Winston Churchill's Favorite Scotch Came From An Iconic Brand

Sir Winston Churchill, Britain's iconic prime minister who helped navigate the country through most of World War II, was a man who reveled in good food, clothing, drink, and cigars, and was never ashamed to admit it. He is credited with saying, "I have taken more out of alcohol than it has taken out of me." As someone who himself wrote profusely, and about whom much has been written, we actually know a great deal about Churchill's favorite indulgences. He enjoyed raw oysters, Romeo y Julieta cigars, and Hartmann luggage. We even know one of his favorite Scotch whiskies.

While we can't condone Churchill's well-known excesses, he was certainly a man of taste. He didn't simply drink just any whisky or smoke just any cigar. It stands to reason, as a subject of the British Empire, he would have a particular affiliation with Scotch whisky. Surprisingly, single malt Scotch barely existed outside Scotland until the 1960s, and blended whisky made up almost the entire output of Scotland's distilleries. So it makes sense that Churchill was particularly fond of Johnnie Walker Red Label, a preference observed by several biographers, along with the brand's more expensive Black Label. In fact, Johnnie Walker is one of those must-know whisky brands that ought to be on your bar, whether you appreciate Churchill's endorsement or not.

According to Churchill himself, as a young man, he initially didn't even like whisky, saying in his autobiography "My Early Life" that he "disliked the flavor intensely." However, he began to get a taste for the drink in his early 20s when he volunteered for the British military and was stationed in India at the turn of the century. There, drinking water was of a dubious quality, so water mixed with whiskey was a safer option. The experience does seem to have influenced his future drinking. According to his biographers — particularly Richard Langworth who wrote "Winston Churchill, Myth and Reality" – he never drank his whiskey neat, instead sipping several well-diluted whisky-and-sodas each day.

His appreciation for Johnnie Walker and Scotch in general is also well documented. Churchill was an avid painter, and in 1926 created a still life titled "Bottlescape." The painting features a dozen wine and spirits bottles, including a prominently displayed Black Label bottle (you can still view it at his country home-turned-museum Chartwell). During WWII, when ration measures were in place, the Prime Minister made certain a supply of barley was available to Scotch distillers. Scotchwhisky.com reports that Churchill said in a memo, "it would be most improvident not to preserve this characteristic British element of ascendancy." The Churchill Project states that, in the 1950s an appraiser found Chartwell's wine cellar to be in a "shambles," except for cases of Johnnie Walker Red, Hine Cognac, and Champagne. And Churchill once signed a book of his to John Walker's son Alexander, dubbing Johnnie Walker the "national brew."

Johnnie Walker is a blended Scotch whiskey brand dating back to 1820, which means it's made up of several different kinds of whisky (including single malt and grain whiskies) from several distilleries. It's owned by Diageo, which has access to distilleries across Scotland. The brand's master blender and her team carefully selects different barrels in different proportions to create each expression, identified by the color of its label, including Red, Black, Green, Platinum, and Blue (considered the top-tier expression).

Johnnie Walker Red Label is a no-age statement (NAS) blended whisky and is made by combining up to 35 different component whiskies. It's considered the base core label and the most popular expression. Though it might be the least expensive of the brand's portfolio, it's a well-regarded whisky with a slightly sweet, then smoky open. Hints of heather and a pungent herbal astringency end with a short, hot finish. It's probably best mixed with soda or ginger beer in a highball.

Johnnie Walker Black Label is the next label up in the portfolio. Featuring only single malt and grain whiskies, the blend is then aged 12 years. The extra age and emphasis on more single malts creates a milder, rounder whisky. There's increased smoke from peated whisky, floral notes, and a hint of Sherry. The long finish is pleasant with notes of ash, heather, and malt.