Culture Dining

Wick Lit: Suntory Whisky partners Keanu Reeves for Centenary, releases limited edition whiskies

House of Suntory Partners with Keanu Reeves for 100th Anniversary. Reeves is pictured in a vinyl bar

Japanese whisky pioneer The House of Suntory has partnered with Keanu Reeves and Academy Award-winning Director Sofia Coppola, as part of its 100th anniversary.

The high profile campaign centres on a short film, packed with evocative imagery from the Suntory archive.

The latter marks a return to Japan for Coppola, twenty years after filming Lost in Translation. The Suntory Anniversary Tribute celebrates the brand’s heritage and interprets the true meaning of ‘Suntory Time’ through the eyes of its creator. 

John Wick star Reeves previously appeared in a Suntory Reserve ad campaign in 1992

Later this summer, Reeves will star in a series of documentaries, The Nature and Spirit of Japan, directed by Roman Coppola. 

The series explores Japanese whisky culture inspired by harmony with nature (Wa), elevated by Japanese craftsmanship (Monozukuri) and enjoyed as an authentic Japanese cultural experience (Omotenashi). We think this sounds amazing (sugoi).

The Suntory Anniversary Tribute celebrates the brand’s heritage and reveals the true meaning of ‘Suntory Time’…

“I’m honoured to partner with Suntory Whisky again thirty years after our Suntory Reserve campaign,” said Keanu Reeves. “I’m a huge fan of Suntory Whisky, so it’s very special to collaborate in honour of this milestone anniversary. My admiration for the whisky goes beyond tasting the whisky. It is the elevated Japanese craftsmanship and attention to every detail that makes Suntory Whisky so special. As an actor honing and perfecting my own craft, sharing this process in a docuseries is a thrill.” 

“As the pioneer of Japanese whisky, the House of Suntory played a significant role in shaping culture and leading craftsmanship in Japan over the last century,” said Jon Potter, Managing Director of House of Suntory. “To mark this historic milestone, partnering with Sofia and Keanu, makes perfect sense. From our Fifth Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo’s striking blends to Sofia and Keanu’s unique cinematic creations, this commemoration has surpassed all expectations to celebrate our iconic Japanese whiskies.”

In good news for enthusiasts, The House of Suntory is releasing several limited-edition whiskies said to highlight Japanese craftsmanship at Suntory’s whisky distilleries and their particular art of blending, including Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara and Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt. 

Limited 100th anniversary labels of the flagship Yamazaki 12 Year Old and Hakushu 12 Year Old will also be released for the centennial. 乾杯!

About Steve May

Creator of Home Cinema Choice magazine, and editor of The Luxe Review, Steve muses and reviews for Trusted Reviews, T3, Yahoo UK, Home Cinema Choice, Games Radar, Ideal Home, Louder Sounds, Channel News and Boat International. He’s also the editor of professional home cinema website Inside CI. He's on Twitter and Instagram as @SteveMay_UK

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