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John (Johnnie) Walker
B. 1805 – d. 1857
John (Johnnie) Walker was a Scottish grocer, who originated what would become one of the world’s most famous whisky brand names, Johnnie Walker. In 1833 John married Elizabeth Purves. He was a respected businessman, leader of the local trade association, and a Freemason. His store’s stock was almost entirely destroyed in an 1852 flood, but the business recovered within a couple of years. His own whiskey brand, then known as Walker’s Kilmarnock Whisky was popular locally.
John’s son Alexander Walker (named after John’s father) had apprenticed with a tea merchant in Glasgow, and there learned the art of blending tea. When he returned to take over the business from his ailing father, he used those skills to create Old Highland Whisky, (eventually renamed Johnnie Walker Black Label) the blend that made Johnnie Walker whiskey famous. (Full article...)