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-
Black Lacquer — London / Old Bailey — Subterran...
Rafi MercerA subterranean vinyl-led bar beneath Old Bailey, Black Lacquer brings a new kind of London listening culture — intimate, crafted, and built for those who treat sound as a luxury.
Black Lacquer — London / Old Bailey — Subterran...
Rafi MercerA subterranean vinyl-led bar beneath Old Bailey, Black Lacquer brings a new kind of London listening culture — intimate, crafted, and built for those who treat sound as a luxury.
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Jan’s Place — San Luis Obispo’s Vinyl Sanctuary
Rafi MercerA quiet California sanctuary built around vinyl, intention, and beautifully tuned sound — Rafi Mercer on why Jan’s Place in San Luis Obispo feels like a small but essential reminder...
Jan’s Place — San Luis Obispo’s Vinyl Sanctuary
Rafi MercerA quiet California sanctuary built around vinyl, intention, and beautifully tuned sound — Rafi Mercer on why Jan’s Place in San Luis Obispo feels like a small but essential reminder...
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Shibuya HiFi — Seattle / Ballard + nocturnal an...
Rafi MercerShibuya HiFi in Seattle — a nocturnal analogue refuge where albums are played with intention and listening becomes a shared act of quiet
Shibuya HiFi — Seattle / Ballard + nocturnal an...
Rafi MercerShibuya HiFi in Seattle — a nocturnal analogue refuge where albums are played with intention and listening becomes a shared act of quiet
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Ambient Bar — Helsinki/Arabia District — quiet ...
Rafi MercerA quiet, glowing corner of Helsinki where ambient sound, Nordic design and deep listening come together — Ambient Bar is the space where the city’s calm becomes a kind of...
Ambient Bar — Helsinki/Arabia District — quiet ...
Rafi MercerA quiet, glowing corner of Helsinki where ambient sound, Nordic design and deep listening come together — Ambient Bar is the space where the city’s calm becomes a kind of...
The Daily Read
More Reads From Tracks & Tales-
If I Were to Build the Best
Rafi MercerRafi Mercer reflects on Koenigsegg’s hypercar mindset and asks what “the best” would look like in listening. The answer: nothing works without the human at the centre — presence is...
If I Were to Build the Best
Rafi MercerRafi Mercer reflects on Koenigsegg’s hypercar mindset and asks what “the best” would look like in listening. The answer: nothing works without the human at the centre — presence is...
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The City That Opens When You’re Not Looking
Rafi MercerA rainy, chaotic London night turns unexpectedly intimate — a hidden basement bar, a Ronnie Scott’s sound engineer, and the calm ritual of an old fashioned.
The City That Opens When You’re Not Looking
Rafi MercerA rainy, chaotic London night turns unexpectedly intimate — a hidden basement bar, a Ronnie Scott’s sound engineer, and the calm ritual of an old fashioned.
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A Note on Reaching Out — The Quiet Courage of A...
Rafi MercerA reflective note on the quiet bravery of reaching out for new creative chapters — and how editorial craft, community building, and digital storytelling can align toward a new direction.
A Note on Reaching Out — The Quiet Courage of A...
Rafi MercerA reflective note on the quiet bravery of reaching out for new creative chapters — and how editorial craft, community building, and digital storytelling can align toward a new direction.
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A Quiet Email to Zürich — On Ambition and the L...
Rafi MercerA reflective note on the next chapter for Tracks & Tales: reaching out to Tyler Brûlé and the Monocle world, balancing ambition with humility, and imagining a shared album at...
A Quiet Email to Zürich — On Ambition and the L...
Rafi MercerA reflective note on the next chapter for Tracks & Tales: reaching out to Tyler Brûlé and the Monocle world, balancing ambition with humility, and imagining a shared album at...
The Listening Albums
More Reads From Tracks & Tales-
A Tribe Called Quest — Midnight Marauders (1993)
Rafi MercerRafi Mercer revisits Midnight Marauders, A Tribe Called Quest’s effortlessly cool 1993 masterpiece — a nighttime world of groove, clarity, and movement that remains as vital today as ever.
A Tribe Called Quest — Midnight Marauders (1993)
Rafi MercerRafi Mercer revisits Midnight Marauders, A Tribe Called Quest’s effortlessly cool 1993 masterpiece — a nighttime world of groove, clarity, and movement that remains as vital today as ever.
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Dusty Springfield — You Don’t Have to Say You L...
Rafi MercerA reflective album review of Dusty Springfield’s You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, exploring its emotional clarity and why it remains powerfully present when revisited today.
Dusty Springfield — You Don’t Have to Say You L...
Rafi MercerA reflective album review of Dusty Springfield’s You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, exploring its emotional clarity and why it remains powerfully present when revisited today.
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Pat Metheny Group — Offramp (1982)
Rafi MercerA reflective album essay on Pat Metheny Group’s Offramp — exploring the creative relationships, energy, and shared imagination that make music a capsule for bigger ideas.
Pat Metheny Group — Offramp (1982)
Rafi MercerA reflective album essay on Pat Metheny Group’s Offramp — exploring the creative relationships, energy, and shared imagination that make music a capsule for bigger ideas.
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Blue Break Beats — Various Artists (Blue Note, ...
Rafi MercerA Rafi Mercer reflection on Blue Break Beats — 50 of the Best, the influential Blue Note compilation that shaped hip-hop sampling culture and taught a generation how to hear...
Blue Break Beats — Various Artists (Blue Note, ...
Rafi MercerA Rafi Mercer reflection on Blue Break Beats — 50 of the Best, the influential Blue Note compilation that shaped hip-hop sampling culture and taught a generation how to hear...
