Keep Walking

Johnnie Walker House

Johnnie Walker began its ascent up the international liquor ladder in 1820, when its namesake founder began selling his Scottish blend in the local Kilmarnock grocers. Almost a century later, it was named an official supplier to the Queen in 1934, and needless to say the brand’s popularity continued to spread globally. A further 77 years on, and China’s love-affair with the amber nectar saw the 2011 opening of the first Johnnie Walker House in Shanghai (described as a temple to whiskey and wealth), followed by a second palatial House in Beijing last December.

Spanning 1500 sq ft, the Beijing locale is cloaked in leather and dark wood with a low-lit ambience as rich as the blends themselves. Spread over four floors, it houses a JW museum (including reconstructions of the original grocers and wall constellations depicting the brand’s history), and the Distillery Bar fitted with 10,000 copper pipes designed to simulate a working distillery. Open to the public, they serve all malts from the smoky Red Label to smooth-honeyed Gold Reserve, while aficionados might opt for the 30-year-old Master Series. For 200 exclusive members, there’s even whisky-inspired dining, bespoke blends crafted by the aptly-named master blender Jim Beveridge to be stored in private whiskey vaults, and concierge-arranged VIP trips to their Scottish distilleries and golf courses. ‘Keep Walking’, indeed!