Black & White
Black & White is a blended Scotch whisky brand created by James Buchanan and now owned by Diageo.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Black & White is a blended Scotch whisky brand with origins in late-nineteenth-century Britain. It was created by James Buchanan, the whisky entrepreneur whose London-based firm, James Buchanan & Co. Ltd, developed the blend. When first introduced in 1879, the whisky was known as Buchanan's Blend. It was subsequently marketed as House of Commons, a name that connected the product with the British political institution and reflected the firm's effort to establish a recognizable identity in the London market. The name Black & White emerged from the appearance of the original presentation, particularly its contrasting black-and-white labeling. What began as an informal nickname eventually became the official brand name. During the 1890s, Buchanan developed the visual identity that remains most closely associated with the whisky: a black Scottish Terrier alongside a white West Highland White Terrier. The paired dogs gave the brand a distinctive, easily recognized emblem and provided a memorable shorthand for the product's name. They also helped differentiate Black & White in a period when Scotch whisky producers were increasingly using labels, animal imagery, and other visual devices to build national and international brands. Black & White belongs to the blended Scotch category rather than being identified with a single malt distillery. Its commercial history followed the consolidation of the Scotch whisky industry. James Buchanan & Co. became associated with John Dewar & Sons in 1915, and later corporate combinations brought the business into the Distillers Company structure. The formation of United Distillers through the combination of Distillers and Guinness further changed the brand's corporate ownership. Following subsequent corporate development, Black & White became part of Diageo, the international beverage company that owns and markets the brand today. The brand has historically been sold across international markets and is particularly associated with France, Venezuela, and Brazil, where it has claimed strong commercial success. Current distribution is described as being outside the United Kingdom, making Black & White primarily an export-oriented Scotch whisky label rather than a leading domestic British retail brand. Its market presence can therefore vary substantially by country and by local Diageo portfolio strategy. Black & White's cultural visibility extends beyond ordinary retail sales. Bottles, signs, or references to the whisky have appeared in films, television programs, novels, poetry, and accounts of notable figures. James Bond orders or drinks Black & White in Ian Fleming's Moonraker and in the film Dr. No, while the brand is also referenced in works associated with F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Paul Auster, and other writers. Film appearances include La Dolce Vita, Father Goose, Whisky Galore!, and several other productions. These references are part of the brand's historical cultural footprint, although they should not automatically be interpreted as formal advertising campaigns or current marketing partnerships. The brand also became involved in a significant United States trademark dispute in 1968, when a brewery used the name Black and White for beer. The case, Maier Brewing Co. v. Fleischmann Distilling Corp., concerned the legal protection and possible infringement of the Black & White whisky identity. The dispute illustrates the value of the name beyond the whisky category and the importance of protecting established beverage trademarks. Today, Black & White remains an active blended Scotch whisky brand in Diageo's portfolio, with its strongest relevance in selected overseas markets.
