A Popular Scotch Brand Just Dropped Bold New Bottles in Homage to Elton John and John Lennon
(Photo: Ballantine’s)
Ballantine’s announced on Monday that for the 2024 releases of the popular scotch whisky brand’s True Music Icons Collection, it’s paying tribute to rock legends John Lennon and Elton John with a pair of limited-edition bottles.
The bottle designs celebrate the artists and the friendship that flourished between the two rock idols, who once collaborated on a song together: “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night.” The song was a single released by Lennon who featured Elton John on the release. Eventually, the two performed the song at Madison Square Garden in 1974 — 50 years ago.
Ballantine’s says the bottles celebrate the different personalities of each artist. The Elton John Edition bottling is a celebration of the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” singer’s performance at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 1975. The Lennon bottle features the artist’s famous self-portrait, honoring what the brand refers to as his “multifaceted artistic legacy.”
The scotch whisky brand shared the limited edition bottles will be available for purchase on The Whisky Exchange starting Sept. 23.
“Ballantine’s has a rich heritage in music and what better way to celebrate a decade of our True Music platform than by paying tribute to two of the 20th century’s most revered music icons on our iconic Finest bottle,” Global Marketing Director for Ballantine’s at Chivas Brothers Paul-Andre Vacheron said in a statement. “Both Elton John and John Lennon are artists who are all about doing things their own way. They have not only contributed to music culture, but defined it, by staying true to who they are — a mindset that reflects the spirit of what Ballantine’s stands for, inspired by our pioneering founder George Ballantine.”
In 2023, the scotch whisky brand paid homage to the rock bands Queen and AC/DC. To celebrate the AC/DC release, Ballantine’s unveiled a bespoke cocktail honoring the band, called the Dark and Thunderstruck. The scotch whisky cocktail was a riff on the Kentucky mule.
Yet, Ballantine’s music collaborations often transcend genre. In March, the brand released a collaboration with rap legend, RZA. The limited release was aged for seven years before it spent time finishing in American oak barrels. It featured bespoke packaging with a poem that was written by the Wu-Tang Clan frontman after he spent time at Ballantine’s in Scotland.
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