Kings and Queens in a bottle: 5 royal whisky names and the story behind them

Some whiskies have a special name referring to Kings and Queens. Where do they come from? In this Whisky Names Explained we explore 5 of the Royal whiskynames.

The Royal Lochnagar distillery didn’t originally carry the “Royal” honorific. The whisky maker was first called New Lochnagar and was built in 1845 by John Begg. The distillery stands close to Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The royal connection arrived soon after its founding.

In 1848, Begg invited Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to visit the distillery. They accepted, and were thoroughly impressed by both the place and the spirit. Following that royal visit, the distillery was granted the right to call itself Royal Lochnagar.

The name brings together two elements. “Royal” reflects the link to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, as well as to Balmoral. “Lochnagar” refers to the nearby mountain.

Crown Royal was developed in 1939 by Seagram in Canada. The whisky was created specifically to honor the state visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to the country. That trip was historic: it marked the first time a reigning British monarch had visited Canada. The name quite literally nods to the crown and to a royal milestone in Canadian history.

The whisky’s royal theme is twofold. As you’d expect, “Crown” points to the crown itself, while “Royal” makes the connection unmistakable. Its presentation is suitably regal, too: the bottle typically comes in a purple velvet bag that gives it a luxurious feel.

Royal Salute was launched on June 2, 1953 the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. The name pays tribute to the ceremonial 21-gun salute fired at major royal occasions.

The name is more than symbolism, though. The whisky itself honors the number 21, with Royal Salute traditionally beginning its range at a minimum of 21 years old. With these bottles, you’re always holding a well-aged whisky.

On to another whisky that started life under a different name. Royal Brackla began as Brackla Distillery, founded in 1812 on the Cawdor Estate in the Scottish Highlands. In 1833, the distillery received a Royal Warrant from King William IV, becoming the first Scottish distillery to earn such royal recognition. It also inspired the nickname “The King’s Own Whisky.”

Kingsbarns Distillery sits near the village of Kingsbarns in Fife. The village’s name has a royal thread: it derives from the “king’s barns,” the granaries where grain was stored before being sent to royal residences, including Falkland Palace. The distillery embraces this agricultural and royal lineage as the origin of its name.

Want to learn more about Kingsbarns whisky names? Take a look at our in-depth Whisky Names Explained on the Doocot whisky.