After five years of experimentation, Johnnie Walker (DEO) recently revealed a 180 gram (6.35 ounce) bottle for its acclaimed Blue Label — making it the lightest glass bottle ever used in commercial whisky distribution.
The desire to manufacture a lighter bottle was influenced by the goals of pushing the whisky industry forward and reducing its environmental impact.
“Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ultra was born out of an ideation session looking at the future of luxury. With other categories moving towards lightweight — such as eyewear and high-performance cycling — we questioned whether luxury spirits could follow suit,” said Jeremy Lindley, who led the design project, in a statement.
“We took our vision to a team of expert glassmakers and throughout a five year test-and-learn process slowly discovered how to create elegant, lightweight glass,” he said.
As part of parent company Diageo’s goal to reduce their carbon footprint, the British patent on the ultra-light glass bottle design will “be offered on a royalty-free basis to anyone in the world who wishes to share in these discoveries,” according to a press release.
The technology used to manufacture the ultra-light glass is not yet developed enough to be used for every bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue, but Diageo says that the new innovation is being used for packaging across its portfolios.
A special expression of Johnnie Walker Blue was also developed specifically to celebrate the design achievement. Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker selected liquors from several distilleries — including some which no longer produce new whiskies. Only 888 bottles of this special blend will ever be produced, and they are expected to be sold next year for £1000 ($1,320.19) in select global markets.
Read on to learn more about the most expensive bottles of alcohol ever sold.
