Another 5 famous whisky lovers
American icons, Hollywood rebels, and the Queen of the Oscars. Here’s another 5 famous whisky lovers.
Yes, we’re back again with another line-up. From bourbon-sipping poets to Texan charmers in cowboy hats, this edition is all about people who didn’t just drink whisky, they made it part of their story.
If your favourite celebrity isn’t here yet, calm yourself. There’s more to come.
Another 5 famous whisky lovers
Bob Dylan. I shouldn’t need to caption this. It’s Bob Dylan.
Bob Dylan
Music legend. Nobel laureate. Nasal mumble-core prophet. Bob Dylan is many things, including, as it turns out, a whisky lover-turned-whisky-maker. We’re sure you’ve heard of Heaven’s Door American whiskey, a brand born from his love of the good stuff. Dylan had an interest in creating a whiskey brand for a while, and he’s never one for just sticking his name on a project. That’s even his artwork on the bottle’s labels.
That whisky is alright, alright, alright… okay, I know, I know. I’ll come up with something better later.
Matthew McConaughey
Hollywood’s darling drawler doesn’t just espouse campfire philosophy, he loves himself some bourbon too. In fact, Matthew McConaughey was at one time a creative director at Wild Turkey, launching his own expression: Longbranch. The reviews were strong enough that people were willing to get over their cynicism of celebrity drinks to appreciate it. McConaughey didn’t even have to do one existential Lincoln commercial to flog a bottle.
Katharine Hepburn
She acted with steel, wit, and that unmistakable voice. But did you know Katharine Hepburn appreciated a neat Scotch? Booming actor Brian Blessed said the four-time Oscar winner told her the following during the filming of The Trojan Women (1971) in Spain: “When I smell whisky, I go absolutely out of my mind. Whisky is beauuuuuutiful. I smell whisky in a glass and I want it… I’d drink whisky morning, noon and night until it killed me”. Friend and writer Scott Berg says King William IV was her blend, with Famous Grouse becoming her tipple of choice later*.
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson’s drink of choice was Chivas Regal, taken liberally. Which is putting it mildly. The pioneer of Gonzo journalism often consumed whisky as part of a larger breakfast of cigarettes, mescaline, and sheer bloody mayhem. Thompson’s whisky habit was so infamous that it became part of his mythos along with firearms, typewriters, and politically incorrect ranting. The man once said, “I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.”
How many people have a gin named after them?
Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker supposedly once said, “I love to drink martinis. Two at the very most. After three I’m under the table, after four I’m under my host.” Regardless of whether that quote can actually be attributed to her (it’s the cause of some debate), her dry wit and poetry were undeniable, as was her love of whisky. Parker made no apologies for enjoying the strong stuff neat, thank you very much, and Scotch was her drink. Favourites included Haig & Haig, Campbell, and Johnnie Walker. If social media had existed back then, she’d be the queen of the caustic whisky tweet.
*Iain Russell has the full stories on Katherine Hepburn and Dorothy Parker.
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