Hennessy releases a limited edition gold decanter with NFT
500 bottles of Hennessy Paradis Golden Edition will be available for sale at BlockBar starting this Friday, and each will come with a non-fungible token (NFT) designed by Los Angeles-based stylist Veneda Carter.
Hennessy Paradis was first created in 1979, with master blender Maurice Fillioux comparing it to classical music “which takes you away and connects with your emotions”. But with this foray into blockchain, Hennessy has arguably taken a leap into the future.
Carter, who has worked as a stylist for Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, is known for her work with gold, hence why she was chosen for this project. She designed a 3D animated NFT artwork depicting a desert landscape with the Hennessy decanter illuminated by golden light. Describing the work, she said: “[it is] “a richness of nature polished by human hands … Many of us have felt its spirit and we long to understand it, a harmony that binds us”.
BlockBar, the platform where it will be sold, describes itself as “the world’s first DTC [direct-to-consumer] NFT marketplace for luxury wines and spirits’ was founded in October last year. For those unfamiliar with the blockchain world, the purchase procedure may seem somewhat complex:
Upon purchase, BlockBar will keep the physical bottle (with authenticity registration on the blockchain as proof of ownership), and the gift recipient will receive an email to NFT (with a personal message), the Recipient is then invited to create a BlockBar account and accept NFT. They can then choose to either redeem the physical product and have it delivered to them, or exchange the NFT version on the BlockBar market, or keep it in their “virtual bar”.
Dov Falic, BlockBar CEO and co-founder, said: “BlockBar is at the forefront of phygital gifting this holiday season, and we’re excited to offer our community this unique offering that combines an exclusive artwork by Veneda Carter with personalized gift messages and an investable, asset-backed NFT from Hennessy Paradis Golden Edition.”
The first release, September 23, starts at 10am EST, with each $2,500 NFT available for purchase by credit card or Ethereum. The 500 75 centiliter bottles are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. In December, this drop will be followed up with the release of 100 magnums.
NFTs are a growing area of interest in the beverage industry. Earlier this month, it was revealed that fine wine NFT platform Winechain had raised €6 million for expansion.
