ecoSPIRITS to Launch in Cambodia, Partnering With Craft Spirits Distributor & Leading Local Distillery
PHNOM PENH 30 AUGUST 2021 ecoSPIRITS announced today that it has signed a Licensed Operator Agreement for Cambodia with a new joint venture company, eS Operator Cambodia, formed by Moonshine Cambodia, a leading local craft spirits importer and distributor, and Samai Distillery in Phnom Penh, one of Southeast Asia’s leading craft distilleries. Starting in December 2021, the new Licensed Operator partnership will bring low-waste spirits service to a market that is a vibrant tourist destination with rich culture and history as it begin to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Home to just over 16 million people, Cambodia is a Southeast Asian market renowned for its lush landscapes and historical and cultural sites. Spanning the Mekong Delta, low-lying coastal plains, rainforest-clad mountains and the Gulf of Thailand coastline, Cambodia has developed rapidly in recent years as a popular destination for luxury and ecotourism. As a result, premium spirits, waste reduction and sustainable innovation are a natural fit for many of the country’s leading hospitality operators. In recent years, the national government has also taken meaningful steps to fight climate change, including committing to 2030 carbon emissions reductions targets under the United Nations framework and to developing a national strategy for a longer-term journey to Net Zero.
Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Phnom Penh Skyline
PREI Cocktail Bar, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Founded in 2020 in Phnom Penh, Moonshine Cambodia is a craft spirits distributor established by Liza Kao and Stephen Hansen out of a love for quality spirits and cocktails. Moonshine Cambodia is the exclusive importer and distributor of a range of leading premium and craft spirits, including Plantation Rum, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Chartreuse, Aviation Gin, and Michter’s American Whiskeys. Moonshine Cambodia also owns and operates PREI cocktail bar in Phnom Penh, which pays homage to the Cardamom rainforests that are the climate lungs of Southeast Asia.
Liza Kao, Co-Founder & CEO, Moonshine Spirits
“During our time in the hospitality industry, we’ve seen a need more than ever to implement conscious approaches in the industry and support those who want to maximize their impact on sustainable tourism,” notes Kao, CEO and Co-Founder of Moonshine Cambodia, “It made sense for us to team up with ecoSPIRITS to prioritize the circular economy principles in Cambodia, and slowly reduce single-use bottles while making premium spirits more cost effective for hospitality operators. We are proud of Cambodia’s rich heritage and strive to be as aware as a company as we can be for our local community.”
Cambodia’s first and only premium rum distillery, Samai Distillery, was founded in 2014 in Phnom Penh and is regarded as one of Southeast Asia’s pioneering craft distilleries. As Cambodia’s first and only premium rum producer, the Samai team produce hand-crafted, premium rums using high-quality, locally grown ingredients and a process that pays tribute to age-old rum making traditions. Complex and full of character, Samai rums reflect the unique Cambodian terroir. Under the new ecoSPIRITS Licensed Operator partnership, Samai Distillery will host and operate ecoPLANT No. 025 in Phnom Penh, offering the advantages of an expert distillery team in processing ecoTOTE™ formats for the Cambodian market.
The Samai Distillery in Phnom Penh
Handcrafted rums made with local Cambodian sugarcane
Daniel Pacheco, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Samai Distillery
“Sustainability in the alcohol industry is long-overdue, but it has proven a challenge for individual brands to tackle alone,” notes Daniel Pacheco, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Samai Distillery, “ecoSPIRITS is revolutionizing the industry by giving spirits producers, like Samai, a fully developed solution which reduces waste, lowers our need for packaging inventory, reducing carbon emissions from shipping all this inventory across the globe, all while making the final product more affordable to the end consumer… a win for everyone. At Samai, we are proud to be the distillery partner bringing ecoSPIRITS to Cambodia. We hope this will inspire many other initiatives across the country, and across industries, helping Cambodia grow and lead the way in sustainability and the circular economy.”
In a market where leading bars, restaurants and hotels serve ever more eco-conscious guests, news of ecoSPIRITS’ Cambodia launch has received a warm reception. Some of the country’s most prominent venues will join the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner program and prioritise spirits in ecoTOTE™ as soon as closed loop service commences.
“FCC Angkor by Avani is proud to partner with ecoSPIRITS and continue our efforts to push the boundaries of sustainability procedures in hotels. This partnership will allow Scribe Bar to extend its sustainable cocktail menu in which all ingredients involved in the cocktail have zero wastage.“
– Michael Robinson, General Manager, FCC Angkor by Avani Hotels & Resorts.
