NFTs debuts interactive gin, whiskey and fine wine projects, revolutionizing the spirits industry

By: Christos Makridis

With many eyes turned to the prominent collapse of FTX and other major web3 token projects, there are exciting and new use cases behind NFTs brewing in the spirits industry. NFTs are about authenticating ownership of not only digital assets, but also physical ones, including fine wines and other beverages.

Recently, three examples have launched, giving NFT holders the ability to not only showcase their digital beverage collection, but also receive actual physical drinks and benefits that drive greater consumer engagement and satisfaction.

Asbhurner’s Premium Gin

Ashburner’s Premium GIN – an Austrian drinks company – released a limited edition of 999 bottles in the new acerola flavor edition with a pre-sale for newsletter subscribers and existing customers starting November 23rd and November 25th for others. In addition to the change in taste, new technical features have been integrated: each gin bottle contains a digital NFT twin in the blockchain that not only enables verification of the product, gives buyers the opportunity to participate interactively in company decisions and grow in an exclusive community. The physical integration between NFT and gin was implemented by VariusSystems, a leading blockchain and information technology company also in Austria.

Built on the Polygon blockchain, NFT not only provides assurance and provenance that the gin is legitimate and not a fraudulent knock-off, but also a number of benefits including: discounts on products, participation in raffles, invitations to events, and, perhaps even more importantly, the chance to vote on new products. It is the first time that management rights have been distributed through an NFT in the spirits industry, which provides new opportunities for customer engagement.

“We always wanted to let our best customers have a say in our creations. We also wanted to reward them for their loyalty. With NFTs we can do both – customers can have a voice in the creation of new flavors and get exclusive access to tastings,” said Wolfgang Aschenbrenner, founder of Ashburners Premium GIN.

The winter edition of acerola is the first flavor of the planned non-fungible gin (NFGin) line, which is a great gift for the holidays and many more are planned after the collection is sold out and NFT holders can vote. The production of the gin is done sustainably in Vienna with local partners.

Johnnie Walker Blue

Following the successful release of Ghost & Rare NFT, Johnnie Walker in collaboration with BlockBar, Vayner3 and 88rising will release a new limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label on November 22nd on BlockBar.com featuring artwork by artist Vandy the Pink. “Following the successful launch of the VeeFriends collaboration, and the launch of the Johnnie Walker Ghost and Rare Master Set and NFT on BlockBar.com, we are thrilled with the momentum Johnnie Walker has created over the past year,” said Avery Akkineni, President of Vayner 3 .

NFT holders will have the opportunity to influence the final design, culminating in an experience during Art Basel where NFT holders will also have access to an immersive whiskey experience curated by Vayner3 at ‘V’ Scope Miami Beach. “Johnnie Walker Blue Label has become a recognized symbol of prestige and I am excited to imprint my artistic vision on one of the most iconic blended Scotch whiskeys in the world. Inspired by the complex harmony and depth of character, I wanted my artwork to should be symbolic of the balance in the bottle as the represented communities Johnnie Walker and 88rising bring together, says Junghoon Vandy Son, founder of VANDYTHEPINK.

The collaboration is also unique because of the innovative partners with proven results it brings together. “It’s critical for brands to meet consumers where they are in culture, and with Web3 we saw an exciting opportunity to join forces with like-minded cultural innovators and bold creators to bring value to communities forming in this new digital landscape. Gary Vaynerchuk is one of the eager pioneers, and although Web3 is still somewhat uncharted territory, we wanted to make sure we had a partner who was ready to take risks, learn and adapt with us while having fun through the experiences we provide to consumers,” said Sophie Kelly, senior vice president at DIAGEO North America.

These activations have been very successful. “One of our first collaborations with Vayner3 was a unique Johnnie Walker Blue Label gifting experience with the Gift Goat token holders that we revealed during an event at VeeCon. The reactions we got on social media were overwhelmingly positive and well above average engagement for Johnnie Walker. Also , for the fourth release of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare, we collaborated with artist Ivona Tau to create an NFT to accompany the bottle available exclusively on Blockbar.com.The release sold out in less than 13 seconds, so it is definitely enthusiasm from the Web3 community who are excited to experience our rare and collectible spirits through this new digital landscape,” continued Kelly.

Soigner fine wines

In preparation for launch in February 2023, Soignér will be a members-only wine marketplace to shop, collect and buy fine wine. Each bottle in their ecosystem will be authenticated by a court of master sommeliers before issuing a tokenized proof of authenticity through an NFT, coupled with receiving the physical bottle of wine in real life. Soignér will allow wine lovers and collectors to not only obtain authenticated fine wines, but also showcase them in a digital cellar on the Soignér platform.

A new and younger generation of wine collectors is emerging. “The younger generation of wine lovers are passionate about locally grown wines and understand the stories behind them,” said David Keck, a master sommelier.

Expected to launch in February 2023 at OpenSea, Soignér is attracting a new genre of wine collectors deeply embedded in web3. The collaboration between Soignér and OpenSea also highlights an exciting use case for royalties and remuneration for those involved in wine production.

These are just a few examples of the rise in utility NFTs that offer buyers not only a physical product that they would otherwise purchase through standard marketplaces, but also an additional digital asset that is authenticated on the blockchain.