A whisky pouch vending machine is coming to London

The founders behind London-based whisky bar Black Rock are installing a pop-up whisky pouch vending machine offering large drams of single malt at the push of a button.

Thomas Aske and Tristan Stephenson, who launched subscription service Whisky-Me which offers whisky fans pouches of “rare and exclusive” single malts last year, are installing a pop-up vending machine outside their London venue throughout November and December.

Marketing the pouches as “a 21st century sporran”, the pair are celebrating the brand’s first birthday with a quirky installation.

The machine will be located outside London’s Napoleon Hotel, which as well as Black Rock, is also home to bars Devils Darling and Sack.

Passers-by will be able to buy tokens from upstairs bar Devils Darling that can be used in the machine. Tokens cost £7.95 each and can be bought from the bar from 5pm everyday.

Among the single malts on offer will be a special ‘birthday whisky’ and other drams from The Macallan, Royal Lochnagar and Aberfeldy.

Aske and Stephenson’s initial inspiration behind the launch of the 5cl pouches was “to reinvent whisky’s stereotypically serious image with a fun, contemporary approach”.

The pair select the whiskies base on their “rarity and exclusivity” and as part of their subscription service, they also provide easy-to-follow tasting notes, drone footage of the distillery and data and facts on the dram’s production..

The Whisky-Me subscriptions start at £7 (US$9) per month from https://www.whisky-me.com/.