The Dewar's whisky brand was created by John Dewar, Sr. in 1846.[1] Under the control of his two sons, John A. Dewar Jr. and Thomas "Tommy" Dewar, the brand expanded to become a global market leader by 1896 and began to win several awards, including a gold medal in the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.[2] Tommy became famous as the author of a travel journal, Ramble Round the Globe, which documented his travels while publicizing the Dewar name. Dewar's eventually expanded their product by constructing the Aberfeldy Distillery in 1896.
John Dewar & Sons 1926 client correspondence with watermark on document
Dewar's rose to prominence in the United States when Andrew Carnegie requested a small keg of Dewar's Scotch whisky be sent to the White House for President James Garfield's inauguration. Carnegie also sent the same gift to President Benjamin Harrison on his inauguration eight years later.
The company joined Distillers Company in 1925. Distillers was acquired by Guinness in 1986.[3]
In 1987, numerous cases of still perfect Dewar's Scotch were recovered by underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence from the shipwreck of the SS Regina, which sank in Lake Huron in 1913.[4]
Guinness merged with Grand Metropolitan to form Diageo in 1997.[1]
In 1998, Diageo sold Dewar's to Bacardi.[5]
In June 2023, the company received a major honour at the International Whisky Competition, with the "Master Blender of the Year" award being given to Stephanie Macleod.