Auld Maclaren – – Johnson’s Scotch
Do you recall this Old Scotch Whisky that was once part of Johnson Controls? Since the plan is to have our Johnson Controls Historian/Archivist – Kenneth Wirth at our next luncheon on July 20, I thought it appropriate to dust off this old bottle and offer a toast to the “Good Old Days”.
Some history printed on the bottle: “Founded in Glasgow in 1844 by Robert Maclaren in the early years of Queen Victoria’s long reign, the Company originally made heavy castings. In the early 1920’s the Company began to make thermostatic controls. Maclaren’s is today the oldest Company in Johnson Controls worldwide. The quaint instructions for drinking this whisky are in the style of William McGonagall – Scotland’s worst poet – who lived at the time Maclaren’s was founded. As part of the worldwide Johnson Controls Network, Maclaren’s is proud to lend its name to this exclusive whisky.”
Here’s the instructions, also printed on bottle, for drinking Auld Maclaren Special Scotch Whisky. The poet might have spent too much time practicing these instructions while composing them.
“If whiles yer mind is blank and barren
Ye tak ane hoot o’ Auld Maclaren
Here’s a braw ‘wee goldie’ drink
Fair draws yer lugs – but maks ye think
For best results ye dinna thin it
Swally straight wi’ naethin’ in it!
An’ gin ye canna staun the latter
Fill in till’t wan third o’ watterl!”
I inherited this bottle from who else but Norm Janisse, when he retired and was cleaning out the desk and credenza that he had in turn, inherited from a past Johnson Service Company President, Richard Murphy. That credenza always had a bottle or two in it and regularly drew in after-hours visits from many branch office field personnel who were in town for official business. This bottle was a gift of appreciation, from one of those visitors. Even our president Fred Brengel would stop in occasionally, at the end of a tough day. I can say for a fact that he has had some of the scotch that came from this very bottle. (As did I)
Cheers!
Gene