In Cambodia, the waste problem is complex however, as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, finding a solution is a necessity. It’s an opportunity for Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh to set the bar and a positive example within tourism sector. We would like to contribute as much as we can to be an example among our society as a whole. At Hyatt we use biodegradable packaging, we are also recycling used cooking oil into clean burning diesel fuel (biodiesel), have a soap recycling partnership with Naga Earth, and focus on using sustainable ingredients from local producers to name a few of our initiatives. We look forward to our partnership with EcoSpirits and to further contribute in a positive sense to the waste reductions and management in the city.
– Herman Kemp, General Manager, Hyatt Regency, Phnom Penh
“Sustainability to us at Knai Bang Chatt, is about Impact. Not only impacting our business and guests, but our community. We believe with all measured impact, it begins to change our surroundings for the better. Sustainability is our DNA, however it helps complete the memorable experience for the guest as well. When you stay at Knai Bnag Chatt, you feel the impact from the rooms, to the experiences we create to share with you so you yourself leave feeling impacted positively and recharged.”
– Jay Scaife, Director Food & Beverage, Knai Bang Chatt
Paul Gabie, CEO, ecoSPIRITS
“Climate change is a global crisis that will leave no country unscathed. Like many developing markets, Cambodia is only just beginning to formulate its climate battle plan,” notes Paul Gabie, ecoSPIRITS CEO, “The ecoSPIRITS vision was created with both developed and developing markets in mind. Partnering with industry pioneers like Samai Distillery and Moonshine Cambodia to bring waste and carbon emissions reduction technology to one of Southeast Asia’s most important developing economies shows just how universal the movement to fight climate change is becoming.”
ecoSPIRITS closed loop service will be available in Cambodia from December 2021. Bars, restaurants, hotels, distributors and brands that are interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in Cambodia can get in touch via email at [email protected] or [email protected].
About Moonshine Cambodia
Moonshine was established in 2020 out of a love for quality, craft spirits and bringing cocktail culture to Cambodia. Co-founders Liza Kao and Stephen Hansen brought their knowledge in the hospitality industry from Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City back home to a burgeoning Phnom Penh. Moonshine’s growing exclusive distribution and consulting services currently supports most cocktail bars, retail establishments and hotels in Siem Reap & Phnom Penh areas.
For more information, please visit www.moonshine.asia and www.preiphnompenh.com
About Samai Distillery
Samai Distillery was founded in 2014 in Phnom Penh and is regarded as one of Southeast Asia’s pioneering craft distilleries. As Cambodia’s first and only premium rum producer, the Samai team produce hand-crafted, premium rums using high-quality, locally grown ingredients and a process that pays tribute to age-old rum making traditions. Complex and full of character, Samai rums reflect the unique Cambodian terroir. With four premium products in its portfolio, Samai rums are distributed in France, Singapore, Spain, Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Korea, with more countries to come. If you happen to be in Cambodia, don’t miss a chance to try the rums and exclusive cocktails at the bar inside the distillery, or book your private tour.
For more information visit www.samaidistillery.com
ecoSPIRITS to Launch in Norway With Spirited Animals Group, Marking its Entry into Scandinavia
OSLO 24 AUGUST 2021 ecoSPIRITS announced today that it has signed a Licensed Operator Agreement with Spirited Animals Group, a partnership which will launch closed loop spirits service in Norway in November 2021. ecoPLANT No. 022 will be sited in Oslo, bringing low-carbon, low-waste spirits to a country long known for its forward-thinking approach to sustainability and the environment.
Part of the Nordic Region, Norway is a highly developed economy and spirits market. Home to 5.4 million people, it is well known for mountains, glaciers and deep coastal fjords. The capital, Oslo, is a city of museums, green parks and a vibrant food and beverage scene. In recent years, Norway has joined the world cocktail community, with Oslo’s Himkok, listed regularly amongst the World’s 50 Best Bars, just one of numerous acclaimed venues. Rated as the world’s most sustainable country in 2020, Norway has made a national commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
Nærøyfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Norway
Karl Johans Gate on Oslo's Main Street, Norway
The award-winning Himkok Bar, Oslo, Norway
Spirited Animals Group is a creative hospitality company working in beverage consulting, venue development, and distribution based in Oslo. Founded by Chris Grøtvedt and Barney Blichfeldt, the team has a strategy of working with leading brands and initiatives from around the world to help move Norway’s hospitality market towards the future. Grøtvedt has been a leading figure in the Norwegian hospitality industry for years, having brought THE THIEF five-star hotel onto the international cocktail map, launched Oslo Bar Show (now Norse Bar Show) in 2015 and through his work as the creative partner at *ISM Oslo. Blichfeldt has been a rising star in the import and distribution side of the industry in recent years. With a background in spirits and wine sales and import, as well as work as a beverage director, Blichfeldt brings extensive commercial and operational experience to the venture. With a creative mindset and entrepreneurial spirit, Spirited Animals Group are aiming to help put the Nordics on the international hospitality map.
