PARTNER BAR
HopScotch
Taking the Society out to new places is always a pleasure! Both The Globe in Dumfries and The New Union in Kendal have been added to our resume of partner bars of late. And back in April, we were delighted to get the team at HopScotch in Liverpool on board. SMWS ambassador Lee ‘Connas’ Connor sat down with joint founder Matt to find out more about it
What do an analytical chemist and a housing procurement agent have in common? You may not be surprised to hear that in the case of partners Matt Workman and Becky Poole, founders of Liverpool’s bar, HopScotch, it’s a passion for both whisky and community.
“A friend of mine got into whisky at university in Edinburgh,” says Matt. “He told me to try Laphroaig one night. I was only 18, and it blew my mind. I suppose that was a pivotal moment – if that hadn’t happened, HopScotch would never have existed.”
Fast forward 15 years to 2019, and with absolutely no experience in hospitality, Matt and Becky opened what they’d consider to be ‘the people’s whisky bar’ in Liverpool. As Matt explains: “There was already a whisky bar here, but it didn’t feel very inclusive to me. They have an impressive range of whiskies, but they all tended to be distillery own bottlings. There’s nothing wrong with that, but we think there’s a bigger, more interesting picture to look at.”
And with that came the challenge for the couple to create a welcoming atmosphere that enables the good people of Liverpool to enjoy the expanse of what the whisky category has to offer. Fortunately for them, although experience may have been lacking, there was somewhat of a vocational willingness to succeed at the heart of their mission. “When me and Becky got together, my love for whisky came with the package,” says Matt.
“Whenever we spoke about the possibility of opening a bar, it was obvious that Becky had had thoughts of doing something in hospitality before, a community-based music venue or the like. In the end we just had to go for it.”
INDEPENDENT SPIRITS
The result is a bar gantry with more than 130 whiskies, consisting mainly of independently bottled offerings with the hope of instigating a space where anyone can further their whisky journey.
“I like distillery bottlings, but it gets to a point where you’re used to tasting them,” says Matt. “The idea behind having mainly independent, and mainly single cask bottlings on the bar, is to keep it varied, there’s always a talking point. Whether we have a particularly mad cask or something like what were used to, it’s always evolving, there’s always a conversation to be had.”
And in fairness, if you pay a visit to their downstairs bar in Liverpool’s Fabric District, you’ll find a venue that doesn’t conform to the norm in terms of whisky bars.
“We wanted to be the opposite of what people thought when the phrase ‘whisky bar’ came to mind,” Matt continues. “There’s no reason why whisky can’t be more of a drink for everyone. We keep it casual, there are no dress codes, we vary the music, we have customers of different ages, you don’t even have to drink whisky. We have beers, wine and cocktails as well. People do come in who aren’t into whisky, they just like the vibe.”
KINDRED COMMUNITIES
What HopScotch has become is more than just a bar. Since Matt and Becky opened the venue, they have attracted and formed a community of like-minded whisky drinkers in the area which has resulted in the conception of Liverpool Whisky Club, which now has around 140 members. Matt expands on how being a SMWS partner bar adds to the sense of togetherness.
“So much of what we are about already fits with the SMWS philosophy,” he says.
“It’s not just about drinking, it’s about gathering people together to connect over something that they’re interested in and are enthusiastic about. It’s about sharing the knowledge and enjoyment of what we do and appreciating everything that comes with it. There’d be no point otherwise.”
Matt and Becky are beginning to transform the whisky outlook in one of the UK’s biggest cities, their passion and commitment are as addictive as they are inspiring. And we look forward to many exciting collaborations with them very soon.
