When Whisky Stopped Being a Drink
Once upon a time, ordering a whisky meant little more than pointing at a bottle and nodding sagely as it was poured into a glass. The thrill lay in the liquid alone, rather than storytelling. No grand spectacle, just the quiet transaction of drinker and dram. But times have changed. Whisky (and the wider spirits world) is no longer just about what’s inside the glass, rather, everything that happens around it.
Welcome to the era of experience-driven marketing, where drinking isn’t just consumption, it’s participation. Where brands that once relied solely on product quality are now expected to deliver immersive, memorable, and even theatrical experiences. And if you’re not ready for it? Well, let’s just say your brand might be left sipping alone at the bar.
What is Experience-Driven Marketing?
Experience-driven marketing is less about selling products and more about creating moments. It’s about engaging consumers emotionally, physically, and even psychologically, making them feel like they’re part of something bigger than just a purchase. It’s the difference between saying, “This whisky has notes of honey and spice,” and taking someone on a sensory journey through those flavours – lighting, music, texture, storytelling, all working together to deepen the encounter.
The rise of whisky festivals, distillery visits, virtual tastings, and immersive pop-ups is testament to this shift. These aren’t just sales tools, they’re what modern consumers expect (you and I included). We all want whisky to be more than a drink; we want it to be an experience that resonates, educates, and entertains.
After all, think back to the last amazing meal that you had at a restaurant. One that really stands out in your mind. Can you accurately recall the flavours you tasted? Or is it the overall emotional experience that sticks in your mind?
Why is This Shift Happening?
A few key trends are driving this move towards experiences over products:
Younger Consumers Want More Than a Bottle – Gen Z and Millennials are drinking less than previous generations, but when they do, they seek quality, authenticity, and a connection to the brand. They value experiences over possessions, and that applies to drinks too.
The Digital-First Generation is Craving Real-World Engagement – After years of scrolling, swiping, and liking, consumers are actively looking for tangible, real-world experiences. Something they can feel, taste, and share beyond the digital space.
The Shift from Ownership to Experience – Just look at music. We’ve gone from collecting records to streaming everything, because access and experience have become more valuable than ownership. The drinks industry is seeing a similar shift – from merely selling bottles to offering a journey.
Engagement Creates Loyalty – A memorable tasting, a personal story, or an interactive event stays with people far longer than a standard ad campaign. When consumers feel emotionally connected to a brand, they return, they recommend, and they become part of its story.
How This Affects Whisky & Spirits Brands
For brands, this shift means one thing: You can’t rely on the bottle or its contents alone. A well-crafted spirit is essential, but when most brands today are well-crafted spirits, it’s no longer enough. Consumers expect to be invited into an experience, whether that’s through:
Immersive Tastings & Events – Think multi-sensory whisky tastings that play with light, sound, and scent to alter perception. Think distillery tours that go beyond “here’s the mash tun” and instead tell a story that captivates and involves.
Virtual & Augmented Reality Experiences – The digital world isn’t going anywhere. Brands incorporating virtual distillery tours, AI-driven whisky recommendations, and AR bottle labels are tapping into a market that thrives on innovation.
Storytelling That Goes Beyond Marketing – People have come to view many tasting notes as marketing smokescreens rather than helpful descriptors. Putting consumers in touch with their senses helps to create a more meaningful connection with flavour.
Personalisation & Interactive Elements – Understanding how flavour is an entirely subjective experience shifts away from depersonalising individuals with a narrative of ‘this is what you should taste’. Instead, sensory science opens a doorway to personalised, powerful, and interactive touch points.
The Risk of Falling Behind
Brands that fail to embrace experience-driven marketing risk fading into the background. Whisky drinkers, especially newer generations, don’t just want a product; they want a connection. If all you’re offering is “this bottle tastes good,” you’re competing in an increasingly crowded space without differentiation.
Consumers will remember the whisky they tasted while pinching their nose, the dram they sipped while listening to the sound of crashing waves, or the scotch that taught why we all smell things differently. What they won’t remember? Yet another take on “vanilla and caramel” and tales of inebriated highland cattle.
How Sensory Insights are a Brand’s Secret Weapon
This is where The Sensory Advantage comes in. If brands need to engage, educate, and elevate their consumer experiences, they need a deeper understanding of how flavour, psychology, and perception work together.
Our Sensory Training Courses teach teams how to transform a whisky tasting into an unforgettable experience – one that lingers in memory as much as on the palate.
We explore how the brain constructs flavour, helping brands create multi-sensory engagement strategies that go beyond conventional tastings.
We help whisky ambassadors, visitor centre teams, and brand managers understand how to captivate consumers, speak the language of experience, and ensure that every sip tells a story.
In this new era, whisky brands must be more than just producers, they must be curators of experiences, creators of memories, and architects of perception. The Sensory Advantage is here to help make that happen.
When the winds of change blow, we can either hide in the distillery, or get out and start building windmills.