Available as Hardback, eBook
The remarkable history of how Johnnie Walker became the world’s number one Scotch, a perfect gift for whisky fans
The history of Johnnie Walker, tracing its roots back to 1820, is also the history of Scotch whisky. But who was John Walker – the man who started the story? And how did his business grow from the shelves of a small grocery shop in Kilmarnock to become the world’s No. 1 Scotch?
A Long Stride tells the story of how John Walker and a succession of ingenious and progressive business leaders embraced their Scottish roots to walk confidently on an international stage. By doing things their own way, Johnnie Walker overturned the conventions of late Victorian and Edwardian Britain, survived two world wars and the Great Depression, coming back stronger each time, to become the first truly global whisky brand, revolutionising the world of advertising along the way. Ultimately the story is a testament to how an obsession with quality and a relentless drive to always move forward created a Scotch whisky loved in every corner of the world
“[Johnnie Walker] is an extraordinary success story … the story reveals how scotch whisky become Scotland’s gift to the world”
observer
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”A Long Stride … offers some fascinating insights into the excessive financial speculation that accompanied the growth of blends in the late nineteenth century”
sunday Times
“What is fascinating is the brand’s important position in Scottish life, culture and identity at the turn of [the nineteenth] century … A book targeted more towards whisky lovers and a dram or two are highly recommended as you begin this book. Its perfectly slanted label on the cover matches the bottle, and it promises to be as pleasurable as your drink”
wee Review
“Rather excellent … Though this is the history of a business, it is never dull. It tells of distribution deals and sales figures when required, but not at the expense of the personalities”
the Whisky Manual
“A fascinating account of how one whisky became one of the world’s best known brands but it’s also a portrait of the Walker family, the town of Kilmarnock, and a rich history of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries… a great-looking book with lots of illustrations and photos”
master Of Malt
Nicholas Morgan
Nicholas Morgan is Head of Whisky Outreach at Diageo, a wide-ranging role representing the company’s portfolio of Scotch whisky brands, including Johnnie Walker. He is the winner of an Outstanding Achievement in Scotch Whisky Award. His work has earned him a place on the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trustee board, further supporting excellence in British Craftsmanship. Nicholas was made the forty-eighth inductee into the Whisky Hall of Fame in March 2018.