Celebrating The Macallan’s James Bond 60th Anniversary Release Launch at Sowden House. Images by Karin E. Baker for The LA Beat.
Three icons – The Macallan, James Bond, and the Sowden House – united on March 23 for an elegant black tie affair celebrating the US launch of the Scottish whisky company’s James Bond 60th Anniversary Collection.
One of LA’s most distinctive dwellings, the Sowden House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, Lloyd Wright, a talented architect in his own right. Inspired by Mayan temples, this Los Feliz showplace, completed in 1926, has been prominently featured in films like “LA Confidential” and Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator.” It’s a stylish architectural landmark worthy of this celebration of a superior whisky.
Established in 1824, The Macallan’s single malt whiskies are crafted in Scotland to this very day. The packaging for The Macallan James Bond 60th Anniversary Collection features sketches of details from various Bond films. The single-malt whisky within was created to reflect the style and character of 007.
The smartly attired guests savored delicious cocktails made with The Macallan, including a Vesper variation and a smooth highball. Beck was apparently among the guests (though I missed him). Also present were James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, along with actors Adam DiMarco (HBO’s “White Lotus”), James Marsden, Jesse Williams, and Samara Weaving.
Another event highlight was the Macallan Tasting Room, where six people at a time enjoyed an exceptional dram of single malt whisky with The Macallan’s LA brand ambassador.
A stunning, all-female string quartet lent even more style to the occasion, playing Vivaldi’s “Springtime,” along with takes on Radiohead’s “Creep,” the “Pink Panther” theme, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and Bond themes like “Live and Let Die.”
If you’d like to buy any of the releases from The Macallan James Bond 60th Anniversary Collection, the limited-edition bottle representing the first decade of 007 was released on March 1 and is available at specialty retailers in just three US cities, including Los Angeles. Decade 2 will be available in the US in April.
