Johnnie Walker, the premier Scotch whisky brand, has launched a groundbreaking limited edition offering. The Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ultra is touted as the lightest 70cl Scotch whisky glass bottle ever produced by the brand and, based on their research, possibly the lightest in the world. This͏͏ striking͏͏ design͏͏ boldly͏͏ redefines͏͏ luxury,͏͏ embracing͏͏ a͏͏ daring͏͏ and͏͏ innovative͏͏ approach.
Five͏͏ years͏͏ ago,͏͏ Johnnie͏͏ Walker͏͏ embarked͏͏ on͏͏ a͏͏ clear͏͏ mission:͏͏ to͏͏ advance͏͏ the͏͏ spirits͏͏ industry.͏͏ Observing͏͏ a͏͏ shift͏͏ in͏͏ luxury͏͏ categories͏͏ towards͏͏ a͏͏ ‘delicate’͏͏ rather͏͏ than͏͏ ‘heavy’͏͏ aesthetic,͏͏ the͏͏ brand͏͏ decided͏͏ to͏͏ innovate͏͏ with͏͏ one͏͏ of͏͏ its͏͏ most͏͏ premium͏͏ whiskies.͏͏ Their͏͏ goal͏͏ was͏͏ to͏͏ challenge͏͏ the͏͏ limits͏͏ of͏͏ lightweight͏͏ glass,͏͏ all͏͏ in͏͏ the͏͏ pursuit͏͏ of͏͏ progress.
Revolutionary͏͏ Lightweight͏͏ Glass͏͏ Design:
Weighing͏͏ only͏͏ 180g͏͏ without͏͏ the͏͏ closure,͏͏ the͏͏ Johnnie͏͏ Walker͏͏ Blue͏͏ Label͏͏ Ultra͏͏ bottle͏͏ was͏͏ developed͏͏ using͏͏ a͏͏ test-and-learn͏͏ approach,͏͏ allowing͏͏ for͏͏ limitless͏͏ exploration͏͏ and͏͏ creativity͏͏ in͏͏ envisioning͏͏ the͏͏ future͏͏ of͏͏ lightweight͏͏ luxury͏͏ packaging.͏͏ Collaborating͏͏ with͏͏ external͏͏ glass͏͏ makers,͏͏ the͏͏ brand͏͏ reimagined͏͏ every͏͏ facet͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ bottle’s͏͏ design,͏͏ production,͏͏ and͏͏ transportation.͏͏ This͏͏ included͏͏ hand-blowing͏͏ the͏͏ glass͏͏ and͏͏ introducing͏͏ a͏͏ teardrop͏͏ shape,͏͏ which͏͏ uniquely͏͏ redefines͏͏ the͏͏ iconic͏͏ Johnnie͏͏ Walker͏͏ square͏͏ bottle͏͏ for͏͏ the͏͏ first͏͏ time.
Continue͏͏ Exploring:͏͏ Bacardi͏͏ unveils͏͏ ‘world’s͏͏ first’͏͏ hydrogen-fueled͏͏ glass͏͏ spirits͏͏ bottle
Johnnie Walker’s͏͏ Commitment͏͏ to͏͏ Sustainability͏͏ in͏͏ Packaging:
The͏͏ outcome͏͏ is͏͏ an͏͏ industry-first͏͏ that͏͏ not͏͏ only͏͏ embodies͏͏ exquisite͏͏ beauty͏͏ but͏͏ also͏͏ demonstrates͏͏ the͏͏ potential͏͏ of͏͏ lighter-weight,͏͏ lower-carbon͏͏ luxury͏͏ bottles͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ future.͏͏ As͏͏ part͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ Diageo͏͏ Spirit͏͏ of͏͏ Progress͏͏ action͏͏ plan,͏͏ Johnnie͏͏ Walker͏͏ is͏͏ committed͏͏ to͏͏ reducing͏͏ the͏͏ glass͏͏ weight͏͏ in͏͏ its͏͏ packaging,͏͏ aiming͏͏ to͏͏ decrease͏͏ the͏͏ carbon͏͏ emissions͏͏ linked͏͏ to͏͏ packaging͏͏ materials.
