Amsterdam, Netherlands, 27th May 2016: Imagine sampling some of the world’s finest Scotch Whiskies with the opportunity to purchase rare blends available nowhere else. Imagine access to highly skilled and knowledgeable whisky ambassadors taking you on a multi-sensory journey, all cocooned in a luxurious and sumptuously designed gallery and private bar. Now imagine the opportunity to experience this while waiting for your flight.
Passengers travelling through Lounge 2 of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will now be welcomed into Europe’s first Johnnie Walker House™ – a luxury Scotch Whisky embassy launched by Diageo Global Travel together with Schiphol Airport Retail.
Designed to inspire travellers by bringing to life the history, provenance and pioneering spirit of the Johnnie Walker® brand, the Johnnie Walker House Amsterdam Airport Schiphol follows successful airport launches in Singapore, Mumbai and Taiwan. Open to all travellers passing through the lounge, the House allows guests to explore the craftsmanship and exceptional quality of Johnnie Walker and its liquids through a unique sensorial journey to touch, taste and smell the rare elements that make up the famous blends.
Doug Bagley, Managing Director, Diageo Global Travel and Middle East, said: “Over the past few years, we’ve had exceptional success and fantastic consumer feedback from our Johnnie Walker House openings in airports across Asia. Now we are bringing this unique experience to Europe for the first time, and we’re confident it will similarly surprise and delight consumers in this market. Our aim is to immerse visitors in something totally different from the norm in travel retail, giving them an exclusive insight into the Johnnie Walker story and access to some of the world’s finest Scotch Whiskies.”
Peter-Jan Rozenberg, Managing Director, Schiphol Airport Retail, added: “The Johnnie Walker House Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is a fantastic addition to Lounge 2 and a great opportunity for both whisky lovers and novices alike to learn more about the world’s bestselling Scotch in an unique luxury lifestyle environment with ultimate customer service. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is a key hub for travellers in Europe, and we’re delighted to bring them the Johnnie Walker House experience as part of our ongoing ambition to create a memorable and captivating travel retail environment.”
Built over two stories, the Johnnie Walker House Amsterdam Airport Schiphol features copper, water, barley, peat and oak in its design, immersing travellers in a part gallery, part museum experience which encapsulates the rich history of the whisky making experience. Key features include a ‘whisky constellation wall’ dedicated to the Johnnie Walker art of blending, and providing a comprehensive index for Single Malt Scotch Whiskies and a ‘flavour wall’ showcasing the meeting of science and art in the blending process.
Guests also have the opportunity to purchase select tasting sessions in the private, luxury bar and l lounge on the 1st floor, open year-round to Johnnie Walker House members, and purchase Johnnie Walker House exclusive products available nowhere else.
To celebrate the opening of the House, a limited edition Johnnie Walker House™ Blue Label™ Casks Edition – Schiphol Limited Edition, is available exclusively to visitors. Illustrated by local artist Merjin Hos, the bottle shows the iconic Striding Man travelling from Scotland to Schiphol in a large wooden clog surrounded by iconic tulips, windmills and bicycles.
For the first time in Europe, Johnnie Walker House Exclusive Collections will also be available at retail, through the Johnnie Walker House Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. These Collections include: John Walker & Sons™ Master Blenders Collection, Johnnie Walker® Epic Dates Collection, and Johnnie Walker House™ Zodiac Collection.
