Sir Rod Stewart surprises shoppers as he visits his local Tesco and sees his own Scotch whiskey brand on the shelves

Sir Rod Stewart surprised staff and shoppers at his local Tesco on Tuesday when he entered the store and saw his Scotch whiskey on the shelves.

The 79-year-old rock star launched Wolfie's Whiskey last year in collaboration with Loch Lomond Distillery.

The drink was marketed by Tesco and is now in more than 400 stores across the UK for £35 a bottle.

Rod stopped at Tesco in Bishop's Stortford, near his country home in Essex, to celebrate the occasion.

The singer bought a bottle of blended whiskey and posed for photos with staff and shoppers.

He explained how happy he was that the drink was available in supermarkets as his friends always asked him where they could get it.

Rod said: “It's just great to see Wolfie taking pride of place here at Tesco. I'm really pleased that it's even easier for people to pick up a bottle of Wolfie's and it was fun talking to the team here in Bishop's Stortford to see what they thought.

He then joked, “They sure have a taste for the good stuff.”

Rod's business partner and Wolfie's CEO Duncan Frew added: 'To have achieved a national retail listing within the first seven months of bringing Wolfie's to market is a huge achievement and we are incredibly proud of that.

“This is a huge milestone for the brand and the first of many we hope to achieve in 2024.”

The whiskey with an alcohol content of 40% is described as 'wonderfully balanced with flavors of warming cinnamon, fresh vanilla and baked apple'.

Rod said it was essential to get the flavor right, previously emphasizing: '[Fans] I'm not going to drink it just because I'm associated with it.

'I have to convince them that it is a very, very unusual and brand new flavor of whisky. I'm not a connoisseur by any means, but this one is so pleasant for the taste buds.'

Rod says Wolfie's is a tribute to his lifelong love affair with Scotland as well as his career, with subtle nods to Americana.

Last year he said: 'I couldn't imagine getting involved in something like Bacardi, it had to be Scotch whiskey because of my dad and my love for Scotland and of course Celtic. So it was really a no-brainer.”

The bottle references Rod's influence, but he insisted the labeling wasn't just about him.

He explained: 'I don't have my picture on the bottle because I didn't want it to be rammed down people's throats that this is Rod's whisky, in case they say, 'I hate his bloody music.' I don't drink that.”

Instead, the text Rhythm of My Heart is printed on the bottom of the bottle, in tribute to Rod's 1991 song, which was based on the Scottish tune Loch Lomond.

The product packaging features a cartoonish wolf with a top hat and the slogan 'Rascal of a thing'.

Rod's surprise visit comes after Wolfie was cleared by the alcohol watchdog earlier this month.

The whiskey faced a complaint claiming it encouraged irresponsible drinking and had a strong appeal to under-18s.

A member of the public complained to The Portman Group, which regulates the UK alcohol sector, claiming the wolf mascot would appeal to people under the age of 18.

Concerns were also raised that the packaging encouraged 'bravado and irresponsible consumption and behaviour'.

After investigation, the Portman Group's independent complaints panel refused to consider the complaint.

They said the wolf image was reminiscent of pre-1970s cartoons and would not appeal to today's young people.