It’s the end of the road for Johnnie Walker

**oliver1013** · April 24th, 2012 07:38 PM

It

The last bottle of one of the world’s renowned whiskeys — Johnnie Walker — is being filled, and after this is done, the company that brews and bottles it — Diageo — will close forever.

For Black or Red Label whiskey lovers, the news would be devastating, as it will be for the 700 employees that still work at the Kilmarnock factory where the legendary whiskey has been brewed and bottled since 1820.

The Scottish community has reacted with anger to the development and is protesting against the closure of the factory, reports the web site NDJ World. Scottish Premier Alex Salmond has been unable to convince Diageo to keep the factory open and allow the tantalising liquor to continue flowing.

The company had already announced in 2009 that it planned to close the Johnnie Walker factory.

Of the 700 employees, 430 accepted a departure severance pay, about 200 of them found work at other jobs within the company and 82 employees were terminated.

The last bottle of Johnnie Walker to roll off the assembly line will be on display at a museum that is about the history of the brand.

It

**renzo_d10** · April 24th, 2012 07:41 PM

Uy? Sayang! Hehe.

Display na nga lang yung malaking black label at blue label dito sa bahay...

**Monseratto** · April 24th, 2012 08:53 PM

Naku, iiyak si Erap niyan...

**Harangody** · April 24th, 2012 09:40 PM

Magwawala Lolo ko! Mag horde kaya ako niyan tapos benta ko!

**flakez** · April 24th, 2012 10:35 PM

plant lang pala mag cloclose. kala ko yung johnnie walker na mismo. hehehe

**oliver1013** · April 24th, 2012 10:49 PM

Dapat mag stock na...si jack na bagong ka tropa

**Monseratto** · April 25th, 2012 11:11 AM

Na kuryente ata tayo...

Johnnie Walker to keep walking; reports of demise innacurate: Diageo

The London-headquartered global alcoholic beverages company Diageo PLC on Thursday said that reports appearing in the media about the premier whiskey brand Johnnie Walker no longer being bottled or manufactured by a factory in Kilmarnock, Scotland, were completely inaccurate.

A statement issued by Diageo India Private Limited said: "Recent media stories on the 'end of Johnnie Walker' are completely inaccurate. The fact is that the bottling of Johnnie Walker has just moved from Kilmarnock to a new state-of-the art facility in Scotland."

"This is in keeping with an announcement that Diageo plc, the makers of Johnnie Walker and the world's largest spirits company, had made in 2009, regarding the restructuring of its production operations in Scotland. With a view to upgrade and expand bottling capacity and in anticipation of future growth in demand for its brands, including Johnnie Walker, the plan included the closure of a bottling plant in Kilmarnock and an investment of $86 million in a new bottling hall at one of Diageo's other packaging plants at Leven in Fife," the company spokesman further said in her statement.

"Before the closure of the Kilmarnock bottling plant, 80% of Johnnie Walker was already bottled at Diageo's other Scottish bottling facilities and the brand will continue to be distilled, blended and bottled in Scotland," the spokesperson said.

Johnnie Walker is the largest Scotch whisky brand in the world, selling over 18 million nine litre cases per annum.

"Diageo's interim results published in February showed a net sales growth of Johnnie Walker of 15%, making it the company's best performing global brand," the spokesperson said.