Japanese Whisky

Suntory has always led the charge, and was the first Japanese Whisky registered in the United States, beginning in 1961. Since then, there have been massive billboards in Times Square, and Suntory’s classic “jug” style bottle was a staple on liquor store shelves through the 1970s. There was a bit of a decline, as whiskey sales in the US lost ground to Vodka in the late-1970s and through the mid-1990s. 

In 2003 began an unparalleled surge in popularity thanks to the film Lost in Translation. Bill Murray’s dead-pan, stoic performance has been revered, but that fictional tale is not the first to feature actors and celebrities from the UK and US endorsing these fine drams. Now the brand is omnipresent, be it the legend that is Yamazaki 18 year old or the subtlety found in Hibiki Harmony, you likely know something about Japanese whisky.

Sofia Coppola likely found inspiration from her famous director father and his series of ads for Suntory extolling the virtues of whisky and friendship with another film legend, Akira Kurosawa. Perhaps seeing Sean Connery go from disheveled to perfectly pressed after a glass of Suntory Crest was the muse for Mr. Murray’s performance.

Humorous ads such as the one featuring a cartoon, bobblehead-like Duran Duran singing “The Reflex” might spark your interest. Perhaps a little ad-lib by the incomparable Sammy Davis Jr. would prove Suntory Whisky is of your class. Maybe a glass of Suntory on the rocks drunk to the jazz jams of my man, Ron Carter, on the bass, is your ideal soundtrack for relaxing times.

We have our hands on a few great Japanese Whiskys, click here and check it out for yourself.