To celebrate its 80th anniversary, Nikka wanted something extra special. In collaboration with Sid Lee Paris, Ström & Jag developed a pop-up bar that involved everything from the visual identity to the logo.
“We went with the idea of the magic effect of blends (since ‘From the Barrel’ is an amazing blend of malt and grain whiskies). Famous bartenders from all around Europe were invited to participate in creating their best cocktail possible using Nikka Whisky. Their perfect blends. All communication was based on this idea. We also named the event 51.4, a nod to the abn 51.4% of the bottle. In Japan a bottle of Sake, by tradition, is shared between friends. The cocktails were all served in the original From the Barrel bottle, perfectly sized for 3-4 people.”
Nikka’s event called on talented bartenders like Amaury Guyot from Sherry Butt, Jesse Den Dulk från Jigger’s Bar, Joseph Akhavan from Cannery, and Carlos Madriz from Mary Celeste. The Japanese whiskey itself, though, gives off some of that more traditional whiskey-making charm, combining nicely with the ideas of innovative drinkmasters. Each whiskey variety comes in the same glass bottle, showing the slight differences in the amber hues. The labels all have their own unique look while not taking away from the consistency of the brand. Overall, the look is rugged and almost masculine, channeling the strength and potency of a fresh batch of Japanese whiskey.
