Rat Pack heritage
Words by Sammy Hemmings
An iconic moniker for the infamous entertainers and circle of friends: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and co, who partied hard, drank whisky and transformed what was a dusty place in Nevada into an alluring casino hot spot.
Several stories have crept out of the woodwork to lay claim to its origins, and one version insists it was Lauren Bacall who coined the name, telling her husband Humphrey Bogart and his friends, Frank Sinatra, Sammy David Jr. and Dean Martin after one of their notorious nights out on the town, "you look like a goddamn rat pack."
Following Bogart's death in 1957, the name took on a new lease of life. The Rat Pack, Las Vegas' nocturnal merrymakers, became a worldwide sensation. Members of the Rat Pack included Frank Sinatra, Sammy David Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. Their wider group notably featured Marilyn Monroe, Shirley MacLain, Angie Dickinson, Buddy Greco and Juliet Prowse.
But it was the first five, the original Rat Pack as it were, on the scene in Las Vegas, well-known for their serious drinking and partying, that became synonymous with glamour and sophistication. And it would appear they partied on whisky – specifically, J&B Rare whisky.
During their glory days, the friends were somewhat brash and spontaneous. Posters on the Las Vegas strip would advertise: "Dean Martin, Maybe Frank, Maybe Sammy" because the Rat Pack members would often arrive unannounced at shows.
The notorious bunch of performers put J&B Rare on the map as a whisky, a reputation that garnered even more drinkers around the globe.
