The Jameson whisky is known everywhere, and sold in every single grocery store on the planet…
But no one really stops to look at the horrifying legacy of the brand.
The price of a life
The story of James S. Jameson (in 1888) is worse than most horror movies that are based on true stories.
He was evil incarnate.
While he visited Africa on the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, he got to learn about different habits and customs.
Wanting to find out more, he did the worst thing he could do.
He bought a young slave girl for 6 handkerchiefs, but not to save her…
Oh no.
He was curious about a tribe that practiced cannibalism and wanted to witness it, so he offered the 10 years old girl to the tribe and stayed to watch her get murdered, dismembered and eaten.
But the horror doesn’t stop at the act itself. Jameson, the “civilized” Victorian naturalist, drew six entire sketches dedicated to the slaughter and the flaying of the young slave.
He later just said “It was a joke, I didn’t think they’d really do it”.
“It’s just a prank, bro”, cannibal edition.
History spreads, and gets forgotten
Jameson was a rich heir, he would have been remembered as “a hero of the empire” otherwise.
His family even tried to bury the scandal, of course.
But we thankfully found out because his translator, Assad Farran, was the one who told the story, and it spread fast.
Not that it did much in the long run though.
Now in 2026, the brand thrives, ads are everywhere, and young people drink their whisky without ever knowing the horrible story behind it.
Cocktails are worth handkerchiefs, I guess.
