Sir Thomas (Tommy) Dewar
(Lord Dewar)

1864 - 1930

Whisky Baron. Born in Perth, Dewar was educated there and in Edinburgh. He worked with his older brother John (1856 - 1929) to build their father's business into a global enterprise and make Dewar's whisky a household name. They blended their whisky to make it more appealing to the international palate and Tommy demonstrated particular skills in marketing, travelling the world to find new markets and promote his product, exploiting romantic images of Scotland and tartan in his advertising. In 1885, he achieved sensational publicity at the Brewer's Show in London by loudly playing the bagpipes, much to the annoyance of his competitors and the organisers.

In 1925, the brothers took their company into the union which was the Distillers Company Ltd and both joined the board.

He was knighted in 1902 and later raised to the peerage as Lord Dewar, but never married.

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