Famous Whisky Drinkers Today

Whisky has gripped and delighted drinkers throughout the ages, making poets and politicians alike sing its praises and promote its allure to the rest of the world.

Robert Burns never hid his love for the spirit, and famous authors like Charles Bukowski were known to have a glass of Scotch in their hand, well, most of the time.

But where does whisky stand with the famous in today’s world? Do celebrities still enjoy a dram or two, or has the world swayed towards other, lighter spirits?

We heard Lady Gaga enjoys whisky while she writes her songs, so that’s a step in the right direction. Let’s take a look at a few other famous whisky drinkers in today’s world.

David Beckham

The retired football superstar never talked much about whisky, keeping us all in the dark concerning his passion for the spirit. However, this passion was revealed in 2014 when Beckham teamed up with Diageo to launch the Haig Club whisky brand. He apparently played a fundamental role in the whisky’s development.

“The House of Haig has a rich history and I’m proud to be working at the heart of a home-grown brand which has built an incredible heritage over 400 years,” said Beckham back in 2014, before the whisky launched.

“Working closely with Diageo, we look forward to collaborating on Haig Club, valuing and treasuring the Haig traditions while reinventing this whisky for years to come.”

If you’ve sampled a dram of Haig Club, which is seen as more of an entry into the world of whisky, take the next step with this Bowmore 16 year-old from the world-renowned isle of Islay.

Haruki Murakami

The world-renowned Japanese author of best sellers like Norwegian Wood, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and 1Q84 has spoken several times of his love for whisky.

“Whisky, like a beautiful woman, demands appreciation,” Murakami has said. “You gaze first, then it’s time to drink.”

He tends to lean more towards whisky from his homeland, however, during his appearance at the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival, he spoke proudly of his love for Scotch whisky as well.

“I have been to Islay once and I like Bowmore and Laphroaig, they are very good.”

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton has been caught several times enjoying a couple of drams of whisky. In 2008 a Politico reporter witnessed her downing a shot of Canadian whisky in Indiana. There was also a video taken of the event which has been well publicized since.

She also visited the Maker’s Mark distillery and dipped a bottle into the company’s famous red wax.

Clinton definitely seemed to enjoy the rich, robust flavours of the Crown Royal whiskey, so we recommend our wonderful Glenlivet 20 year-old to fans of similar flavours.

The Script

The Irish pop band love their homeland’s whiskey (note the “e”) so much that they invested in a cask from the Kilbeggan distillery.

The lead singer Danny O’Donoghue said, “We have our own barrel in Kilbeggan. It’s there right by President Obama’s casket. We can’t taste it for another three years, so we have been messing around talking about our market. Mine will be called Frisky Whiskey.”

We do love Scotch the most here at the Whisky Foundation, but wouldn’t mind tasting a dram from The Script’s cask.