John Dewar & Sons
Alcoholic beverages company
title: "John Dewar & Sons" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["john-dewar-&-sons", "bacardi", "scottish-malt-whisky", "alcoholic-drink-companies", "drink-companies-of-scotland"] description: "Alcoholic beverages company" topic_path: "history/military" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewar_&_Sons" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Alcoholic beverages company ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | John Dewar & Sons, Ltd. |
| image | John Dewar and Sons (geograph 5446431).jpg |
| type | Public |
| fate | Acquired |
| foundation | 1846 |
| location | Perth, Scotland |
| industry | Drink industry |
| products | Scotch whisky |
| parent | Bacardi Limited |
| :: |
| name = John Dewar & Sons, Ltd. | logo = | logo_size = | caption = | image = John Dewar and Sons (geograph 5446431).jpg | type = Public | fate = Acquired | Predecessor = | successor = | foundation = 1846 | defunct = | location = Perth, Scotland | industry = Drink industry | products = Scotch whisky | key_people = | num_employees = | parent = Bacardi Limited | subsid =
John Dewar & Sons, Ltd. is a Scottish company that distills Scotch whisky. It is a subsidiary of Bacardi.
History
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/John_Dewar_&_Sons_ltd,_vintage_letter,_1926,great_wording,..we,_of_course,_give_this_information_in_confidence_and_without_responsibility.jpg" caption="John Dewar & Sons 1926 client correspondence with [[watermark]] on document"] ::
John Dewar was born in 1825 in the town of Auchterarder, Scotland. He began his career in the whisky trade in the early 1840s.
John Dewar & Sons was officially established by John Dewar and his two sons, John Alexander Dewar and James Dewar, in Perth, Scotland. Initially, the company operated as a whisky blender.
In 1890, the company gained significant recognition for its blended whisky, particularly "Dewar's White Label", which became the company's flagship product.
In 1900, Dewar's expanded its reach internationally, particularly in the United States, by leveraging innovative marketing techniques. Dewar's rose to prominence in the United States when Andrew Carnegie requested a small keg of Dewar's Scotch whisky be sent to the White House for President James Garfield's inauguration. Carnegie also sent the same gift to President Benjamin Harrison on his inauguration eight years later.
In 1920 the company faced challenges during Prohibition in the US, but it adapted by focusing on other markets and maintaining quality.
The company joined Distillers Company in 1925 as part of Buchanan-Dewar.
Distillers Company was acquired by Guinness in 1986. Guinness merged with Grand Metropolitan to form Diageo in 1997.
In 1998, Diageo sold John Dewar & Sons, Ltd. to Bacardi.
Distilleries
John Dewar & Sons, Ltd., owns five whisky distilleries in Scotland:
Brands
John Dewar & Sons brands:
- Single malt Scotch whisky: Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigellachie, Deveron, Royal Brackla
- Blended Scotch whisky: Dewar's, William Lawson's
References
References
- Buxton, Ian. (2009). "The Enduring Legacy of Dewar - A Company History". Angels' Share.
- Jackson, Michael. (2017). "Whisky -The Definitive World Guide". Dorling Kindersley Limited.
- (1998-03-31). "INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS; Diageo Sells Dewar's And Bombay to Bacardi". The New York Times.
- Hacker, Richard Carleton. (2018-01-02). "The Connoisseur's Guide to Worldwide Spirits: Selecting and Savoring Whiskey, Vodka, Scotch, Rum, Tequila . . . and Everything Else". Simon and Schuster.
- (1998-03-31). "INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS; Diageo Sells Dewar's And Bombay to Bacardi". The New York Times.
- [http://www.aberfeldy.com Aberfeldy Distillery website]
- "Aultmore Distillery website".
- "John Dewar & Sons {{!}} Scotch Whisky".
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