Media reports of Johnnie Walker whiskey no longer being bottled inaccurate: Diageo

New Delhi, April 19 (ANI): The London-headquartered global alcoholic beverages company Diageo PLC on Thursday said that reports appearing in the media about the premier whiskey brand Johnnie Walker no longer being bottled or manufactured by a factory in Kilmarnock, Scotland, were completely inaccurate.

A statement issued by Diageo India Private Limited said: "Recent media stories on the 'end of Johnnie Walker' are completely inaccurate. The fact is that the bottling of Johnnie Walker has just moved from Kilmarnock to a new state-of-the art facility in Scotland."

"This is in keeping with an announcement that Diageo plc, the makers of Johnnie Walker and the world's largest spirits company, had made in 2009, regarding the restructuring of its production operations in Scotland. With a view to upgrade and expand bottling capacity and in anticipation of future growth in demand for its brands, including Johnnie Walker, the plan included the closure of a bottling plant in Kilmarnock and an investment of 86 million pounds in a new bottling hall at one of Diageo's other packaging plants at Leven in Fife," the company spokesman further said in her statement.

"Before the closure of the Kilmarnock bottling plant, 80 percent of Johnnie Walker was already bottled at Diageo's other Scottish bottling facilities and the brand will continue to be distilled, blended and bottled in Scotland," the spokesperson said.

Johnnie Walker is the largest Scotch whisky brand in the world, selling over 18 million nine litre cases per annum.

"Diageo's interim results published in February showed a net sales growth of Johnnie Walker of 15 percent, making it the company's best performing global brand," the spokesperson said. (ANI)