The House of Walker, Johnnie Walker’s traveling experiential tour, opened in New York City this December for the Holiday Season. This marks the second stop on the 2014/2015 tour after Austin, Texas.
Consumers began their night with a tasting of Black Label and Double Black with Master of Whisky Stephen Wilson. This year featured an interactive tasting table showcasing custom whisky content that complement the tasting experience. Following the tasting, guests were welcomed at the Red Label and Black Label cocktail bars, which offered cocktails created by some of New York’s best bartenders, such as:
Midnight Waltz
(Created by Pam Wiznitzer from Dead Rabbit)
.5 oz Johnnie Walker Double Black
.5 oz Johnnie Walker Black Label
.5 oz Zacapa Rum
.5 oz Pedro Ximenez
1 bar spoon Demerara syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes mole bitters
Stir and strain up in a coupe glass. Garnish with orange oils.
Drink You Away
(Created by Jessie Duré from American Whiskey)
1 oz Johnnie Walker Red Label
.5 oz Ruby Port
.5 oz Fresh Pear Juice
.5 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
.5 oz Maple Syrup
2 thick slices of Ginger
4 Juniper Berries
1 Cinnamon Stick
All ingredients steeped together for about 10 minutes and served hot in a tea cup.
The Lion in Winter
(Created by Gates Otsuji from The Standard)
1.5 oz Johnnie Walker Red Label
.25 oz Licor 43
.25 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.25 oz Simple Syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
(optional: .5 oz Becherovka)
Shake all ingredients and strain in a rocks glass
After sampling Johnnie Walker’s lower marques, guests were encouraged to explore the higher-marque lounges, including the Platinum Label area, which was lit like a photo shoot. After sampling Platinum, a second Master of Whisky took guests through an intimate tasting while a photographer took candid photos for easy sharing through RFID card. A separate room was dedicated to Gold Label Reserve, which featured high-energy music and was housed in an illuminated Scotch-and-Soda bar offering three custom soda recipes (spicy, savory and floral) specifically created to complement Gold Label Reserve’s flavor notes.
The night hit a crescendo with a Blue Label Tasting and Flavor Conductor performance**. The Flavor Conductor was engineered to influence the perception of taste through a multi-sensory performance including sound, projection mapping and sampling. Twice a night, Johnnie Walker Global Brand Ambassador Tom Jones and well-known organist Simon Little took the stage to give an unforgettable musical Blue Label tasting experience. As in past years, Johnnie Walker partnered with Meridian Audio, Fever-Tree Ginger Beer and Perrier Sparkling Mineral Water, all of which were showcased throughout the House.
This year’s House of Walker was a mixture of guided mentorship and self exploration. Each variant’s personality was brought to life in a unique way to portray the brand story, while allowing guests to enjoy a night out with their friends.
**The Flavor Conductor was concepted by Bompas & Parr Agency as a Johnnie Walker Global initiative. This instrument will tour the globe as part of a larger activation titled “Symphony in Blue.”