On a scale of Ron Burgundy to Ron Swanson, how much do you love whisky? If that’s an easy question, then you’re also familiar with The Macallan, the single malt Scotch whisky made in the storied region of Speyside.
The Macallan has been making whisky on its 390-acre estate since 1824, and while its methods haven’t changed, it was time for an updated facility that would serve as a modern . Designed by the firm behind London’s Millennium Dome, the $186 million distillery blends almost seamlessly into the rolling hills of northeastern Scotland and expands The Macallan’s production by a third — especially important as we’re facing a whiskey shortage.
And while seeing it in person should definitely be on your travel bucket list, you don’t need a plane ticket to escape to Scotland at least for a few minutes thanks to The Macallan Distillery Experience. Arriving just in time for National Scotch Day on July 27, The Macallan Distillery Experience is a virtual reality tour of the new facility, taking you from the 36 new giant copper stills into the stately tasting room where over 1,000 bottles of Macallan history sit behind glass walls, and on a tour of the 390-acre grounds and the 16th-century Highland manor known as Easter Elchies House that sits at the heart of The Macallan estate.
Anyone with a smartphone and virtual reality headset can check it out — but if you’re in New York on July 25-27, stop by Grand Central’s Vanderbilt Hall for a “multi-sensory experience” inside a cube-shaped theater, where the 360-degree videos will be projected on the walls, with wind and scents piped in to help you forget you’re still in Kansas, Dorothy.
The Macallan Distillery Experience at Grand Central is also multi-sensory in another way: Guests 21 and over will be treated to tastings of Scotch, including The Macallan’s new Edition No. 4, along with paired bites of traditional Scottish fare.
The Macallan Distillery Experience will be open at Grand Central on Wednesday, July 25 and Thursday, July 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Friday, July 27 from noon to 4 p.m.
