Class is in Session

Dewar’s built a castle between buildings A and B at Jianwai SOHO. They call it “Academy of Whiskey.” Hostesses stand stolidly on either side of the gates with stern expressions as unshakable as the Queen’s Guards. A bunch of guys in kilts are inside. Some wear tartan patterns, and others don solid black skirts like a waiter’s apron. Models strut and pose in the Academy. There’s a couple bars and a classroom with three long screens curling around it like a poor man’s IMAX. This is the newest drink promotion in town. It’s pretty extravagant.

Dewar’s came late to the China game. Competitors Johnnie Walker and Chivas beat them to the punch by a decade. Chivas in particular employed genius marketing – mixing tea with whiskey to mask the flavor for uninitiated palates. As even Dewar’s PR people acknowledge, "Now, whiskey is a fashion statement." The castle in Jianwai SOHO is Dewar’s first stage of combat with the current giants. The operating phrase is this: “With knowledge comes good taste.” The guy who said it was wearing a kilt.

Dewar’s target audience is key opinion makers (i.e. not you). The Shanghai Academy didn’t give public lessons because Shanghai folk are all bourgeois wine sniffers, but in egalitarian Beijing, the Academy’s month-long tenure offers three English-language master classes for the public (i.e. you). Expect training in the appreciation of whiskey in general. The highlight of the hour-and-a-half experience is a hands-on session with Dewar’s brand ambassadors that teach students to mix their own blend. For better or for worse, participants can are invited to take their creation home in a freebie flask.

English-language public sessions are on Nov 3 from 7.30-9pm, Nov 4 from 5-6.30pm, and Nov 11 from 2-3.30pm. Call the hotline at 40 0820 1299 to register. tbjhome is sponsoring a master class on Nov 8 from 7-8.30pm. To register, call 5820 770 ext 853 or e-mail marketing@tbjhome.com.