Johnny Walker

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Originally known as Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky, the Johnnie Walker brand is a legacy left by John "Johnnie" Walker after he started to sell whisky in his grocer's shop in Ayrshire, Scotland. The brand became popular, but after Walker's death in 1857 it was his sonAlexander Walker and grandson Alexander Walker II who were largely responsible for establishing the whisky as a popular brand. Under John Walker, whisky sales represented eight percent of the firm's income; by the time Alexander was ready to pass on the company to his own sons, that figure had increased to between 90 and 95 percent.

Ballantines

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The heritage of Ballantine's Scotch whisky can be traced back to 1827, when farmer's son George Ballantine set up a small grocery store in Edinburgh supplying a range of whiskies to his clientele.^{[citation needed]} In 1865 George delegated the store's operation to his eldest son, Archibald, while he opened a larger establishment in Glasgow. Here he concentrated on the wine and spirit trade, catering to clients which included the Hindu Royal Family.^[which?]^{[citation needed]} He also began to create his own blends. These inspired additional demand, drawing second son, George junior, into the business.

Chivas

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The House of Schivas, a large mansion, was built at Schivas in Aberdeenshire in 1640. The name is derived from the Gaelic seamhas ("narrow place").^[4]

Chivas Brothers traces its roots to the opening of a grocery store at 13 King St, Aberdeen in 1801. The store sold luxury foodstuffs such as coffee, exotic spices, French brandies, and Caribbean rums to a wealthy clientele. In 1842, Chivas Brothers was retained to supply provisions to the royal family at Balmoral Castle upon Queen Victoria's first visit to Scotland.

J&B

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The heritage of Ballantine's Scotch whisky can be traced back to 1827, when farmer's son George Ballantine set up a small grocery store in Edinburgh supplying a range of whiskies to his clientele.^{[citation needed]} In 1865 George delegated the store's operation to his eldest son, Archibald, while he opened a larger establishment in Glasgow. Here he concentrated on the wine and spirit trade, catering to clients which included the Hindu Royal Family.^[which?]^{[citation needed]} He also began to create his own blends. These inspired additional demand, drawing second son, George junior, into the business.

JD Jack Daniel's

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The Jack Daniel's website suggests its founder Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel was born in 1850 (and his tombstone bears that date^[7]), but says his exact birth date is unknown.^[8] The website states that it's customary to celebrate his birthday in September.^[8] The Tennessee state library web site says that records list his birth date as September 5, 1846,^[7] and in the 2004 biography Blood & Whiskey: The Life and Times of Jack Daniel, author Peter Krass says he was born in January 1849 (based on Jack's sister's diary, census records, and the date of death of Jack's mother)

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