Simon Fuller and David Beckham signs with Diageo’s Haig Club

What does famous footballer David Beckham – he who kicks balls for obscene amounts of money and is married to ex-Spice Girl Victoria Beckham – and entrepreneur Simon Fuller – he who created the Idol franchise and makes obscene amounts of money whether Idol contestants sing well or badly – have in common, aside from being British? Why, being obscenely rich, of course.

Now they have something else new in common. Both Beckham and Fuller have launched the Haig Club Single Grain Scotch Whisky together with big drinks brand Diageo, and are expected to play a big role in helping to developing the brand, its strategy and positioning. Sports icon and all-round good-looking guy Beckham is also supposed to lead and promote a responsible drinking program for Haig Club.

But more about the liquid – it’s the latest product to come out of House of Haig, Scotland’s oldest grain whisky dynasty – with some 400 years of distilling – and makers of the popular Haig Blended Scotch Whisky and Dimple Scotch Whisky. Crafted using a process that combines grain whisky from three cask types, Haig Club is supposed to exude butterscotch and toffee notes for an “ultra-smooth taste” that Diageo believes can be enjoyed by whisky enthusiasts but also those who’ve always wanted to try whisky but have yet to do so. Respected whisky authority Dave Broom is one of the few who have tasted Haig Club, and he described it as “a hugely versatile spirit, and I expect bartenders will love what they can do with it. Forget everything you thought you knew about Scotch”.

“Whisky is experiencing a continued global renaissance and like many of the world’s most respected whisky experts, we believe this will be the year that grain whisky breaks into the mainstream and gains the recognition it deserves,” says David Gates, Diageo’s Global Head of Premium Core Spirits.

“It is important to us that we create something unique and of great quality. With Haig Club we have an opportunity to push boundaries and help shape how Scotch will be perceived in the future, it’s an exciting proposition,” says Fuller.

“The House of Haig has a rich history and I’m proud to be working at the heart of a home-grown brand which has built an incredible heritage over 400 years. Working closely with Diageo, we look forward to collaborating on Haig Club, valuing and treasuring the Haig traditions while reinventing this whisky for years to come,” Beckham shares, which we gather to mean that he won’t be peddling Haig Club likes he does underwear.

Asia currently does not have access to Haig spirits – it’s mainly sold in Latin America – but Haig Club looks will be released worldwide when available, so stay tuned.