Johnnie Walker is celebrating its 200th anniversary with the launch of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, an experiential destination for the famous Scotch whisky, in Scotland’s capital. 

Spanning eight floors and 71,500 sqft, Johnnie Walker Princes Street is located inside a building, which was formally a traditional department store for almost 100 years. Featuring the concept of personalisation, the retail space is where visitors can have their personal flavour preferences “mapped with drinks tailored to their palate”.

“The story of the world’s best-selling whisky has been brought to life with flair and imagination and we have built a team which includes some of the most talented individuals in their fields,” said Barbara Smith, MD of Johnnie Walker Princes Street.

The building serves more than 800 flavour combinations in innovative dispensation systems. Visitors can select their favourite whisky and have bottles filled directly from casks and engraved. The experiential space also houses two rooftop bars and a terrace overlooking the Edinburgh skyline. 

According to the company, it took four and a half years in the making to bring Johnnie Walker Princes Street into life. The project is part of Diageo’s US$256 million investment, the largest single investment programme of its kind ever seen in Scotch whisky tourism. 

“Johnnie Walker Princes Street is a landmark investment in Scotch whisky and into Scotland and it sets a new standard for immersive visitor attractions,” said Ivan Menezes, CEO at Diageo. 

“It celebrates Scotland’s remarkable heritage, our incredible skilled whisky-makers, and looks to the future by engaging new generations of consumers from around the world in the magic of Scotch whisky.”

The Diageo investment includes the transformation of distillery visitor experiences around Scotland, including Glenkinchie, Clynelish, Cardhu and Caol Ila – the Lowland, Highland, Speyside and Islay homes of Johnnie Walker, linked to Johnnie Walker Princes Street.