The Pour
A journal of spirits, stories, and the quiet ritual of the glass. Each pour is a study in patience — from single malts to Japanese blends — revealing how sound, scent, and stillness meet in the moment before the first sip.
The Pour
More Reads From Tracks & Tales-
Angostura — The Small Bottle That Teaches a Dri...
Rafi MercerA new Rafi Mercer essay exploring the deep history and quiet magic of Angostura bitters — the secretive, aromatic force that gives the Old Fashioned its soul.
Angostura — The Small Bottle That Teaches a Dri...
Rafi MercerA new Rafi Mercer essay exploring the deep history and quiet magic of Angostura bitters — the secretive, aromatic force that gives the Old Fashioned its soul.
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The Zest That Changes Everything — On the Quiet...
Rafi MercerThe quiet power of small rituals — from twisting orange zest over an Old Fashioned to the subtle art of deep listening.
The Zest That Changes Everything — On the Quiet...
Rafi MercerThe quiet power of small rituals — from twisting orange zest over an Old Fashioned to the subtle art of deep listening.
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The Orange That Opens the Room
Rafi MercerA quiet meditation on the ritual of an Old Fashioned — the citrus flare, the warmth it opens, and the small brightness that can shift a whole night.
The Orange That Opens the Room
Rafi MercerA quiet meditation on the ritual of an Old Fashioned — the citrus flare, the warmth it opens, and the small brightness that can shift a whole night.
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Five Drinks for the Home Listening Bar
Rafi MercerFive drinks that shape the perfect home listening bar — from the Old Fashioned to the Highball, Rafi Mercer explores the art of sound and taste.
Five Drinks for the Home Listening Bar
Rafi MercerFive drinks that shape the perfect home listening bar — from the Old Fashioned to the Highball, Rafi Mercer explores the art of sound and taste.
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An Old Fashioned Kind of Origin
Rafi MercerRafi Mercer reflects on his drink of choice — the Old Fashioned — a simple, timeless ritual that resets the senses and sets the tone for slow listening around the...
An Old Fashioned Kind of Origin
Rafi MercerRafi Mercer reflects on his drink of choice — the Old Fashioned — a simple, timeless ritual that resets the senses and sets the tone for slow listening around the...
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The Shape of Oak — On the Making of Whisky Barrels
Rafi MercerFrom oak forests to fire and iron hoops, whisky barrels shape every dram. Rafi Mercer explores the craft of coopers and the soul of the cask.
The Shape of Oak — On the Making of Whisky Barrels
Rafi MercerFrom oak forests to fire and iron hoops, whisky barrels shape every dram. Rafi Mercer explores the craft of coopers and the soul of the cask.
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The Ten Whiskies That Belong in Your Cocktail C...
Rafi MercerTen whiskies belong in every cocktail cabinet. From rye to Japanese blends, Rafi Mercer explores the bottles that sing best when mixed.
The Ten Whiskies That Belong in Your Cocktail C...
Rafi MercerTen whiskies belong in every cocktail cabinet. From rye to Japanese blends, Rafi Mercer explores the bottles that sing best when mixed.
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Bottles and Decanters — The Shape of Whisky
Rafi MercerBottles carry history, decanters create atmosphere. Rafi Mercer explores how glass shapes whisky — preservation, presentation, and ritual.
Bottles and Decanters — The Shape of Whisky
Rafi MercerBottles carry history, decanters create atmosphere. Rafi Mercer explores how glass shapes whisky — preservation, presentation, and ritual.
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The Weight of the Glass
Rafi MercerThe weight of a whisky glass changes everything — in hand, in sound, in presence. Rafi Mercer reflects on glassware, ritual, and listening bars.
The Weight of the Glass
Rafi MercerThe weight of a whisky glass changes everything — in hand, in sound, in presence. Rafi Mercer reflects on glassware, ritual, and listening bars.
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The Manhattan — Elegance in the City
Rafi MercerThe Manhattan is whisky elegance in a glass — rye, vermouth, bitters. Rafi Mercer reflects on its timeless city poise in The Pour.
The Manhattan — Elegance in the City
Rafi MercerThe Manhattan is whisky elegance in a glass — rye, vermouth, bitters. Rafi Mercer reflects on its timeless city poise in The Pour.
