The Rare Scotch That Audrey Hepburn Loved To Drink

Two fingers of whiskey has been a drink measurement for centuries. The instructive term was first used by thirsty Scots directing bartenders to pour just the right amount of whiskey into a glass. Though not an exact order for any beverage — the liquid tipped into a glass can vary not only due to the size of the glass but also the size of the fingers used as a marker – this splash was Audrey Hepburn's favorite way to enjoy whiskey. 

According to Hepburn's long-time partner Robert Wolders, a finger or two of Scotch was part of Hepburn's daily indulgences. "She didn't diet," Wolders told People. "We had brown bread with jam for breakfast, lunch would be chicken or veal or pasta, often with vegetables from the garden, and for dinner we often had soup with chicken and vegetables. She had chocolate after dinner, baking chocolate. She had a finger or two of Scotch at night." 

J&B Scotch was reportedly her preferred brand. The smooth, smoky notes of J&B Rare Blended Scotch have been around for centuries and have attracted not only Hepburn's palate but also appealed to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Truman Capote. Sometimes art and life parallel, and just as Hepburn's character asks in "Breakfast At Tiffany's" — "Got any whiskey upstairs?" — we like to imagine Hepburn repeating the same.

Not all stories have happy endings, but sometimes opportunity grows out of misfortune. Such is the case with the invention of J&B Blended Scotch. The history of the beverage is interesting, as it involves an entrepreneurial and heartbroken Italian who moved to London for a romance that didn't quite work out. Giacomo Justerini turned his focus on using experiences from his family's distillery to secure investment and establish Johnson and Justerini, a wine and spirit purveyor. Alfred Brooks eventually purchased the business and updated the name, and the enterprise established itself as Britain's oldest continuous fine wine merchant. 

J&B Rare Scotch was created to target Americans specifically, and the label was intended to be a point of distinction. With a blend of 42 malt and grain Scottish whiskies, the drink offers flavor unlike any other: A fruity, smoky nose is the prelude to a palate that ushers in a smooth, oaky finish with the right amount of spice. Once catchy advertisements hit maintain media, drams of this blended Scotch whisky became associated with glamour and class, catapulting the whisky to become the best-selling Scotch in America by 1963. It's only fitting that one of the most glamorous film stars chose this as her tipple of choice.