Although Winston Churchill may not have been known for his paintings, the late Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was an experienced artist, and some of his works have been sold for millions of dollars.

In one of his oil paintings, “The Jug with Bottles,” a recognizable bottle of Johnnie Walker Black is depicted alongside a brandy bottle, empty glasses, and a glass jug. It is said that Churchill drank this mixture with soda water to start his day. If Churchill used alcohol to wake up, painting was his meditative means for sleep. “He did it all his life, even in the darkest hours he continued to paint, if he could,” said Simon Hucker, head of the contemporary and post-war British art department at Sotheby’s, to France-Presse.

Rumors circulated that Churchill was a lover of brandy and cognac, particularly developing a fondness for “Ararat,” an Armenian brandy he tried at the Yalta Conference in 1945. However, it’s not surprising that Churchill favored Johnnie Walker Black. In one sip of Johnnie Walker Black lies a blend of some of the most unique Scottish whiskies, and connoisseurs love it for its bold taste packed in an accessible label.

Winston Churchill’s still life from the 1930s with a bottle of Johnnie Walker was gifted to an American businessman and special envoy to Europe. As Churchill mainly focused on painting landscapes, drink-themed artwork rarely appears in his painting collection.

Although in 2020, “The Jug with Bottles” was sold at auction for almost $1.3 million, “Bottlescape” still hangs in Churchill’s Chartwell estate.