Chris Grøtvedt, Director of Operations, Spirited Animals Group
“Oslo has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 95% by 2030. However, recycling is only 50% effective in reducing C02 emissions associated with glass use – and we are already recycling around 95% of glass here in Norway. We must change our strategy to reach our goals as a country. A new way of thinking is the only way forward. This is why ecoSPIRITS is so revolutionary for the hospitality industry. We can end single use glass through circular economy principles and a closed loop system. The circular economy is the future. And we are proud to be part of that future.”
Barney Blichfeldt, Commercial Director, Spirited Animals Group
“Coming from import & distribution I constantly monitor trends and sales. I see, every day, how much single use glass is distributed, and wasted, even in a small country like Norway. By applying circular economy principles ecoSPIRITS is drastically reducing carbon emissions, offering a much more sustainable route to market for brands and producers. Whilst bringing hospitality teams and the consumer on board by giving them an option to serve and drink in a greener way. We are excited to be the first ecoSPIRITS partner in Scandinavia and to launch this cutting-edge technology to our home market.”
Under this latest ecoSPIRITS Licensed Operator partnership, the world’s 22nd ecoPLANT will be commissioned in Oslo starting in late October with onsite support from the ecoSPIRITS engineering team. ecoSPIRITS closed loop service will be available in Norway from late November, starting with bars, restaurants and hotels in Oslo. Over the first half of 2022, Spirited Animals Group plans to expand ecoTOTE™ deliveries nationwide and to offer open access to the system to a growing list of brands and distributors under the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program. Norway will also participate in the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program, planting one tree for every ecoTOTE™delivered to hospitality venues.
As seen in other markets around the world, the early feedback from local bars, restaurants and hotels on ecoSPIRITS’ arrival in Norway has been overwhelmingly positive.
Slavomir Kytka, Bar Manager, Amerikalinjen
“At Amerikalinjen, we care about history, but also the future. As a venue, we feel it is very important to do our small part to help fight climate change. One way is to cut our carbon emissions footprint and eliminate single use waste wherever possible. Ordering our spirits in ecoTOTE™ format is a revolutionary way to do so.”
Marek Novak, Bar Manager, Kranen Bar, Edvard Munch Museum
Kranen Bar, Edvard Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway
“We feel ecoSPIRITS is a bright example of how the bar industry keeps evolving by becoming more and more mindful of our contribution to environmental pollution. ecoSPIRITS is a natural fit for high volume venues. Their SmartPour technology makes in-house bottled cocktails and pre-batching easier as well. I have been following this project since their launch in Singapore in 2018 and I am extremely excited to be one of the pioneer users in Scandinavia. We will spread the word from Kranen Bar at the Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo!”
Zdenek Kastanek, International Sales Director, ecoSPIRITS
“The ecoSPIRITS Licensed Operator Program is a worldwide network of experienced hospitality entrepreneurs and investors who own and operate ecoSPIRITS closed loop service in individual territories. Barney and Chris fit this mould perfectly with Spirited Animals Group. They are prime examples of the up-and-coming innovators who dare to think differently and, as a result, are driving the change in our industry and the planet so desperately need. The future is more hopeful in a world where teams like Spirited Animals Group are hard at work.”
ecoSPIRITS closed loop service will be available in Norway from November 2021. Bars, restaurants, hotels, distributors and brands that are interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in Norway can get in touch via email [email protected] or ecospirits@spiritedanimals.no
About Spirited Animals Group
Founded in Oslo in 2021, Spirited Animals Group is a creative company within the hospitality industry. They focus on creative work through consultancy, management and projects through hotels, bars and restaurants all over the Nordics. Launched in 2021, they have already put themselves on the map by signing consultancy and partnership contracts with places such as the five-star Hotel Continental in Oslo Kansai Group in Stockholm and have already completed a restaurant opening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia earlier this year. ecoSPIRITS is the latest addition to their growing portfolio of projects.
For more information, please visit www.spiritedanimals.no