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The Whisky Sour — Balance in a Glass
Rafi MercerBy Rafi Mercer Some drinks lean heavy, others lean light. The Whisky Sour lives in between. It is a drink that balances weight and lift, sweet and sharp, whisky and...
The Whisky Sour — Balance in a Glass
Rafi MercerBy Rafi Mercer Some drinks lean heavy, others lean light. The Whisky Sour lives in between. It is a drink that balances weight and lift, sweet and sharp, whisky and...
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The Old Fashioned — Time in the Glass
Rafi MercerThe Old Fashioned is whisky at its most elemental — spirit, sugar, bitters, citrus. Rafi Mercer explores its ritual, wisdom, and presence in The Pour.
The Old Fashioned — Time in the Glass
Rafi MercerThe Old Fashioned is whisky at its most elemental — spirit, sugar, bitters, citrus. Rafi Mercer explores its ritual, wisdom, and presence in The Pour.
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The Highball — Whisky in Motion
Rafi MercerThe Whisky Highball turns simplicity into ritual. Rafi Mercer explores whisky in motion, paired with SAULT’s 5, for The Pour at Tracks & Tales.
The Highball — Whisky in Motion
Rafi MercerThe Whisky Highball turns simplicity into ritual. Rafi Mercer explores whisky in motion, paired with SAULT’s 5, for The Pour at Tracks & Tales.
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How to Begin a Whisky Shelf Collection at Home
Rafi MercerBegin your whisky shelf at home with balance, story, and atmosphere. A Tracks & Tales guide to curating bottles for sound and memory.
How to Begin a Whisky Shelf Collection at Home
Rafi MercerBegin your whisky shelf at home with balance, story, and atmosphere. A Tracks & Tales guide to curating bottles for sound and memory.
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Oban — A Dog, A Town, A Dram
Rafi MercerA trip to Oban became more than a dram — a distillery visit, a coastal town, and even the name of a spaniel. Whisky as memory in the Tracks &...
Oban — A Dog, A Town, A Dram
Rafi MercerA trip to Oban became more than a dram — a distillery visit, a coastal town, and even the name of a spaniel. Whisky as memory in the Tracks &...
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Whisky in the Listening Bar — Spirit and Sound
Rafi MercerWhisky and listening bars belong together — spirit and sound shaping atmosphere, patience, and place in the Tracks & Tales Whisky Guide.
Whisky in the Listening Bar — Spirit and Sound
Rafi MercerWhisky and listening bars belong together — spirit and sound shaping atmosphere, patience, and place in the Tracks & Tales Whisky Guide.
Ten bottles that shape the perfect cocktail shelf — versatile, characterful, and alive in the glass.
Not every whisky wants to be in a cocktail. Some are meant to be drunk neat, patient and undisturbed. Others — bold, bright, versatile — come alive when stirred, shaken, or lengthened.
Discover and book listening bars selected by the TRACKS & TALES Guide
More Reads From Tracks & Tales-
Bar Lis — Hollywood — Riviera Rooftop Rhythms
Rafi MercerBar Lis is a Hollywood rooftop venue where DJ-led programming and Riviera-inspired design create an energetic listening environment above Los Angeles. While more social than traditional listening bars, its curated...
Bar Lis — Hollywood — Riviera Rooftop Rhythms
Rafi MercerBar Lis is a Hollywood rooftop venue where DJ-led programming and Riviera-inspired design create an energetic listening environment above Los Angeles. While more social than traditional listening bars, its curated...
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Monarch — San Francisco, Dual-Floor Sound Culture
Rafi MercerMonarch is a two-level nightclub in San Francisco’s SoMa district known for curated electronic music programming and carefully tuned sound systems. The venue combines an upstairs lounge for early-evening DJ...
Monarch — San Francisco, Dual-Floor Sound Culture
Rafi MercerMonarch is a two-level nightclub in San Francisco’s SoMa district known for curated electronic music programming and carefully tuned sound systems. The venue combines an upstairs lounge for early-evening DJ...
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Madrone Art Bar — San Francisco, Soul on Vinyl
Rafi MercerMadrone Art Bar is a long-running music venue in San Francisco known for vinyl DJ nights spanning soul, funk, hip-hop, and disco. Located on Divisadero Street, the venue blends art-gallery...
