Whiskey tourism, both offline and online, gains a buzz with Johnnie Walker’s multi-million pound visitor experience in Edinburgh
Experiencing the world through our screens has moved from novelty to necessity. In Edinburgh, the home of Scotch whiskey, Johnnie Walker is working on an exciting experience for drinkers and hobbyists that doesn’t require a trip to one of his distilleries.
Officially launched two weeks ago by Prince Charles, Johnnie Walker offers an eight-floor deep dive into the Princess Street brand, its more than 200-year history and its offerings. “The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown brought on by it has accelerated the shift towards finding ways to interact with our customers in the online realm,” says Barbara Smith, general manager of Johnnie Walker Princess Street. “For Johnnie Walker, it was not something where we had to pivot in a big way because we were already operating in the online world. But we are making sure that we are great by adapting our approach to digital interactions. creating experiences [to cater to new consumer behaviours and buying habits]”
click to explore
- Using the keyboard, viewers can walk around the 71,500-square-foot Johnnie Walker Princes Street and explore everything from vintage commercials (when whiskey was first shipped to China) to an interactive musical performance using Johnnie Walker black. You can find out more about the history of the brand. The label’s four flavor notes – vanilla, toffee, fig and smoke – create a harmonious tune.
Gamifying Striding Man
Online, you can navigate the space – with a virtual passport – organized into rooms showcasing its history, the brand’s global influence, and a tasting room. Exploration is like an interactive treasure hunt: part glimpse of the future in the metaverse, part brand experience, and part whiskey lovers’ trivia offerings. An on-screen guide helps you find clickable objects in a room, each of which gives some context to the story of Johnnie Walker.
Offline, it is the centerpiece of parent company Diageo’s investment in whiskey tourism in Scotland (a £185 million investment). Visitors can book one of three tours, which include The Whiskey Maker’s Cellar, which costs £95, gives access to their underground cellar and to mix their own unique bottle from an ever-changing selection of casks. gives a chance. Or relax at its two rooftop bars, Explorers Bothie (stocked with 150 different whiskeys) and 1820 Cocktail Bar.
Smith, who oversees tours at all 14 of the brand’s distillery homes across Scotland, says, “First of all, Diageo has an unparalleled stockpile of whiskey casks, which at last count exceed 10 million. However, more importantly, where are these casks from. We have distilleries in all four corners of Scotland: the Highlands, the Lowlands, Speyside and the Islands, which means we have access to a wider range of flavors than any other blender. This is the type that visitors to the tour will have access to.
prepare your drink
If you’d rather drink than learn, try The Whiskey Explorers (£35), an hour-long tasting of mature whiskey that has spent at least 12 years in barrels, plus a specialty whiskey available to taste only center with. Neophytes can book the Journey of Flavors Tour (£25) which takes 90 minutes, and helps identify individual taste preferences. This results in a whiskey drink tailored to the palate.
In keeping with the no-age statement whiskey trend, this immersive new experience is tailored for those looking for specialty bottlings – the retail shop carries a seasonal cask from which visitors can buy and fill a bottle – and a sense of community. There are also over 800 flavor combinations to check out. Smith teases, “We have an exciting pipeline of limited editions in development in collaboration with partners that we will announce in the near future. So, watch this space!”
Tours can be booked online at johnniewalker.com. The 1820 bar and retail store can be accessed without booking.
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