Cover The Macallan x David Carson: In The Studio will take place from September 3 to 9 at M88, followed by a bar pop-up (Photo: The Macallan)
The Macallan x David Carson: In The Studio will take place from September 3 to 9 at M88, followed by a bar pop-up (Photo: The Macallan)
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The Macallan
A week-long experience with tastings by day and a different bar each night
When The Macallan unveiled its first major visual overhaul in 2025, it wasn’t just a new label. The brand handed the reins to American graphic designer David Carson, whose signature chaos-meets-clarity style reshaped the double cask and sherry oak collections into sculpted bottles, jagged typography and triangular nods to Spain's Sherry Triangle. Now, the brand is opening the doors to the process behind it.
Enter In The Studio, a week-long, dual-personality experience that plays out like a gallery show by day and a cocktail-fueled salon by night. The journey is framed around three guiding principles: Instinct, Craft and Mastery, which trace the shared creative philosophy between Carson and the brand, culminating in what The Macallan calls “Mastery Beyond Reason”.
By day, the venue at M88 in Central becomes a walk-through archive of Carson’s process: from raw sketches to final renderings, with original artworks that interpret the 12- and 18-year-old expressions through his unmistakable visual vernacular. The exhibition features the world’s largest collection of Carson’s original works, displayed alongside the whiskies that inspired them.
Above In The Studio invites participants to journey through a curated environment that brings to life the creative synergy between The Macallan and David Carson (Photo:The Macallan)
In The Studio invites participants to journey through a curated environment that brings to life the creative synergy between The Macallan and David Carson (Photo:The Macallan)
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There’s also a hands-on collage workshop led by a local art curator, a guided tasting with The Macallan Brand Ambassador, and a bespoke cocktail at the Canvas Bar for those who prefer their whisky with a twist. A community canvas invites guests to leave their own mark, gradually evolving into a collective artwork shaped by spontaneity and shared Hong Kong expressions.
Come evening, the venue transitions into a bar takeover series running from September 4 to 9. Six Hong Kong bars rotate through the space, each bringing a whisky-based cocktail that incorporates local ingredients, with live DJs soundtracking the sessions from 7pm onwards.
The line-up includes Kinsman, a cocktail bar that spotlights Chinese spirits; Quinary, a pioneer of molecular mixology; Montana, a newcomer opened by world-class bartenders Lorenzo Antinori of Bar Leone and Simone Caporale of Sips; The Green Door, a speakeasy that offers playful twists on classics; Dio, a day-to-night spot that leans savoury with cocktails inspired by traditional Hong Kong flavours; and The Poet, another speakeasy where each drink comes with a story.
The menu for the takeover borrows from a Carson philosophy that also sits at the heart of The Macallan’s pursuit of mastery: “There’s no magic answer. At some point, you have to trust your gut.”
Guests are presented with four cards, each colour-coded and marked with three descriptive keywords. The host encourages them to choose based on instinct alone. These cards correspond to signature cocktails created by the visiting bartenders featuring The Macallan 12 Years Old Sherry Oak single malt whisky. Tearing open the card reveals the pour behind the choice. It’s a small interactive touch, but one that fits the collaborative, instinct-led spirit of the event.
The Macallan x David Carson In The Studio runs from September 3 to 9, with the bar takeover series taking place nightly from 7pm to 12am between September 4 and 9.
Reservations are required for the daytime In The Studio experience via The Macallan website.
The Macallan x David Carson In the Studio
Address: G2/F, M88, 2-8 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
