Miami International Airport is home to the first Johnnie Walker store in the U.S.

The airport experience has evolved over the years in an attempt to ease the tribulations associated with air travel. Airports are no longer defined by fast-food restaurants and duty-free shops; they have become something more akin to shopping malls, with luxury retail stores and expensive, sit-down restaurants.

Exhibit A: The first Johnnie Walker store in the U.S. recently opened in Miami International Airport’s North Terminal. In addition to purchasing Johnnie Walker products, the 1,145-sf store creates a museum-like experience for customers to learn more about the brand.

Photo: Shelby Soblick.

“The design immerses customers in the history, provenance, and pioneering spirit of the Johnnie Walker brand,” says Darin Held, Partner at Bloommiami, the firm that  served as design consultants, fabricators and project managers for the store.

At the tasting bar, guests can sample various whiskeys and use iPads that provide additional information about Johnnie Walker products. Also working to create a museum-like ambiance was the lighting, which includes stretch fabric ceiling canopies, edge lighted shelves and backlighted product glorification pads.

Photo: Shelby Soblick.

Other design features include a Johnnie Walker Striding Man Statue, large wall-to-wall light box with images inspired by Miami, museum-style images depicting the history of Johnnie Walker, an engraving station where customers can personalize bottles, intricate floor work that took 56 hours to install, and a single malts library display wall designed to mimic a mixer’s lab.

See Also: The Hershey Company moves into new 7,800-sf flagship retail location in Time Square

Photo: Shelby Soblick.

Photo: Shelby Soblick.

Photo: Shelby Soblick.

Photo: Shelby Soblick.