CLUB 1494: FOR THE DISCERNING WHISKY CONNOISSEUR

Highbrow whisky lovers now have a place to congregate: Club 1494, the new members-only club whisky aficionados club in Manhattan by David Clelland.  Named after the first written record of Scotch whisky distillation in the year 1494, the club will act as a bridge between collectors and Scottish distilleries, and will even have a dedicated board to curate rare drinks in-house for club members. The space itself is rumored to be magnificent: a five-story townhouse in Midtown West with sub-basement vaults to hold its $5 million worth of whisky.  As you can imagine, membership has its perks: “Meet the masters” dinners with distillers, Nat Sherman Cigars, pricing information from Bonham’s, the world’s largest whiskey auctioneer, access to political events with the British Consulate General, a Savile Row tailor on staff, private car service from Range Rover, and an annual golf and distillery trip to Scotland.

The club, slated to open this fall, offers memberships starting at $15,000 a year to $175,000 for a lifetime membership.   Only 550 Club 1494 memberships worldwide (and only 10 lifetime memberships) will be granted, so whisky connoisseurs should move quickly….