PAPER Celebrates EXPO Chicago With Soho House and Mortlach Whisky
Story by Justin Moran / Photography by AmbercitaApr 20, 2023
EXPO Chicago took over the Windy City this weekend, bringing 170 exhibitors from 36 countries to Navy Pier for the annual art fair. Adding to the extensive programming, PAPER flew in to host a private dinner on Friday, April 14 at Soho House Chicago with Mortlach Whisky, as an intimate celebration of community and creativity.
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Chance the Rapper, who appeared at EXPO’s opening night in-discussion with artist Hank Willis Thomas, was a special guest for our dinner, alongside fellow Chicago rapper Vic Mensa and several members of the art industry: Gio Swaby, Athi-Patra Ruga, Nikko Washington and Oluseye, among others. Easy Otabor, of Chicago’s own Anthony Gallery, was also in attendance, accompanied by Henry Swanson, whose art was an EXPO highlight this year.
Mortlach opened the meal with an educational whisky tasting, talking through the brand’s distillation process originally created 200 years ago and still implemented in Dufftown today. Guests also sipped on signature Mortlach cocktails: the Penicillin, made with Mortlach’s 16-year-aged scotch whisky, the Mortlach Manhattan and the Scotch Paper Plane, first developed in 2008 during the height of M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” hit at The Violet Hour in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood.
Then, the meal, courtesy of Soho House’s kitchen: Baby Kale Salad and Burrata to start, followed by Roasted Salmon, Brick Chicken and Penne a la Vodka, with Grilled Glazed Carrots and Papas Bravas; for dessert, guests finished off dinner with either a Classic Cheesecake and Strawberries or Vegan Chocolate Cookies — all while putting our new Mortlach whisky tasting skills to test throughout each course.
Photo courtesy of Mortlach Whisky
The day prior, Chicago-based photographer Paul Octavious set up a PAPERbooth inside EXPO in partnership with Mortlach, where VIP’s from the art fair’s opening night stopped by to get their photo taken in a wash of custom technicolor light. Everyone from Chance the Rapper to Zizipho Poswa came through, and the final photos were displayed throughout Soho House at dinner.
See candid moments from PAPER’s dinner with EXPO Chicago, Soho House and Mortlach Whisky, below.
This article is a sponsored collaboration between PAPER and Mortlach Whisky.
We discourage irresponsible and/or underage drinking. Please drink responsibly.
Photography: Ambercita
