DEWAR’S in America: A Story of Two Nations
As the United States marks 250 years of independence, we are looking back on our own journey across the Atlantic. For more than a century, DEWAR’S has been part of American life: from the drawing rooms of industrialists to the streets of New York, from early advertising to whisky lovers across the nation. This is the story of how a Perth whisky blender became part of American tradition.
1891:
The Gift That Started It All
Our American story begins with an unexpected letter. Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-born steel magnate, ordered a small keg of DEWAR’S as a gift for US President Benjamin Harrison. We still do not know why he chose us, but with no family or business connection, it was likely the reputation DEWAR’S had earned in his native Scotland. The story made headlines across America, sparking inquiries and orders nationwide, and became our first export to the United States. Carnegie’s original letter remains in our archive.
1892:
Thomas Dewar’s American Tour
In August 1892, Thomas Dewar set out on his first world sales tour, appointing 32 agents in 26 countries, from New York and Chicago to San Francisco. While in New York, he helped popularize a new way to enjoy Scotch, ordering a “ball” of whisky served long in a tall glass. The serve took the country by storm, and in 1902 John Dewar & Sons trademarked the words “High Ball”. It is a heritage we carry today as pioneers of the Scotch Highball since 1892.
1897 to 1916:
A Pioneering Presence in Advertising
DEWAR’S did not simply follow trends in America; we helped shape them. In 1897, the company commissioned the first moving picture advertisement for a drinks product, projected on the roof of the Pepper building in New York’s Herald Square, where it stopped traffic. Over the decades that followed, DEWAR’S appeared across America’s most iconic spaces, from the Flatiron building and Broadway to Times Square itself.
1893 to 1904:
Recognized for Excellence
DEWAR’S was recognized for quality in America from the very beginning. Our first known American award came in 1893 at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, with further recognition in Chicago in 1898, then the Grand Prize and a Gold Medal at the 1904 Universal Exposition in Saint-Louis. Today, DEWAR’S is the World’s Most Awarded Blended Scotch Whisky.
1980s:
An American Market Leader
By 1980, DEWAR’S had become the leading Scotch whisky brand in the United States, accounting for over 16% of all Scotch whisky sold in America by 1987. From President Harrison’s gift to the heights of Times Square, the thread was always the same: DEWAR’S was never content simply to be sold in America. We earned our place in American life.
Today:
Still Welcoming America
Each year, American visitors make the journey to Perthshire to experience the home of DEWAR’S at Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery, the spiritual home of the brand. As America marks 250 years of independence, we celebrate our own journey alongside it: a connection that began with a single letter and continues in every glass shared today.
Visit Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery to experience the spiritual home of DEWAR’S and the craft behind a heritage that has spanned two nations for more than a century.