This month, The House of Suntory Whisky proudly marks its 90th anniversary of whisky making. It has been 90 years since founding father, Shinjiro Torii, built the first whisky distillery in Yamazaki, Japan in 1923, and this new “art of whisky making” was born. Since then, the House of Suntory has grown to include its three luxury brands – The Yamazaki and The Hakushu single malts, and the blend, Hibiki – all which have gone on to earn high praise and global success.

Some highlights include:

– 1923 – Shinjiro Torii, established Japan’s first distillery in Yamazaki on the periphery of Kyoto

– 1973 – Torii’s son, Keizo Saji, completes Suntory’s second distillery, Hakushu

– 2002 – Shingo Torii, grandson of Shinjiro Torii is named the current Master Blender of the House, and continues to perfect the quality of Suntory’s Japanese Whisky

– 2012 – Suntory achieves global accomplishment, when named Distiller of the Year for the third time in three years

– 2012 – Suntory’s marks impressive global growth of shipments: The Yamazaki increased by 24% and The Hakushu increased by a remarkable 187%

– 2013 and on – Looking to the future, Suntory plans to strengthen their global presence by expanding to new markets, talking to new customers, and proposing new ways of enjoying their whisky. In 2013 and 2014, Suntory will be investing approximately 5 Billion Yen (US$50 Million) to increase productivity at the Yamazaki Distillery and the Ohmi Aging Cellars. This expansion and investment is to meet the increasing demand globally for Suntory whisky, specifically, in the US and UK.