10 Whisky Quotes Scotch Lovers Need to Know

I want you to close your eyes. Not literally. Because then you couldn’t read this. But I want you to picture a whisky drinker in your mind. What are you imagining? Is it someone in a leather armchair? Have they said something incredibly witty? Of course, they have. Wit and whisky go together. That’s why there are so many great quotes about whisky. Whisky is a lubricant for witty banter and philosophising. I wanted to compile the best whisky quotes.

Why?

That’s easy. Because when I drink whisky, I like to sound smart. Not being overly bright myself, I rely on the wisdom of others.

Because, as Winston Churchill said: ‘It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read a book of quotations.’  I know that’s true because I read it on a website.    

Some brilliant thinkers have said wise things about single malt scotch and bourbon. I think it’s great to learn these quotes on whisky by heart. I know memorising quotes can be tedious. But, pour yourself a dram of scotch and, with great persistence, I bet you can make it through.

And you’ll sound brilliant the next time you’re with your drinks drinking a single malt and quoting these learned chaps (and ladies!).

Johnny Carson 

‘Happiness is having a rare steak, a bottle of whisky, and a dog to eat the rare steak.’

Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Which makes sense; he was probably a shoo-in for the job. How many other comedians are called Johnny Carson?

I like this quote on whisky because it gets to the core of the human experience. You don’t need much to be happy.  

Raymond Chandler 

‘There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that aren’t as good as others.’

Raymond Chandler was a novelist and screenwriter who wrote detective and crime drama in the ‘30s and ’50s. He’s become more popular after he died, which is not a great way to enjoy your popularity.

I love this quote about whisky. We even have it on our about us page. I agree with Ray, I don’t think there are any bad whiskies. Except for Fujikai 10. Obviously. It’s like licking the inside of a nappies wrapped in goose intestines.  

Errol Flynn

‘I like my whisky old and my women young.’

Errol Flynn was an actor in the Golden Age of Hollywood.

I don’t know if an actor could get away with saying this today. But that’s part of why I like the quote. I’m a massive fan of old movies. For an idea of my movie geekery, check out our blog about 10 unbelievable movies scenes about whisky. I like this quote because it's very Errol Flynn.

Alexander Fleming 

‘A good gulp of hot whiskey at bedtime—it’s not very scientific, but it helps.’

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. So it’s fair to say he knew his way around a science lab.

I like this whisky quote because there is no better scientific authority to justify drinking every night before bed. Whisky. Just what the doctor ordered.  

Mark Twain 

‘Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.’

Mark Twain was the great American novelist. His work includes The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 

You can bet I’ve used this line. It’s perfect when you’re with your friends having a few drams.

Winston Churchill 

‘The water was not fit to drink. To make it palatable, we had to add whisky. By diligent effort, I learned to like it.’

Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister during World War II. You probably didn’t need me to tell you that.

I wager you already knew a lot of great Churchill quotes. He had so many fantastic one-liners. Now you know another one!

Humphrey Bogart

‘I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis.’ (his last words) 

Humphrey Bogart is another of my favourite actors. I’ve seen Casablanca more times than I can count.

I love that these were his last words. So cool, right? I don’t plan on dying anytime soon. But if I did, I’d struggle to think of better last words. Speaking of dying, that leads us onto the next quote about whisky you should know.

Ava Gardner

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'I wish to live to 150 years old, but the day I die, I wish it to be with a cigarette in one hand and a glass of whiskey in the other.’

If you’d not picked up a theme yet, I suspect you are now. I like old movie stars. And Ava Gardner was one of the best. Not that she was old. I mean she was a movie star a long time ago!

Like Johnny Carson Ava Gardner showed with this quote on whisky that she had her priorities sorted. 

George Bernard Shaw

‘Whisky is liquid sunshine.’ 

George Bernard Shaw was the Irish playwright who wrote Pygmalion. I like plays nearly as much as I love movies. So, it's not a surprise that George is on the list.

I love this whisky quote because it’s such a great image. It’s marred only slightly because Alan Rickman says the same quote about wine in Bottle Shock. And now I can’t think of this quote without hearing it in Severus Snape’s voice.    

James Joyce

‘The light music of whiskey falling into a glass—an agreeable interlude.’

Joyce was a novelist and, like his countryman George Bernard Shaw conjurers up a beautiful whisky image. 

I like this quote because I think about it every time I hear whisky poured on the rocks. Whatever you might think about ice and whisky, you have to admit: it’s a beautiful sound.

I hope you liked these quotes on whisky. Are there any that you think true scotch lovers should know? Let me know in the comments.