Calling Ron Burgundy: Macallan is giving out free scotch this week at Grand Central Station. Thursday from 11:30 to 7:30 and Friday (National Scotch Day!) from 12:00 to 4:00, the whisky distiller is camped out in Grand Central's Vanderbilt Hall with what it calls the "Macallan Distillery Experience."
The event is in celebration of both Macallan's recently-finished $186 million distillery renovation and the release of its new Edition No. 4 whisky (for the record, Irish hooch gets the "e" in whiskey). Since Macallan can't exactly bring people to its Speyside, Scotland distillery, it's bringing the distillery to the people.
The 194-year-old brand filmed its new operation using drones and robots and compiled the footage into 360-degree, VR-friendly videos and a "4D experience." The 4D experience leads a small group of participants into a 15x15x15-foot cube-like structure, displaying bird's-eye views of the distillery while sounds like running water play and faint whiffs of whisky and fresh-cut grass drift down. Bonus: the entry wristband gets you a dram of scotch and Scottish-inspired snacks like goat cheese crostini and roasted nuts.
While the 4-D experience is currently only available at the Grand Central Station event, Macallan is dropping an immersive video on its website by the end of the week, for those at home. Select liquor stores across the country will also be equipped with a VR setup for potential buyers to better understand the liquor at hand.