PERFECT MASH:
JACK DANIEL'S & HARD-ROCK

by Harold Hull-Ambers

Musical outlaws love Jack Daniel’s. It is the official drink of hard-rock, endorsed by degenerate geniuses from Jimmy Page to Keith Richards. It mixes better with distorted power chords than anything else in a bartender’s arsenal.  

The hard-rock era began somewhere near the end of the “hippie” movement that peaked in the late 1960’s. Hippies were about peace and love, sexual liberation, collectivism, social change, idealism, and mind-altering drugs. Artistically, they gravitated towards psychedelic motifs that eschewed Modernist trends in favor of rainbow color palettes, expressive typography, and “less-is-a-bore” philosophy. They were the lucky ones whose socio-economic privileges kept them out of the jungles of Vietnam.

Hidden among the cloud of pot-smoke were the pioneers of the hard-rock era. They were the bands that noticeably avoided the hugely popular outdoor music festivals like Monterey Pop and Woodstock. They included groups like The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, and The Doors. These Rock and Roll outliers preferred harder drugs and harder living (and often paid the price). They existed in a variety of musical styles including Country, Jazz and the Blues. We look back on them today as being authentic “rock and roll”, not merely entertainers exploiting the popularity of the protest-movement.

By the mid-1970’s disillusionment with the continuing war, proliferation of harder drugs (heroin, cocaine), and realities of adult life effectively killed the hippy movement. The deterioration of the movement was keenly observed by Beatles guitarist George Harrison upon a visit to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district in 1967, in which “he found no collective elevation of consciousness, just people immersed in ‘drugs’ - the current fashion.” 

It would seem unlikely that an old-fashioned liquor preferred by grandfathers and senators would become the quintessential drink of the hard-rock lifestyle. However, research has shown that the values people attribute to the Jack Daniel's brand fall right in line with hard-rock values. “The words and phrases used to describe the brand include masculinity, quiet-confidence, knowing smile, pride, trust, and genuine.”  People see Jack Daniel’s as the antidote to trendy drinks with clever names.  Jack Daniel’s drinkers see themselves as the “the man among men.” 

The values of Jack Daniel’s may in part be derived from its iconic black label. This text–heavy label has remained largely unchanged since Jack Daniel designed it himself. The main type is bold and in all capitals. The name of the founder is featured prominently, along with “Tennessee” and “Whiskey.” Also featured prominently is the phrase “Old No. 7 Brand.” Only “Tennessee” is written in script giving it a unique hierarchy on the label (this emphasizes that Tennessee is the home of “sour mash” whiskey, as opposed to Kentucky’s “bourbon” whiskey). The type is framed by white ribbons, a style typical of Nineteenth-Century American signage. 

The secondary text includes “Sour Mash,” “Lem Motlow, Proprieter,” and “Lynchburg (Pop. 361) Tenn. U.S.A.” At the very bottom there reads “Est. & Reg. in 1866.” The label, never modernized, is a reminder that Jack Daniel’s is the oldest distillery in the United States and the standard for quality whiskey.

The high-contrast, black and white label appealed to the post-psychedelic artistic sensibilities of the hard-rock era. These sensibilities included minimalism, the macabre, authenticity, mystery, masculinity, and timelessness. The art of the hard-rock period reflects this; virtually every major heavy metal album features black prominently. The identical style of the label is appropriated in Pantera’s Official Live: 101 Proof, and in the best-selling Motley Crue biography The Dirt.

The “Old No. 7” on the label has the mysterious lore that fascinates hard-rock musicians. Its origin is unknown, but it has become a symbol of Jack Daniel’s and has been used prominently in their advertising. Stories about “Old No. 7” abound: It may have been the seventh recipe of whiskey which was chosen; it may refer to Jack’s seven supposed girlfriends; it may be just a lucky number. As one television advertisement announces, “Only Jack knows, and he’s not talking.” 

The use of mysterious symbolism like this can be seen throughout hard-rock-design: Jimmy Page’s ZoSo symbol; the down-arrow lightning bolt (Marilyn Manson); the Pentagram (Motley Crue, Slayer); the jagged star (Metallica); and countless others. Neither Jack Daniel’s nor hard-rock would be the same without the mystery their symbols create.

The idea of a hard-working, genuine, masculine male is promoted by the bottle’s portrait of Jack Daniel and by his imagery in marketing campaigns. “The Company strengthens the association with its founder through various advertising and marketing materials." The result is that Jack Daniel the man and Jack Daniel’s the brand merge into one identity. Jack is the anti-hippy; the man who isn’t swayed by popular trends; the man who wouldn’t be caught dead basking in the sunny pastures of Bethel, New York.  This man might very well resort to violence if things got ugly in his local bar. This mythos of Jack as a man is one undoubtedly admired by the hard-rock community.

The most significant attitude projected by Jack Daniel’s and embraced during the hard-rock era is that of the irreverent sprit; the consummate individual. Hard-rock musicians aren’t looking to be part of a collective; they want to pave their own path. They don’t want to join a church, march in a parade, or sit in a prayer circle. This desire to tread ones own path has proved to be global, just as heavy metal as a genre has been embraced around the world.

According to its marketing firm, Jack Daniel’s has never gone out of its way to embrace any sort of music. “[Its] association with rock and roll excess are purely serendipitous.” That being said, the two are now inseparable.

The popularity of hard-rock and heavy metal has declined since the end of grunge-rock (a movement based out of Seattle in the early 1990’s that rejected the mainstream popularity and vanity heavy metal artist’s had embraced). However, the genre maintains a strong underground following, and sub-genres such as death-metal and hardcore have garnered legions of dedicated fans. As long as these head-banging rockers are looking for a beverage to mirror their musical taste, heavy metal’s partnership with Jack Daniel’s will remain intact.

Bibliography:

Gately, Iain. Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol. Gotham Press.

Rolling Stone (multiple authors): The Seventies: A Tumultuous Decade Reconsidered. Little, Brown & Company. 2000.

Jean-Noël, Kapfere. The New Strategic Brand Management: Creating and Sustaining Brand Equity. 1992. LesEditions d’Orginisation. London, UK.

“The Media Business: Advertising; Jack Daniel's Strategy Is Turning 35”
The New York Times. July 20, 1989.

Krass, Peter. Blood and whiskey: The life and Times of Jack Daniel.  Wiley, 2004

Tungate, Mark. “Branded Male: Marketing to Men. Kogan Page. 2008.

Jack Daniel’s Official Website: JackDaniels.Com. “Story of the Label” section.