Burns Night has a toast with whisky: we look at celebrities who enjoy a dram from Sam Heughan to David Beckham

January 25th celebrates the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns. There is a meal, including haggis, and often speeches which are toasted with a glass of whisky, or other alcohol of choice, in hand.

Robert Burns never hid his love for the spirit. Many of Burns’ poems and songs feature well-intoxicated hospitality, and he specifically wrote in praise of whisky in his epic tale Tam O’Shanter, declaring that:

‘Inspiring bold John Barleycorn [whisky]!

What dangers thou canst make us scorn!

Wi' tippeny [tuppenny ale], we fear nae evil;

Wi' usquabae [whisky], we’ll face the devil!’

And, despite being a lowlander of Scotland, he preferred the Highland spirits. In a letter to a friend, he wrote: 'The whisky of this country [ie the Lowlands] is a most rascally liqueur.' His favourite was Ferintosh made by the Forbes family on the Black Isle, the first great Scotch brand.

We look at some modern day famous names who love the 'water of life'.

Sam Heughan

The Outlander star loves whisky so much that he has created his own drink. The whisky is part of Heughan's business, Great Glen Company, and in an interview with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society published in 2019, he spoke of his dream to create his own spirit.

The Sassenach is Heughan's award-winning, Outlander-inspired whisky or whiskey. The Irish call it whiskey, while the Scots call it whisky.

Heughan revealed in a social media video in late 2021 that the whisky won a gold European Wine and Spirits Trophy, roughly three months after Heughan announced in mid-September that Spirit of Home won a Double Gold Medal at the 2021 New York World Wine and Spirits Competition. That followed the second consecutive double gold that Sassenach captured back in April at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

He posted a video for Burns Night today (25 January 2023) in which he quotes Burns poetry and has a sip of his Sassenoch creation.

David Beckham

The retired football superstar never talked much about whisky while he was playing. However, this passion was revealed in 2014 when Beckham teamed up with Diageo to launch the Haig Club whisky brand. He apparently played a fundamental role in the whisky’s development.

"The House of Haig has a rich history and I’m proud to be working at the heart of a home-grown brand which has built an incredible heritage over 400 years," said Beckham back in 2014, before the whisky launched.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton, political figure and wife of former US president, Bill, has been caught several times enjoying a couple of drams of whisky. In 2008, a Politico reporter witnessed her downing a shot of Canadian whisky in Indiana. There was also a video taken of the event which has been well publicized since.

She also visited the Maker’s Mark distillery and dipped a bottle into the company’s famous red wax.

Milas Kunis

The actress Mila Kunis made a series of ads for Jim Beam whisky in 2014, both online and TV, ranging from 15 seconds to three minutes. An excellent choice for brand endorsement as she appeals to both men and women.