Johnnie Walker has unveiled its 2021 Blue Label Chinese New Year limited edition as well as a first-of-a-kind John Walker & Sons King George V limited edition. In addition, the Diageo-owned brand crafted two cocktail recipes designed to be enjoyed during this year’s Spring Festival.
The Johnnie Walker 2021 Blue Label Chinese New Year design was created by award-winning Chinese artist Shirley Gong and looks forward to a year of good fortune and great achievements. In the illustrations, the ox is honored for its majesty as a symbol of prosperity and growth, poised high above mountain clouds representing longevity. The remarkable visuals are completed with celebratory lanterns and cherry blossom, signifying good fortune in the year to come.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label has a long history of Chinese New Year releases, with each year bringing a beautiful bespoke pack and bottle design celebrating that year’s Zodiac sign. With more people choosing to drink in the comfort of their own home, the brand saw an opportunity to encourage fans to enjoy the Whisky in different ways.
Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky Ambassador Alistair Reynolds crafted two easy-to-make Blue Label cocktail recipes designed to be enjoyed and shared with colleagues and close friends during this year’s Spring Festival.
“This wonderfully illustrated Johnnie Walker Blue Label Chinese New Year limited edition will make a fittingly beautiful gift to wish colleagues and close friends a prosperous start to the new year and to mark the beginning of this year’s festival in style, said Alistair. “But why not go one step further, bring the cocktail bar experience home and treat those close to you with a drink that explores all the velvety smoothness of this exquisite Scotch.”
New Year, New Highball
Recipe:
- 50ml of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Chinese New Year Limited Edition
- Top with a 100ml blend of green tea and oolong tea
Instructions:
- To make the tea: Leave two heaped teaspoons or tea bags of each tea in cold water in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Strain out tea leaves or remove tea bags.
- Build in a highball glass over lots of ice.
Blue Label Bubbles
Recipe:
- 20ml Johnnie Walker Blue Label Chinese New Year Limited Edition
- 10ml of cold Earl Grey tea syrup
Instructions:
- To make the syrup: 1 part sugar dissolved into 1 part Earl Grey tea.
- Chill in the fridge and top with champagne.
Johnnie Walker has created the recipes to celebrate the launch of its two exclusive Chinese New Year limited editions Whiskies.
John Walker & Sons King George V is a rare combination of exquisite whiskies, originally crafted to celebrate the first Royal Warrant granted to Johnnie Walker to supply Scotch whisky to the British Royal Household. Drawn from extremely rare casks, every bottle of John Walker & Sons King George V contains irreplaceable whiskies from the now silent distillery of Port Ellen. It is described as “an elegantly rich and creamy whisky that has precious rarity reflected in every drop.”
This Scotch is best enjoyed with a sip of iced water to prepare your palate, followed by a sip of John Walker & Sons King George V Chinese New Year limited edition.
The limited edition Blue Label Chinese New Year is priced at $229 USD and will be available in the United States and United Kingdom, while the John Walker & Sons King George V Chinese New Year limited edition costs £400 ($530 USD) per bottle and will only be available in the UK.
