It’s a sign. A big sign. I view it from the outside — a Melrose Arch pavement — looking in on the elegantly lit interior that this big sign frames, literally and figuratively. I’m here to celebrate a fresh chapter. It’s a relaunch, or more accurately, a refocus. Because the name on this sign, in bold, embossed letters, is new. And it’s not. Let me explain.
That name is Navigate World Whisky, and it holds immense weight with local drink lovers. It’s a distributor of world-class, hard-to-find spirits, selling these online, and often partnering with distilleries and like minds from across the globe to release coveted, one-off expressions. In the past, if you wanted to experience its charms in person, you’d visit this Melrose Arch establishment or its sister store in Rosebank, both called NPF Tasting Room, shorthand for nose, palate, finish.
Now, the whole experience is under this one roof, and the name aligns to the mother brand. It’s clearer. Focused. But, as owner and founder Alex de Ujfalussy explains, there’s a subtle shift in purpose. He points to two smaller words either side of the big ones. They tell the real story. One reads “Boutique”, and the other “Tasting Room”, and each leads visitors into different sides of the shop.
The first of these is, for lack of a better phrase, a retail space. That’s a bland way of describing the many shelves of enticing bottles that line the walls, all of which are meticulously sourced — and sometimes commissioned – by De Ujfalussy and his team. Browse a bit and you’re sure to find that special gift, or a dram you’ve been dying to try, or loads of labels you’ve never heard of.
This is the inaugural Boutique, but more are planned. “We will be rolling them out later this year,” explains De Ujfalussy. “The first, fully dedicated one will be opening in Sandton City.”
It’s all very impressive, but if you’re within touching distance of such superior spirits, chances are you’ll want to try a few right there and then. This is where the Tasting Room comes in, a companion element inspired by cellar door experiences found at wine estates. It’s a concept that allows visitors to purchase their favourite bottle(s) directly after a tasting. From palate to pocket.
To facilitate this, De Ujfalussy has launched an expanded menu that really does have something for everyone. There’s an extensive wine, champagne and sake offering and an array of curated flights, serving up rum, whisky/whiskey, mezcal and cognac in all kinds of colourful combinations.
NPF built its name on options, excellence and intrigue, characteristics that have been heightened and embellished. At first glance the new cocktail menu offers the usual classics. But, take a closer look at the daiquiris, and you’ll see four different rum choices: an oak-aged Hampden, a pot still Mhoba, an independent Monymusk 10-year-old and a Clairin Ansyen Sajous. “The recipe stays the same but, because the cocktails are spirit-driven, they all taste different,” De Ujfalussy said.
I’m usually no fan of the cocktail. For me, they’re a dress-up exercise, intent on masking mediocrity with more mediocrity. But I try an Old Fashioned concocted from Widow Jane rye, and it’s both delicious and authentic, foregrounding the whiskey with a whole new twist.
The menu acts as the map to a refurbished territory. For the most part, the space remains unchanged, but De Ujfalussy has engineered a smart rearrangement. The tables are still out front and can be extended outside, while the bar has moved forward to create two lounge areas behind it. The first is open and visible, and it’s where I try another one of the menu’s delights: a pairing experience. On the one hand, there’s a Fercullen single malt. On the other: a pistachio apricot nougat white chocolate. The two wrap themselves around each other in my mouth; a complex mash-up of earthy-sweet sensations. Glorious.
The final space is behind a closed door. It’s an intimate, tasteful lounge but, to be honest, nobody’s here for the furnishing. Bearing down on the armchairs is a high-rise shelf displaying an array of unspeakably desirable drams. There are Karuizawas, Caronis and Nikka single casks, Rosebanks, Broras and Port Ellens, rare Macallans, Benriachs and Gelfarclas Family Casks, as well as an adjacent floor-to-ceiling array of Islay big hitters.
It’s in this room — while sipping on a 32-year-old Glen Elgin, distilled in 1971 — that De Ujfalussy shares the philosophy that drives this fresh venture. “If you ask a Michelin chef what makes their restaurant successful, they will tell you: ambience, service and then the food offering,” he tells me. “Those first two are ahead of the food. It’s the same for us.”
To me, this suggests an experience that flourishes when in delicate balance, as opposed to three elements vying for poll position. The triad must work in harmony. And it does. First, the new space has a dynamic ambience, ideal for everything from spontaneous post-work celebrations to more deliberate deep dives.
Then there’s the team, a warm, knowledgeable crew that’s on hand to offer relatable guidance, as has always been the case. “We need to make you comfortable first,” says De Ujfalussy. “We believe in practising real hospitality while not losing any of our programming or geekiness.”
And then, the final third: the product. Well, the shelves are literally bursting with options and opportunity. There’s nothing more to say.
Reinvention can be tricky. Not so much the process itself, but the outcome. If you throw it all up in the air, wipe the slate clean and commit to a new beginning, you run the risk of straying too far from your roots. You could say Navigate World Whisky is founded on just that one thing: whisky. But perhaps its real essence is found in those other two words, and the brand has always acted as a guide, steering spirit lovers to all corners filled with untold delights. That’s what’s happening here. Much like those honest cocktails, the ingredients have adapted, but the recipe remains the same.
Wanted
