New-world whisky

04 : 07 : 2016 London : Bar : Whisky

London – Black Rock is a subterranean whisky bar designed to make the liquor more accessible.

  • Unlike in most bars, whiskies at Black Rock are ordered by flavour not provenance
  • The goal is to demystify whisky and make it a more understandable drinking exerperience
Black Rock, London. Photography by Addie Chin Black Rock, London. Photography by Addie Chin
Black Rock, London. Photography by Addie Chin Black Rock, London. Photography by Addie Chin
Black Rock, London. Photography by Addie Chin Black Rock, London. Photography by Addie Chin
Black Rock, London. Photography by Addie Chin Black Rock, London. Photography by Addie Chin
Black Rock, London. Photography by Addie Chin Black Rock, London. Photography by Addie Chin

Black Rock, founded by Tom Aske and Tristan Stephenson, the duo behind Worship Street Whistling Shop, has more than 250 whiskies available, but they don’t sit behind the bar as you might expect. Instead, they are stored in cabinets with labels such as Balance or Fragrance.

This method of organising the whisky moves away from the traditional sorting by region or by brand, and enables whisky novices to approach the drink with something they understand: flavour. ‘If you are a [whisky novice] brand names don't mean anything,’ Aske tells LS:N Global. ‘People understand flavours that they like.’

The centrepiece of Black Rock is an 18-feet table made from 185-year old English oak. Two channels have been carved into the oak, lined with American and European oak and covered with a glass top. Drinkers can sip their whisky while the ageing process happens beneath their glass, in the channels where the Black Rock team ages whisky cocktails as well as their own house blend.

The Big Picture

Black Rock abandons tradition in favour of creating a drinking experience that focuses on discovery. For more on why consumers are favouring serendipity over predictability, see our Revelation Brands macrotrend.

Discover More Daily Signals
Community Clothing makes a performance case for plastic-free sportswear

Daily Signals

Community Clothing makes a performance case for plastic-free sportswear

British social enterprise and clothing brand Community Clothing has introduced Organic Athletic, a 100% plastic-free sportswear range made using pl...
Sports : Fashion : Sustainability
Why climate change could erase Europe’s Alps glaciers by 2100

Daily Signals

Why climate change could erase Europe’s Alps glaciers by 2100

Europe’s Alps are on course to lose nearly all (97%) of their glaciers by the end of the century, highlighting how climate change is redefining som...
Environment : Sustainability : Travel
Stat: Young women drive surge in US emigration intent

Daily Signals

Stat: Young women drive surge in US emigration intent

New polling by American multinational analytics and advisory company Gallup finds that as many as one in five American citizens would like to leave...
Society : Emigration : Urban Migration
 Sleevenote taps into demand for distraction-free tech

Daily Signals

Sleevenote taps into demand for distraction-free tech

Musician Tom Vek has launched Sleevenote, a compact touchscreen music player designed to restore a sense of ownership and intention to digital musi...
Media : Technology : Entertainment
How Hyrox is moving from mass participation races to wellness tourism

Daily Signals

How Hyrox is moving from mass participation races to wellness tourism

Indoor fitness race company Hyrox has announced the launch of Hyrox Experiences, a new travel-focused category positioning the brand within the fas...
Travel : Fitness : Health & Wellbeing
Stat: AI optimism outpaces daily use as employee motivation hinges on trust and skills

Daily Signals

Stat: AI optimism outpaces daily use as employee motivation hinges on trust and skills

Workers are increasingly optimistic about AI, yet daily usage remains low, according to PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Surve...
Statistic : Technology : Artifical Intelligence
The Trend: Coffee Shop Raves

Daily Signals

The Trend: Coffee Shop Raves

Coffee shops are emerging as the new hubs for daytime raves, driven by a generation of sober-conscious consumers seeking real-life connection and fun.
Food And Drink : Coffee Shop Raves : Hospitality
The Big Idea: Future Food Tech 2025: Resilience by Design

Daily Signals

The Big Idea: Future Food Tech 2025: Resilience by Design

Future Food-Tech London (24–25 September) highlighted the urgent need for resilient, inclusive and innovation-driven food systems.
Food And Drink : Sustainability : Resource Scarcity
The Campaign: AG1’s new campaign is an ode to morning people

Daily Signals

The Campaign: AG1’s new campaign is an ode to morning people

Supplements company AG1 has launched a campaign that frames the morning as a sacred window for intention-setting and self-regulation. 
Food And Drink : Health And Wellness : Supplements
The Viewpoint: Inventing the Aged Spirits of Tomorrow

Daily Signals

The Viewpoint: Inventing the Aged Spirits of Tomorrow

In less than a decade, non-alcoholic spirits have become a familiar feature in bars and homes, yet dark non-alcoholic spirits remain largely unexpl...
Food And Drink : Spirits : Whiskey
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN