Four of My Most Favourite Fictional Whisky Brands

Now, granted, I don’t have time to watch a great deal of TV nowadays, but when I do, I always chuckle at some of the inventive and imaginative names for different brands of fictional booze in a variety of different shows.

Because of various advertising laws, not to mention expenses and copyright issues, most TV shows and movies will come up with fictional names and brands for products shown on screen, including alcohol.

Duff Beer for example, is Homer Simpson’s booze of choice, and is one of the best-known fictional booze brands on TV. Along with Duff, there’s brands such as Aspen Beer, from Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror masterpiece ‘Alien’ and Leopard Lager, from another sci-fi classic, albeit a very different one, in BBC sitcom ‘Red Dwarf’.

It isn’t just beer that gets this treatment, though, as the same applies for whisky/whiskey, which is what I’ll be looking at in today’s article. Just for a bit of fun, here’s a look at four examples of fictional brands of whisky shown in film or TV that I’ve a soft spot for.

Galglennie Irish Whiskey – Peaky Blinders

‘By order of the Peaky Blinders’ if you’re an Irish whiskey drinker, you must try Galglennie Irish whiskey. Well, you could, if it existed. Alas, Galglennie, like Tommy and Arthur Shelby, is fictional, but loosely based on the real thing.

Peaky Blinders, a TV show based upon a gang of organised criminals in Birmingham’s underworld during the early 1990s burst onto screens in 2013 and proved an instant hit. Featuring names such as Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Adrian Brody, Aidan Gillen, Sam Neill, and the late and wonderful Helen McCrory, the show ran for 6 seasons, with a Netflix movie slated to be released in 2025 or 26.

The show features plenty of bad language, raunch, violence, and heavy drinking. Many of the show’s antagonists and protagonists can be seen chugging back a dram of fictional Galglennie Irish Whiskey.

As the show features a number of Irish actors and cast members, this likely played a role in the show’s creators opting to focus on Irish whiskey, rather than Scotch whisky. If you’re a fan of the show, keep your eyes peeled for a bottle of Galglennie the next time you watch.

The Balmoor Scotch – Various

I love when fiction becomes lore in the world of entertainment. Those who grew up on the action movies of the 80s and 90s for example, will likely have heard of the fictional South American country of Val Verde, used in blockbusters such as ‘Commando’ ‘Die Hard 2’ and ‘Predator’.

Though Val Verde is entirely fictional, many Hollywood blockbusters, with no ties to one another, used it as a setting. The Balmoor brand of Scotch whisky is used in a very similar way.

Seen on TV shows such as Boston Legal, Chicago Med, Lipstick Jungle, The Defenders, and heaps more besides, The Balmoor obviously takes inspiration from The Dalmore, a hugely popular Scottish single malt.

Glencallan Scotch Whisky – Various

Another Scotch whisky brand, frequently seen on TV screens in some of the world’s most popular shows, is Glencallan Scotch.

In Scottish Gaelic, the word ‘Glen’ means ‘Valley’. Most of the whiskies with ‘Glen’ in their names originate from the Highlands whisky region, so we can surmise that Glencallan is a Highland or Speyside malt, perhaps comparable to Glenturret, Glenfiddich, or Glen Moray. The design of the label however, along with the name, is very similar to Speyside’s ‘The Macallan’ whisky, so that’s likely where the inspiration came from.

Glencallan has featured in shows such as Burn Notice, Nip Tuck, Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago P.D, and one of my personal favourites – Son’s of Anarchy. Created by Kurt Sutter, and featuring a gang of bikers/gun runners, Glencallan was frequently seen on screen, usually when one of the characters was trying to unwind and relax after carrying out a particularly heinous act.

Incidentally, one of the main reasons why fictional brands are created, is to give shows realism. Bottles of whisky have recognisable labels, so characters drinking from unbranded bottles of whisky would look odd. Using a real-life brand of whisky, without the correct paperwork in place, could result in an expensive lawsuit and various copyright issues. Creating a fictional brand that belongs to the studios, however, clears this up.

Macweldon Scotch Whisky – The Simpsons

Duff Beer, Buzz Cola, Krusty Burger, Malibu Stacy, the list of fictional brands made famous by The Simpsons is almost as long as the show has been on air.

Though it hasn’t received anywhere near as much screen time as Duff, Macweldon Scotch is the whisky of choice for many of the hit animated show’s characters.

Needless to say, the show’s resident Scot, Groundskeeper Willie, is a huge fan of this particular dram. In fact, he even used to work at the fictitious Macweldon Distillery in Scotland, where he would cut peat used in the malting process.

Considering most Islay whiskies feature heavy peat influences, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Macweldon is an Islay expression, perfect for Springfield residents who like their whisky to have smoky, medicinal, earthy and peaty influences.

If you’re looking for gift ideas this Christmas, or to simply learn more about your favourite whiskies, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at what we have to offer.

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: Fictional Whisky Brands

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.