MANIFESTO

An idea has started to unfold in the void.Journeying through Europe, wandering from city to city, from village to village, from hamlet to hamlet, one thing became clear: Europe is covered with gems.There is a story deeply rooted in our history, in our communities, in our rituals … one that we are in the process of forgetting.One that used to connect us but has become covered in dust over time. Where relevance and keeping up with today’s zeitgeist may be lacking, the potential for future legacy remains.The reason why? There are many. But most outstanding is that we are clinging to our heritage instead of honouring it … adapting it to modern uses, and daring to look beyond the horizon of what is possible.Digestifs, liqueurs, nightcaps… after-dinner drinks. Once markers of connection, reflection, and closure. Today, often misunderstood, underused, or reduced to dusty bottles on a shelf.The problem is not the heritage itself. The problem is that we have been clinging to it, instead of honouring it, adapting it to modern lives, modern tastes, and modern rituals. We preserved the form, but lost the connection.Yet the potential remains.Through heritage and innovation, we can continue to build a legacy for the future. One that remembers the past, while fully embracing the here and now.House No.9 exists in that space.As a living European collective, bringing together makers, chefs, and curious minds, we explore forgotten drinks, rethink their place in contemporary culture, and begin to rewrite the rituals around them.This is not a finished story. It is a house in the making, inviting you to be part of its ongoing creation.