Madrone Art Bar — San Francisco, Soul on Vinyl
Rafi MercerMadrone Art Bar is a long-running music venue in San Francisco known for vinyl DJ nights spanning soul, funk, hip-hop, and disco. Located on Divisadero Street, the venue blends art-gallery...
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Audio — San Francisco, Underground Sound Archit...
Rafi MercerAudio is a sound-focused nightclub in San Francisco’s SoMa district, known for its carefully tuned Funktion-One system and underground house and techno programming. The venue prioritises sonic clarity and dancefloor...
Audio — San Francisco, Underground Sound Archit...
Rafi MercerAudio is a sound-focused nightclub in San Francisco’s SoMa district, known for its carefully tuned Funktion-One system and underground house and techno programming. The venue prioritises sonic clarity and dancefloor...
The Daily Read
More Reads From Tracks & Tales-
Where the Needle First Dropped — Soho’s Record ...
Rafi MercerDiscover the record shops that defined Soho’s vinyl culture in the 1990s — a Rafi Mercer guide to the London stores where house, soul and jazz travelled hand to hand.
Where the Needle First Dropped — Soho’s Record ...
Rafi MercerDiscover the record shops that defined Soho’s vinyl culture in the 1990s — a Rafi Mercer guide to the London stores where house, soul and jazz travelled hand to hand.
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When the Room Begins to Fill
Rafi MercerDiscover the quiet moment when a cultural idea begins to gather momentum. Rafi Mercer reflects on the early growth of the Listening Club and why slow listening culture grows one...
When the Room Begins to Fill
Rafi MercerDiscover the quiet moment when a cultural idea begins to gather momentum. Rafi Mercer reflects on the early growth of the Listening Club and why slow listening culture grows one...
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The Signal in the Air — When Your Work Travels ...
Rafi MercerDiscover the moment Tracks & Tales drifted onto Monocle Radio’s The Stack — a quiet signal that the global movement around listening culture is beginning to travel beyond its origin.
The Signal in the Air — When Your Work Travels ...
Rafi MercerDiscover the moment Tracks & Tales drifted onto Monocle Radio’s The Stack — a quiet signal that the global movement around listening culture is beginning to travel beyond its origin.
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The First Tale — Opening the The Listening Ledger
Rafi MercerListening has never belonged to one person.Every record carries thousands of invisible stories — the rooms, the cities, the moments when the music found us. Today, Tracks & Tales opens...
The First Tale — Opening the The Listening Ledger
Rafi MercerListening has never belonged to one person.Every record carries thousands of invisible stories — the rooms, the cities, the moments when the music found us. Today, Tracks & Tales opens...
The Listening Albums
More Reads From Tracks & Tales-
Orchestra Baobab — Specialist in All Styles (2002)
Rafi MercerA graceful return from Dakar’s most elegant orchestra — Afro-Cuban guitars, warm horns and patient rhythms drifting through the night air.
Orchestra Baobab — Specialist in All Styles (2002)
Rafi MercerA graceful return from Dakar’s most elegant orchestra — Afro-Cuban guitars, warm horns and patient rhythms drifting through the night air.
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Cheikh Lô — Ne La Thiass (1996)
Rafi MercerA spiritual groove where Senegal meets reggae, soul and the night air By Rafi Mercer Some records feel like a crossroads. Different roads arrive from different directions — rhythms, histories,...
Cheikh Lô — Ne La Thiass (1996)
Rafi MercerA spiritual groove where Senegal meets reggae, soul and the night air By Rafi Mercer Some records feel like a crossroads. Different roads arrive from different directions — rhythms, histories,...
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Baaba Maal — Djam Leelii (1989)
Rafi MercerA luminous acoustic masterpiece where Baaba Maal’s voice and gentle guitar rhythms capture the quiet landscapes of northern Senegal.
Baaba Maal — Djam Leelii (1989)
Rafi MercerA luminous acoustic masterpiece where Baaba Maal’s voice and gentle guitar rhythms capture the quiet landscapes of northern Senegal.
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Youssou N’Dour — Immigrés (1984)
Rafi MercerA landmark mbalax album where sabar drums and soaring vocals transform Dakar’s traditional rhythms into modern West African pop.
Youssou N’Dour — Immigrés (1984)
Rafi MercerA landmark mbalax album where sabar drums and soaring vocals transform Dakar’s traditional rhythms into modern West African pop.