Although͏͏ the͏͏ technology͏͏ to͏͏ produce͏͏ bottles͏͏ of͏͏ this͏͏ weight͏͏ at͏͏ scale͏͏ is͏͏ not͏͏ yet͏͏ available,͏͏ the͏͏ insights͏͏ gained͏͏ by͏͏ Johnnie͏͏ Walker͏͏ are͏͏ already͏͏ being͏͏ implemented͏͏ in͏͏ lightweighting͏͏ initiatives͏͏ across͏͏ the͏͏ Diageo͏͏ portfolio.͏͏ Throughout͏͏ five͏͏ years͏͏ of͏͏ research,͏͏ the͏͏ brand͏͏ has͏͏ secured͏͏ a͏͏ UK͏͏ patent,͏͏ and͏͏ in͏͏ a͏͏ pioneering͏͏ move͏͏ for͏͏ Diageo,͏͏ it͏͏ will͏͏ offer͏͏ a͏͏ royalty-free͏͏ license͏͏ to͏͏ the͏͏ patent,͏͏ allowing͏͏ anyone͏͏ worldwide͏͏ to͏͏ benefit͏͏ from͏͏ these͏͏ innovations͏͏ and͏͏ contribute͏͏ to͏͏ further͏͏ industry͏͏ advancements.
Dr.͏͏ Emma͏͏ Walker,͏͏ the͏͏ Master͏͏ Blender͏͏ of͏͏ Johnnie͏͏ Walker,͏͏ has͏͏ crafted͏͏ a͏͏ unique͏͏ new͏͏ expression͏͏ of͏͏ Johnnie͏͏ Walker͏͏ Blue͏͏ Label͏͏ for͏͏ this͏͏ remarkable͏͏ bottle.͏͏ In͏͏ her͏͏ blending͏͏ process,͏͏ she͏͏ carefully͏͏ selected͏͏ liquids͏͏ from͏͏ prestigious͏͏ distilleries͏͏ such͏͏ as͏͏ Oban,͏͏ Brora,͏͏ and͏͏ Royal͏͏ Lochnagar,͏͏ alongside͏͏ a͏͏ range͏͏ of͏͏ ‘ghost͏͏ whiskies’͏͏ from͏͏ distilleries͏͏ that͏͏ are͏͏ no͏͏ longer͏͏ in͏͏ operation.
Exclusive͏͏ Release:͏͏ Only͏͏ 888͏͏ Bottles͏͏ Available
To͏͏ commemorate͏͏ this͏͏ technological͏͏ innovation,͏͏ only͏͏ 888͏͏ bottles͏͏ will͏͏ be͏͏ produced.͏͏ A͏͏ select͏͏ quantity͏͏ of͏͏ these͏͏ limited-edition͏͏ bottles͏͏ will͏͏ be͏͏ available͏͏ for͏͏ purchase͏͏ in͏͏ 2025͏͏ in͏͏ chosen͏͏ markets͏͏ around͏͏ the͏͏ globe,͏͏ with͏͏ a͏͏ recommended͏͏ retail͏͏ price͏͏ of͏͏ £1,000.
The͏͏ bottle͏͏ was͏͏ unveiled͏͏ at͏͏ the͏͏ London͏͏ Design͏͏ Festival͏͏ on͏͏ Saturday,͏͏ 14th͏͏ September.͏͏ As͏͏ a͏͏ Major͏͏ Partner͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ festival,͏͏ Johnnie͏͏ Walker͏͏ collaborated͏͏ with͏͏ designers͏͏ Marshmallow͏͏ Laser͏͏ Feast͏͏ to͏͏ create͏͏ a͏͏ Landmark͏͏ Project͏͏ installation͏͏ at͏͏ the͏͏ Old͏͏ Selfridges͏͏ Hotel͏͏ in͏͏ Marylebone,͏͏ celebrating͏͏ the͏͏ design͏͏ features͏͏ of͏͏ Johnnie͏͏ Walker͏͏ Blue͏͏ Label͏͏ Ultra.
Jennifer͏͏ English,͏͏ Johnnie͏͏ Walker’s͏͏ Global͏͏ Brand͏͏ Director,͏͏ stated,͏͏ “Johnnie͏͏ Walker͏͏ Blue͏͏ Label͏͏ Ultra͏͏ represents͏͏ a͏͏ significant͏͏ advancement͏͏ for͏͏ Johnnie͏͏ Walker,͏͏ Diageo,͏͏ and͏͏ the͏͏ industry͏͏ as͏͏ a͏͏ whole.͏͏ When͏͏ we͏͏ embarked͏͏ on͏͏ this͏͏ journey͏͏ to͏͏ redefine͏͏ luxury,͏͏ we͏͏ were͏͏ uncertain͏͏ about͏͏ what͏͏ we͏͏ could͏͏ achieve,͏͏ and͏͏ the͏͏ outcome͏͏ is͏͏ a͏͏ remarkable͏͏ achievement͏͏ that͏͏ many͏͏ thought͏͏ impossible.”
