When it comes to hard alcohols, I prefer bourbon, though I cannot call myself a genuine expert or connoisseur. Knob Creek is my bourbon of choice because it’s the best one I can both get at my local liquor store and pretend is within my budget.
I also like John Wick movies. Bourbon is John Wick’s drink of choice, and I am not alone in having noticed the distinctive whisky bottle that repeatedly appears in the films, and which I suspected was a real brand.
While looking up bourbons, I happened to run across the very bottle: It is definitely Blanton’s. In John Wick Chapter 2, it is clearly Blanton’s Green Label, as shown in the screenshot at the top of the post.
The official Blanton’s website claims that Blanton invented single-barrel bourbon, and the Green Label is the Special Reserve, described thusly:
At 80 proof Blanton’s Special Reserve is ideal for those new to single barrel bourbons. It has a slightly floral nose that conveys whispers of cedar and raisin in between soft vanilla notes.
The palate has a light airy feel to it. The taste of vanilla and toffee dance around subtle notes of dried fruit and white pepper. Its smooth consistency makes it perfect for a premium cocktail or served on the rocks. Bottled at 40% alcohol by volume.
For whatever reason, the Green Label is unavailable in the United States. This arguably shows a certain attention to detail in the John Wick films, since Wick is seen drinking the Green Label only while in Rome, whereas he appears to drink the original Blanton’s while in New York.
Although not the most expensive stuff on the market, Blanton’s is unsurprisingly pricey, running about ninety bucks a bottle. Given the premise and culture of the films, of course, it would be shocking if Wick didn’t drink something that’s out of the price range of most of us. In fact, I’m halfway surprised he doesn’t drink something even more outrageously expensive.
Here’s a review of Blanton’s drink.
Although Blanton’s produces the whisky bottle used repeatedly as a film prop, there is also an official John Wick bourbon, along with commemorative tumblers, produced by Silver Screen Bottling Company.
The “official” liquor claims to be “Continental Straight Bourbon Whiskey.” Given that the films are not very old, I suppose the bourbon is probably not very old, so I’m a little skeptical, but it runs for eighty bucks. How much of that is paying for the whisky and how much is paying for the commemorative props, I’ve no idea—but for ten dollars more, you can have the real deal from Blanton’s.
In any case, I pass this along as a bit of interesting trivia. I’m not buying Blanton’s bourbon or anything like it unless I win the lottery or something.
