โ€” 26 May 2023

Suntory & Keanu Reeves Reunite For The Japanese Whisky Makerโ€™s 100th Anniversary

โ€” 26 May 2023
Randy Lai
WORDS BY
Randy Lai

In a move liable to give the marketers at banal celebrity tequila brands an aneurysm, the House of Suntory has just announced its new partnership with filmmaker Sofia Coppola and โ€œbreathtakingโ€ action star Keanu Reeves โ€“ both of whom have collaborated together on a new short film entitled Anniversary Tribute.

A rapid-fire love letter to Suntoryโ€™s century of craft and progress, the initiative was announced in New York earlier this Wednesday: along with welcome news that dram lovers will be getting not one, but two 18-year age-statement whiskeys from the legendary Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries.

These donโ€™t appear in the new film, however, in which Reeves opts to sip Hibiki 21 โ€“ Suntoryโ€™s signature blended whisky โ€“ on the rocks instead.

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Dram lovers of a certain age will recognise this new marketing film as a bit of deep-cut fan service. Although the Lost In Translation directorโ€™s association with Suntory is well-documented, Reevesโ€™ appointment as Suntoryโ€™s ambassador-in-chief actually marks the second time the John Wick star has lent his on-screen chops to the brand. (The first was in 1992, when Reeves was tapped for a weirdly *ahem* steamy Suntory Reserve ad you can watch here.)

In a prepared statement, Reeves said he was โ€œhonouredโ€ to once again be partnering with Suntory Whisky after a near 30-year-hiatus. โ€œIโ€™m a huge fan,โ€ he continues, โ€œmy admiration for the whisky goes beyond tasting. Itโ€™s 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.โ€

Weโ€™ll be learning more about the new 100th Anniversary Hakushu and Yamazaki 18 releases next week, so be sure to keep a lookout on the website and over on socials to learn more about tasting notes, availability et cetera.

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Randy Lai
WORDS by
Following 6 years in the trenches covering consumer luxury across East Asia, Randy joins Boss Hunting as the team's Commercial Editor. His work has been featured in A Collected Man, M.J. Bale, Soho Home, and the BurdaLuxury portfolio of lifestyle media titles. An ardent watch enthusiast, boozehound and sometimes-menswear dork, drop Randy a line at [email protected].

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