The world’s first The Macallan House is now open at Raffles Hotel Singapore

In 2020, The Macallan partnered with Raffles Hotel Singapore, to transform what could otherwise have been a regular bottle shop into a beautiful exhibition space where guests could savour their single malts in style. Bolstered by its success, the famed whisky maker decided to elevate the concept further, and after months of renovation, has recently relaunched The Macallan Experience as The Macallan House, a 3,000 sq ft experiential retail space that brings a refreshing approach to discovery — and it is the first of its kind in the world.

Designed by award-winning British architect Jamie Fobert, whose portfolio boasts structural beauties like the historic Fondaco dei Tedeschi in Venice and the new National Portrait Gallery in London, The Macallan House beckons with capacious luxury. Fobert’s design choices pay homage to The Macallan’s foundational ethos, with elements such as copper walls symbolising the brand’s “curiously small stills”, the colour red representing founder Alexander Reid, Albariza stone pointing to the Spanish soil that produces the sherry used to season many of The Macallan’s oak casks, and artistic collaborations that share The Macallan’s dedication to mastery.

These collaborations come in the form of unique pieces crafted by two local creatives. Industrial designer Nathan Yong, recipient of the Red Dot Concept Design Award and the Singapore President’s Design Award, created a sculpture made of green onyx that echoes the verdant fields surrounding The Macallan’s estate in Scotland.

Another highlight at The Macallan House is the The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection. This is an exclusive series of limited edition decanters in collaboration with renowned French crystal maker Lalique, where each release is inspired by the foundation stones for the character of The Macallan.

Meanwhile, Tiffany Loy, a textile artist known for her weaving expertise, drew inspiration from the rich hues of The Macallan’s whiskies to create a silk and wool mural with shades running from light oak to dark mahogany. Natural colouring is a point of pride for the distillery, as it is one of a rare few that do not resort to using caramel to achieve a consistent tone in its whiskies, instead delighting in the raw beauty Mother Nature imparts to the spirit. For those eager to delve deeper into the role that time and wood play on The Macallan’s single malts, take a moment to interact with the colour spectrum found on the “Amberometer” and learn how oak maturation impacts the colour of whisky.

A stunning focal point of The Macallan House is its bar. Its back showcases stone from the heart of Jerez (the home of The Macallan’s sherry casks), while its parallel grooves artfully mimic the rows of vineyards where sherry grapes thrive. The bar’s front is adorned with granite rocks, representing the slopes that surround the Speyside distillery. It is also here that you can enjoy its current seasonal cocktail menu, The Spirit of 1926, named after the eight-minute film that honours the life of former managing director Janet Harbinson, whose many accomplishments include the crafting of The Macallan Fine & Rare 1926. The menu is available daily from 5pm until December. Such seasonal menus and programmes will be an ongoing feature at The Macallan House. Gift-wrapping is available daily, while bottle-engraving is reserved for Saturdays.

If you don’t know where to start, you can book a guided tour of the House. Visitors can also purchase limited-edition and core range expressions here, along with exclusive lifestyle accessories.

“The Macallan House is unlike anything we have unveiled before — a unique place which captures our unwavering commitment to uncompromised excellence and brings to life the innovation, creativity and connection to nature which have been at the heart of The Macallan for nearly 200 years,” said creative director Jaume Ferras.

Lai-Ching Kok, managing director Southeast Asia & Pacific at The Macallan added: “We are delighted to announce Singapore as the location of the first The Macallan House. Singapore is a vibrant gastronomy and hospitality country which is fast becoming a regional hub for wine and spirits in Southeast Asia — a region in which we expect the whisky market, particularly single malts, to grow exponentially.”

Guided by the theme of “nature culture”, The Macallan House artfully encapsulates the micro-climates surrounding the distillery, from the lush barley fields to the meandering River Spey, offering a sensory journey through visual, tactile and olfactory touchpoints. It is a distillation, if you will, of The Macallan’s expansive 485-acre estate, from which some of the world’s most exceptional whiskies are made.