blend in homage to our founders’ achievements.”

As is the case with all blended spirits, the 52-year age statement etched on the bottle reflects only the youngest liquid in the batch. Other whisky used in the blend is almost certainly older, though Johnnie Walker has not disclosed by how much.

The expression is bottled at 41.2% ABV, currently available through Diageo private client services and select luxury retailers.

(Photo: Diageo)

On Thursday, Johnnie Walker Scotch raised a glass to the Lunar New Year in collaboration with James Jean, a prolific visual artist who has wound his twist on the iconography of the Year of the Snake.

Motifs of wisdom, intelligence and intuition take center stage. The distiller’s Blue Label expression has been reimagined with a trio of snakes wound around blooming flowers and shed skin, intended as symbols of self-reinvention and an auspicious new year. It’s all decidedly on the nose for a brand whose iconic logo depicts a man striding into the future.

Jean, born in Taipei, Taiwan, before moving to New Jersey in his youth, drew upon a depth of career knowledge to bring the collaboration to life.  The artist got his start in the early 2000s as a comic book cover designer for DC and Marvel. He eventually found his footing in advertising, working alongside the likes of The New York Times, ESPN, Prada, Playboy and Rolling Stone. Emo-rock fans might know him best as the album artist for My Chemical Romance’s hit 2006 album, “The Black Parade.”

Jean made the leap from illustrations to painted work in the 2010s, often incorporating motifs of the Baroque era alongside traditional Japanese woodblock prints and Chinese silk scroll paintings.

 “With Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year, we wanted to create a snake that felt different, new and innovative – respect for the past but also looking into the future with optimism; in the same way that Johnnie Walker stands for progress through that incredible Keep Walking spirit.” Jean remarked in a news release.

A standard bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label clocks in around $200, and the Year of the Snake bottling has a suggested retail price of $300.

The brand has kept up steam with these annual Lunar New Year expressions for over a decade. More often than not, they become coveted collector’s items. 2019’s Year of the Pig Scotch is already being sold online at nearly $1,000 — chances are, this latest release will meet a similar fate in months to come.

“It has become a cherished tradition over the past 13 years for Johnnie Walker to release an annual Lunar New Year Blue Label bottle, a custom that has become an integral part of so many people’s celebrations as they gather, gift, and savor,” Josh Dean, VP of Johnnie Walker, Diageo North America added. “As these traditions are passed down through generations, we’re honored to play a role in making each Lunar New Year even more memorable year after year.”