5 Successful, Yet Unexpected, Collaborations in Whisky

January 27, 2026

Working in the spirits business, you don’t tend to find brands teaming up with one another all too often. When they do however, the results can be unique at worst, and truly spectacular at best. This is especially true in the whisky biz.

If you’re regular readers of the blogs here at Great Drams, you may remember how I covered the ad campaign Glenmorangie launched a few months back, featuring none other than Hollywood superstar Harrison Ford. That particular collaboration caught a lot of people by surprise, myself included, yet it proved to be hugely successful and made for some very compelling viewing.

When done right, collaborations in any industry or setting can work, particularly in the drinks business. We’ve seen whisky/whiskey brands team up with actors, musicians, luxury brands, and heaps more besides for various marketing campaigns and sponsorship deals, with great results. It’s these I’ll be focussing on today.

Here are 5 successful, yet unexpected, collaborations in the whisky industry.

Johnnie Walker and Game of Thrones

Remember when Game of Thrones was epic in every sense of the word, and looked set to go down in history as one of the greatest TV shows ever made? Yeah, it’s probably best not to talk about the final season, or the ending, as it certainly left a bitter taste in my mouth, and millions of other people too by all accounts.

One thing that didn’t leave a bitter taste in my mouth, though, was the limited-edition Johnnie Walker whisky which was released in collaboration with HBO’s Game of Thrones in 2018.

Their White Walker Whisky utilised temperature sensitive ink on a white and icy blue label to reveal the unforgettable motto of House Stark, and one which is synonymous with Game of Thrones – ‘Winter is Coming’ once the bottle was chilled. It’s definitely gimmicky, but who cares?

Made from a blend of single malts from Cardhu and Clynelish, the whisky provided heavy notes of ripe fresh berries, caramelised sugar, honey, and creamy malt. Designed to be served direct from the freezer, and chill-filtered to 1.5 degrees C, this would be a great dram to sip on during the summer.

They also released a selection of other drams, reimagining iconic characters from the show, which I may very well look at in more detail in another blog. For now however, we’re sticking with the White Walkers.

Bowmore and Aston Martin

Aston Martin is one of the most luxurious car manufacturers in the world. Along with Jaguar, they’re British icons of the motor industry and have produced some truly exceptional vehicles over the decades.

Aston Martin are a luxury car brand, so it would make sense for them to team up with another brand synonymous with luxury. This is why the collaboration between Aston Martin and Bowmore came about. Somehow, I don’t think the partnership would’ve worked if they’d teamed up with a local supermarket to push their budget whisky.

To highlight one of Aston Martin’s most popular vehicles, the DB5, they teamed up with Bowmore in 2020, who released their Black Bowmore DB5 1964 Scotch. Anytime there’s a Black Bowmore released, whisky connoisseurs really get excited as they’re very collectable.

Stored in a gorgeous presentation case, complete with Aston Martin badging, this Oloroso sherry cask matured whisky is a gorgeous obsidian black colour. It features fruity and spicy notes with hints of honey and a whisper of tobacco smoke. It’s pure luxury through and through, with a price tag to match.

Glenfarclas and Resident Evil/Biohazard

While some partnerships and collabs make perfect sense, others can leave you scratching your head, a bit like when Stacy Soloman and Steve-O from Jackass were dating for a while. This next collaboration is very similar. People weren’t sure why or how it came about, but they were there for it.

To celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the release of the first Resident Evil game on the PlayStation, and the release of the whisky in Japan in 2021, Glenfarclas distillery teamed up with the creators of the franchise, to release a 25-year-old cask strength expression.

Resident Evil is one of the most popular survival horror games ever created, and has spawned countless movies, sequels, merch, and more besides. Back in the day I was a big fan of the first three games myself. This collab however, really flew under the radar.

I say that the two teamed up, but really there was virtually no marketing campaign at all, with neither brand really acknowledging the other. The bottle and packaging feature the Biohazard branding (Biohazard is what Resident Evil is called in Japan), and that’s about it. Oh, and drinking it won’t turn you into a brain-munching zombie, not to my knowledge at least.

Glenfiddich and the London Sock Company

So far, we’ve had whisky collaborations with a luxury car brand and a video game franchise. That’s quite the diverse selection. Just to make things even more random, let’s throw some socks into the mix, shall we?

Whisky screams a lot of things to me, but I have to say, socks isn’t one of them. Despite this, when Glenfiddich teamed up with the London Sock Company a little over six years ago, I was very intrigued. When I read the name of the collab – Socks on the Rocks, I was sold.

Perfect for Father’s Day, the limited-edition gift box came complete with 3 drams from Glenfiddich (12, 15, and, 18 Year Old) along with 3 pairs of socks from the LSC’s Spot of Style collection.

Socks and whisky. What more could you ask for?

Photo Credit: heals

Johnnie Walker and Blade Runner 2049

Thought you’d heard the last of Harrison Ford? Well, not quite, because we’ve another collab featuring Harrison Ford, this time celebrating his role as Rick Deckard in the two Blade Runner movies. Yet another Johnnie Walker collaboration, this time we have Johnnie Walker Black Label – Director’s Cut, to celebrate the release of Blade Runner 2049 in 2017.

In the original Blade Runner movie in 1984, Ridley Scott’s Sci-Fi epic saw several scenes featuring Ford’s Deckard drinking Johnnie Walker Black Label throughout the movie. He could also be seen on screen enjoying it in the 2017 sequel.

Looking to capitalise on this, Johnnie Walker released a limited edition bottling of their iconic Black Label, made up of a combination of more than 30 different drams, both grain and malts. The whisky was blended in the traditional Black Label way, with a few tweaks. In particular, this dram featured a much smokier finish. It was also bottled at a higher ABV of 49%, in reference to 2049, which is the year in which the sequel takes place. It was also bottled in a very futuristic, yet dystopian, bottle design.

If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at the diverse selection of unique whiskies we currently have in stock.

With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.

Tags: CollaborationsSuccessful

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.