Alexander Walker II facts for kids
Sir Alexander Walker II (born 1869, died 1950) was a Scottish businessman. He was the younger grandson of John 'Johnnie' Walker, who started the famous whisky brand. Sir Alexander and his brother, George Paterson Walker, took over the family business in 1889 after their father, Alexander Walker, passed away.
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Early Life and Family Business
Alexander Walker was born in 1869. His father was also named Alexander Walker. The family business was already well-known for its whisky.
When Alexander and his brother George took charge, they continued to grow the company. They built on the success of their grandfather's original blends.
Developing New Blends
Alexander made important changes to the whisky products. His father's main blend was called Walker's Old Highland (which had a black label). Alexander added two new types of whisky:
- Old Highland (which became known as the White Label)
- Special Old Highland (which became known as the Red Label)
At the same time, the original black label blend was renamed Extra Special Old Highland.
The Striding Man Logo
In 1909, Alexander's brother George helped create a very famous symbol. This was the iconic Johnnie Walker Striding Man logo. This logo is still recognized around the world today.
Along with the new logo, the whisky blends got new names. They became known as:
- Johnnie Walker White Label
- Johnnie Walker Red Label
- Johnnie Walker Black Label
Later Blends and Retirement
During World War I, the brothers decided to stop making the White Label. They wanted to focus on their more premium (higher quality) whiskies.
In 1932, Alexander introduced his last new blend. It was called Johnnie Walker Swing.
Sir Alexander was recognized for his achievements. He was given the title of 'Sir' in 1920.
He retired from the business in 1940. When he passed away in 1950, he left all his secret blending notes to the company. Years later, in the 1990s, the company used these notes to create a new product. This was the Johnnie Walker Gold Label.