History
Black & White's history begins in 1879, when James Buchanan introduced a blended Scotch whisky through his London-based company, James Buchanan & Co. Ltd. The product was initially known as Buchanan's Blend. It was later marketed under the name House of Commons, an identity that connected the whisky with a prominent British institution and helped make it recognizable in the London trade. The brand's eventual name developed from its packaging. Consumers and retailers referred to the whisky by its black-and-white labeling, and this descriptive nickname gradually became more commercially important than the earlier names. Black & White was ultimately adopted as the official brand designation. During the 1890s, James Buchanan also established the visual symbol that came to define the label: a black Scottish Terrier paired with a white West Highland White Terrier. The two dogs expressed the brand name directly and created a distinctive motif that could be recognized on bottles, signs, and advertising. As the Scotch whisky industry matured, the business behind Black & White became part of a succession of larger corporate structures. In 1915, it became associated with John Dewar & Sons. Later mergers and acquisitions brought the brand into the Distillers Company, one of the major forces in the British spirits industry. A further combination between Distillers and Guinness created United Distillers. Through subsequent corporate consolidation and the development of Diageo, Black & White became a Diageo-owned brand. The whisky has been marketed principally outside the United Kingdom. It is especially associated with France, Venezuela, and Brazil, markets where the brand has claimed notable success. This export orientation is an important part of its modern identity: Black & White is a British-origin Scotch whisky brand whose commercial visibility has often been greater in selected overseas markets than in the United Kingdom itself. The brand remains active, although its availability and prominence depend on local distribution and the composition of Diageo's country-specific spirits portfolios. Black & White has also acquired an extensive popular-cultural presence. References occur in novels, films, television programs, poetry, and biographical accounts. Ian Fleming used the whisky in the James Bond universe, including Moonraker and the film Dr. No. The label or bottle has appeared in films such as Tarzan Escapes, La Dolce Vita, Father Goose, Whisky Galore!, and other international productions. Literary references include works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, and Paul Auster. These appearances show the brand's historical familiarity to audiences in different countries, but the available material does not establish that each appearance was a paid advertising placement. A notable legal episode occurred in 1968 in Maier Brewing Co. v. Fleischmann Distilling Corp. A brewery had begun producing beer under the name Black and White, leading to litigation involving the whisky brand's trademark rights. The case is significant because it demonstrates that Black & White's commercial identity had acquired enough recognition to be contested beyond the whisky category. Black & White is now a blended Scotch whisky brand in Diageo's portfolio. Its principal historical assets are the long-established name, the black-and-white package identity, and the paired Terrier emblem. Together, these elements connect a nineteenth-century Buchanan blend with a modern multinational spirits business.
- 1968
Trademark infringement litigation
[1]The Black & White name was involved in the United States case Maier Brewing Co. v. Fleischmann Distilling Corp.
- 1915
Association with John Dewar & Sons
[1]The brand became associated with John Dewar & Sons as the Scotch whisky industry consolidated.
- 1890
Terrier emblem developed
[1]During the 1890s, James Buchanan conceived the paired black Scottish Terrier and white West Highland White Terrier motif.
- 1879
Initial launch as Buchanan's Blend
[1]James Buchanan introduced the blended Scotch whisky that later became Black & White.
Adoption of the House of Commons name
[1]The blend was subsequently marketed as House of Commons before the Black & White name became official.
Ownership transferred into Diageo
[1]After corporate combinations involving the Distillers Company, Guinness, and United Distillers, Black & White became part of Diageo.
Products and positioning
An internationally distributed, accessible blended Scotch whisky distinguished by its black-and-white label and paired Scottish Terrier and West Highland White Terrier imagery.
Blended Scotch whisky · 1879
Black & White Blended Scotch Whisky
The brand's core product is a blended Scotch whisky created by James Buchanan in 1879. Its identity is built around the Black & White name, contrasting label design, and paired Terrier emblem. It has been marketed primarily in international markets rather than the United Kingdom, with France, Venezuela, and Brazil identified as important markets in the brand's historical account. Specific current expressions, age statements, and packaging variants are not established by the supplied sources.
Brand decisions
1879
Launch of Buchanan's BlendProduct launchBackground
James Buchanan introduced a blended Scotch whisky that was initially sold under the name Buchanan's Blend.
Action taken
The company launched the blend and established the product line that later became Black & White.
Aftermath
The product was later renamed House of Commons and ultimately adopted the Black & White identity.
- Adoption of the Black & White identityStrategy
Background
The whisky became informally associated with its black-and-white labeling after earlier use of the Buchanan's Blend and House of Commons names.
Action taken
The company adopted Black & White as the official brand name and developed the paired Terrier visual identity.
Aftermath
The name and animal motif became the brand's principal recognition assets in international markets.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Black & White kicks off its 80th anniversary campaign with a themed ferry[2]
Reported:
Black & White kicked off its 80th anniversary campaign by recreating the exterior of a ferry serving the Central–Tsim Sha Tsui route. The ferry was decorated in the brand’s colors and with its Friesian Cow image.
Sources2 sources
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