This͏͏ new͏͏ lightweight͏͏ bottle͏͏ is͏͏ not͏͏ only͏͏ a͏͏ stunning͏͏ piece͏͏ of͏͏ craftsmanship͏͏ but͏͏ also͏͏ showcases͏͏ the͏͏ potential͏͏ of͏͏ lightweight͏͏ glass.͏͏ We͏͏ will͏͏ keep͏͏ applying͏͏ these͏͏ insights͏͏ across͏͏ our͏͏ portfolio,͏͏ making͏͏ further͏͏ progressive͏͏ advancements͏͏ as͏͏ we͏͏ envision͏͏ the͏͏ future͏͏ of͏͏ Scotch.
Jeremy͏͏ Lindley,͏͏ Global͏͏ Design͏͏ Director͏͏ at͏͏ Diageo͏͏ and͏͏ leader͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ design͏͏ project,͏͏ remarked,͏͏ “Johnnie͏͏ Walker͏͏ Blue͏͏ Label͏͏ Ultra͏͏ emerged͏͏ from͏͏ a͏͏ brainstorming͏͏ session͏͏ focused͏͏ on͏͏ the͏͏ future͏͏ of͏͏ luxury.͏͏ Observing͏͏ other͏͏ sectors,͏͏ like͏͏ eyewear͏͏ and͏͏ high-performance͏͏ cycling,͏͏ shifting͏͏ towards͏͏ lightweight͏͏ designs,͏͏ we͏͏ wondered͏͏ if͏͏ luxury͏͏ spirits͏͏ could͏͏ embrace͏͏ the͏͏ same͏͏ approach.”
“We͏͏ shared͏͏ our͏͏ vision͏͏ with͏͏ a͏͏ team͏͏ of͏͏ skilled͏͏ glassmakers,͏͏ and͏͏ over͏͏ a͏͏ five-year͏͏ test-and-learn͏͏ process,͏͏ we͏͏ gradually͏͏ learned͏͏ how͏͏ to͏͏ craft͏͏ elegant,͏͏ lightweight͏͏ glass.͏͏ The͏͏ technical͏͏ challenges͏͏ associated͏͏ with͏͏ lightweighting͏͏ prompted͏͏ us͏͏ to͏͏ adopt͏͏ various͏͏ design͏͏ and͏͏ production͏͏ specifications͏͏ that͏͏ we͏͏ hadn’t͏͏ anticipated͏͏ at͏͏ the͏͏ outset.͏͏ This͏͏ included͏͏ the͏͏ necessity͏͏ of͏͏ a͏͏ teardrop͏͏ shape,͏͏ which͏͏ we͏͏ designed͏͏ to͏͏ still͏͏ reflect͏͏ the͏͏ iconic͏͏ square͏͏ form͏͏ of͏͏ Johnnie͏͏ Walker͏͏ bottles,͏͏ as͏͏ well͏͏ as͏͏ the͏͏ introduction͏͏ of͏͏ a͏͏ protective͏͏ cage͏͏ for͏͏ a͏͏ round͏͏ base͏͏ and͏͏ the͏͏ handcrafted͏͏ filling͏͏ of͏͏ each͏͏ bottle͏͏ to͏͏ prevent͏͏ damage͏͏ during͏͏ production.”
“Instead͏͏ of͏͏ keeping͏͏ this͏͏ new͏͏ knowledge͏͏ to͏͏ ourselves,͏͏ we͏͏ are͏͏ thrilled͏͏ to͏͏ offer͏͏ a͏͏ royalty-free͏͏ license͏͏ for͏͏ our͏͏ UK͏͏ patent͏͏ to͏͏ the͏͏ world.͏͏ We͏͏ aspire͏͏ for͏͏ our͏͏ findings͏͏ to͏͏ positively͏͏ influence͏͏ the͏͏ broader͏͏ industry͏͏ and͏͏ pave͏͏ the͏͏ way͏͏ for͏͏ innovative,͏͏ lighter,͏͏ and͏͏ lower-carbon͏͏ packaging͏͏ alternatives.”
