Tuesday 17th November 2015 saw Mortlach whisky take pride of place at the private viewing of the Design Museum’s newest exhibition, CYCLE REVOLUTION, an exhibition which celebrates the diversity of contemporary cycling in Britain, from everyday commuting to Olympic level competition, and looks at where design and innovation may take the riders of the future.
The exhibition runs from 18th November 2015 through to 30th June 2016 at London’s world leading Design Museum, celebrating the diversity of contemporary cycling in Britain from every day commuting to Olympic level competition, looking at where design and innovation may take the riders of the future.
The exhibition looks at cycling subcultures through four ‘tribes’ –
the High Performers who reach Olympic speeds…
the Thrill Seekers who take on all terrains…
the Urban Riders who pedal our cities mile by mile…
and the Cargo Bikers who work on two wheels.
The private viewing event was attended by over 300 guests, who were invited to try a choice of two Mortlach Rare Old serves.
Mortlach, the luxury single malt Scotch whisky is notorious for its powerful, complex and unique flavours that have earned it the title of ‘The Beast of Dufftown’.
The private viewing was opened by Deyan Sudjic OBE – Director of The Design Museum
Frost Magazine correspondent Corinne Tuddenham-Trett with Georgina Bell and Sir Terence Conran
Mr and Mrs James Giles
The Design Museum’s passion for celebration innovative design concepts and individuals reflects Mortlach’s own design-focused approach and echoes the whisky’s history of innovation from its birth in the golden era of Victorian industrial engineering and design.
Guests enjoyed two Mortlach cocktails:
Acciona: Mortlach Rare Old, Lillet Blanc, Merlet Lune d’Apricot gomme, Regan’s orange bitters
Mortlach Rosemary and Honey Sour: Mortlach Rare Old, Manuka honey, fresh rosemary, lemon and barrel-aged bitters
Edward Taylor, Georgina Bell and William Butler-Adams OBE (CEO Brompton Bicycle)
Georgina Bell (Brand Ambassador for Mortlach Whisky), Andrew Ritchie MBE (Inventor of the Brompton folding bicycle) and Beatrix Ong MBE (Fashion Designer and Patron of the Design Museum)
About Mortlach Scotch Whisky…
This unique and astonishingly complicated distillation process, which commentators have attempted to explain as ‘2.81 distilled’, produces a whisky so flavoursome that whisky commentators have referred to it as the ‘Beast of Dufftown’ – a bold, rich and powerful spirit tamed for years in the finest oak casks.
Mortlach has been considered a secret weapon amongst whisky blenders, going into some of the world’s most treasured and beloved blended whiskies. With its thick, rich, robust character the whisky provides backbone, body and character in the blending world. It’s also highly prized by whisky lovers across the world – highly sought out but, in the past, hardly found. That was until in 2014 the distillery was given the limelight and recognition it not only deserves, but one that it truly has earned with the launch of 4 new luxury single malts.
About the Cycle Revolution Exhibition…
The last decade has seen a revolution in cycling, on a scale not witnessed in the UK since the Second World War. Cycle Revolution celebrates the diversity of contemporary cycling in Britain from every day commuting to Olympic level competition. It brings together bicycles, clothing, accessories, equipment, film and photography to explain where cycling is now and where it might take us in the future. The exhibition looks at cycling subcultures through four ‘tribes’ – the High Performers who reach Olympic speeds, the Thrill Seekers who take on all terrains, the Urban Riders who pedal our cities mile by mile, and the Cargo Bikers who work on two wheels. British bespoke bicycle frame building is showcased in the exhibition in a recreation of a bicycle making workshop featuring artisans from across the UK. Cycle Revolution closes with a glimpse into the future of cycling – how it is changing the infrastructure of the city, and how architects, designers and urban planners are responding to the needs of twenty-first century cyclists?
Enjoy the ride! Don’t miss the specially-commissioned Ben Wilson bicycle sculpture in the museum’s Atrium, cycling films in the 1.5 Gallery and series of cycling related talks and events.
Continue the conversation on social media and feature on the exhibition’s Social Wall @designmuseum #CycleRevolution.
Highlights of the bikes on display include:
- Sir Bradley Wiggins’s 2015 Hour Record bike and 2014 World Championship Time Trial bike
- A number of Team Sky’s Pinarellos from the 2015 Tour de France, as well as kit and equipment from the team’s 2015 Tour de France win
- Sir Chris Hoy’s Great Britain Cycling Team London 2012 Olympic Track bike
- The Lotus Type 108 ridden by Chris Boardman at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games
- Eddy Merckx’s 1972 Hour Record bike Francesco Moser’s 1984 Hour Record bike, loaned for the exhibition from the personal collection of Sir Bradley Wiggins
- The earliest prototype Brompton in existence
- A 1978 Breezer Series 1
- A 1969 Raleigh Chopper
- Bike builder’s workshop – showing the tools, materials and skills that combine to create a bespoke machine. Six independent British bike builders are profiled – Donhou Bicycles, Toad Custom Cycles, Hartley Cycles, Robin Mather Cycles, Mercian Cycles and Shand Cycles.
- High profile cyclists including Lord Norman Foster and Sir Paul Smith discuss their passion for cycling and hopes for its future in the closing film.
Pre-book your ticket now (Members and children go free) – £13 Adult £9.75 Student £6.50 Children (6 to 15 years old inclusive)
For group bookings, contact +44 (0)20 7940 8783. Prices include optional donation. Tickets are subject to a £0.50 booking fee.
There are a small number of cycle racks outside and beside the museum, and limited space to park bicycles along the riverside railings.
The museum has a cloakroom with limited space for folding bikes, helmets and panniers. 1 ticket for 3 exhibitions.
Related events…
22 Nov 2015 11:00 Cycle Culture Tour Take a Cycle Culture tour with Artouride and discover some of the gems of London’s design-led cycling scene.
28 Nov 2015 14:00 Stories from the Saddle: Jon Day’s Cyclogeography. The Stories from the Saddle series invites cyclists of all stripes to the museum to share their story of life on two wheels. These monthly talks are part of the Cycle Revolution programme.
01 Dec 2015 19:00 Breaking the Cycle: A Slow Journalism Night The editors of slow journalism magazine Delayed Gratification host an evening which delves into some of the disruptive technologies and innovative designs that are challenging the status quo.
06 Dec 2015 13:00 – 16:00 Jingle (Bicycle) Bells. To coincide with the museum’s Cycle Revolution exhibition, everything you need for the festive season, on two wheels. Plus don’t miss Santa on a Bike and Christmas Carols.
10 Dec 2015 19:00 Home is Elsewhere: 50 years around the world by bike Long-distance cyclist and touring legend Heinz Stücke reflects on fifty years on the road to celebrate the launch of his book.
Images: Shane Finn (Visual Devotion) and supplied
