Diageo Partners with ecoSPIRITS to Take Circular Spirits Packaging Global
LONDON 30 November 2023 Diageo and ecoSPIRITS have announced a global agreement for the distribution of a range of Diageo spirits brands in ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technology in an expected 18 markets over the next three years. Diageo’s commitment to broad deployment of a circular packaging format is the first of its kind in the spirits industry and forms part of its 10-year ESG action plan Society 2030: Spirit of Progress. As part of the new collaboration, Diageo spirit brands will be made available at participating bars, restaurants and hotels in ecoSPIRITS’ award-winning ecoTOTE™ format, starting with Smirnoff vodka, Captain Morgan rum, and Gordon’s gin. ecoSPIRITS is also investing in expanding its customer success resources to support the new collaboration, fielding an implementation team in London dedicated to supporting technology deployments in individual Diageo markets around the world.
Smirnoff vodka, Gordon’s gin and Captain Morgan rum will be the first brands to feature in the new collaboration.
As part of the new agreement, Diageo will have access to ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technology platform, including the ecoTOTE, SmartPour™ and CircularONE™ technologies. Diageo brands and local market affiliates will also have access to ecoSPIRITS’ global network of ecoPLANT™ processing sites, which are operated by its licensed operators in more than 25 countries around the world. The global agreement provides a flexible framework that allows individual Diageo markets to pilot and scale circular packaging as part of their local business development and sustainability plans.
Diageo first started working with ecoSPIRITS in 2021 through the Diageo Sustainable Solutions programme, which aims to find technology innovators that can bridge the innovation gap across Diageo’s supply chain to help the company reach its ESG targets. The partnership also aligns with Diageo’s Society 2030: Spirit of Progress plan and it is a step towards its goal of reducing carbon emissions across the supply chain by 50% by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050.
Ewan Andrew, President, Global Supply Chain & Procurement and Chief Sustainability Officer, Diageo
“This is another example of a triple win where the planet, consumers and Diageo will all benefit. We will be able to reduce both carbon and cost and the pubs and bars will benefit from the ease of having reusable spirits packaging.”
The new global partnership builds on the successful ongoing pilot programme of the ecoSPIRITS technology by Diageo Indonesia that started in 2022. As part of this initiative, Smirnoff vodka is supplied in ecoTOTE format to 38 leading bars, restaurants and hotels in Bali and Jakarta. Diageo Indonesia also commissioned an ecoPLANT 2.0S to process and refill ecoTOTEs at its existing production facility in Bali. The local closed loop system has been operational for almost a year, generating positive feedback from outlet partners and consumers alike and confirming the commercial viability of circular packaging in the Indonesian market.
Atlas Beach Club, Jungle Fish and Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay are among the venues receiving Smirnoff vodka in ecoTOTE format in Indonesia.
Updating global supply chains to accommodate circular packaging formats is a complex endeavour, requiring a close working partnership between ecoSPIRITS and global customers like Diageo. To support the new partnership, and in response to continued growth in demand for circular packaging worldwide, ecoSPIRITS is expanding its London office with the appointment of additional customer success resources. ecoSPIRITS’ newly-appointed Senior Vice President, Customer Success, James Doyle, will lead global and regional teams supporting Diageo and its local market affiliates as they integrate ecoSPIRITS’ platform of ecoPLANT, ecoTOTE, SmartPour and CircularONE technologies into their local operations. The expanded London-based team will include global project and technical leads dedicated to supporting Diageo deployments under the new global agreement.
James Doyle, Senior Vice President, Customer Success, ecoSPIRITS
“We are delighted that our pilot collaboration with Diageo Indonesia has led to this new global agreement. Integrating a circular solution like ecoSPIRITS into existing supply chains is an exciting but complex challenge. Our team looks forward to working closely with Diageo’s teams around the world to make these new launches a resounding success. We are confident that Diageo’s iconic spirits brands will be welcomed in ecoTOTE format by venues and consumers across the world.”
Under the new partnership, Diageo’s spirit brands will be made available in ecoTOTE format at participating markets, with Gordon’s gin initially set to join Smirnoff vodka and Captain Morgan rum. In 2024, new Gordon’s gin co-branded editions of the ecoTOTE 3.0S and SmartPour 2.0S will join the existing Smirnoff vodka and Captain Morgan rum editions. Taken together, the selection of premium vodka, gin and rum offerings in circular packaging allows partnering bars, restaurants and hotels to reduce single use packaging waste and carbon footprint associated with some of their highest-volume pouring spirits.
New Gordon’s gin co-branded editions of the ecoTOTE 3.0S and SmartPour 2.0S will be introduced in 2024.
Paul Gabie, CEO, ecoSPIRITS
“ecoSPIRITS’ mission is to end single use glass in the spirits and wine industry. For the circular economy to achieve global scale, innovators like ecoSPIRITS need the support of industry leaders like Diageo in catalysing the linear to circular packaging transition. As such, this new global agreement is a significant milestone for ecoSPIRITS and our journey to a circular future. We are grateful to our partners at Diageo for the seriousness of their commitment to a more sustainable and inclusive world.”
More details of the companies’ collaboration plans, including initial market launches, will be announced in early 2024. For media enquiries and general information please contact [email protected] or Jessica Hurford, Sustainability Communications Manager, Diageo, on [email protected] and Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager, ecoSPIRITS, on [email protected].
About Diageo
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories These brands include Johnnie Walker, Singleton, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray, and Guinness. Diageo is a global company whose products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com.
Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 23 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. More than 2,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 27 countries worldwide by early 2024. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
For more information, visit: https://ecospirits.global.
ecoSPIRITS, Mancino and Proof & Company Launch First Vermouth in Circular Packaging
MELBOURNE 27 November 2023 ecoSPIRITS licensed operator Proof & Company has expanded its closed loop offering in Australia with the launch of the first vermouth to be available in ecoTOTE™ format. The move, which builds on a ten-year relationship between Proof & Company and Mancino Vermouth, a leading global craft vermouth brand, represents the first time a vermouth has been available in low carbon, low waste circular packaging. The partnership with Mancino Vermouth has been made possible with ecoSPIRITS’ new circular wine technology, which offers lifecycle preservation for wines and vermouth from production to point of service. Mancino Vermouth in ecoTOTE format is now available in the first Australian venues.
Mancino Vermouth is the first vermouth available in ecoTOTE format.
Mancino Vermouth was selected as the vermouth category launch partner for ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging system. The brand, created by legendary Italian bartender, Giancarlo Mancino, is known for being a product of exceptional quality and refined character. Mancino is produced through the fortification of a delicate Trebbiano di Romana wine and the infusion of 38 aromatic herbs, resulting in a full-bodied 16% ABV vermouth. In 2021, the brand was acquired by The Lucano Group, the world renowned Italian amaro and spirits company.
Mancino Vermouth is made using the finest hand-picked spices and botanicals.
Vermouth is a fortified wine – part of the ‘aromatised’ wine family – and it is traditionally drunk as an aperitivo, before a meal. This botanical drink has been popular for many years in Italy, Spain and France, and in recent years this trend has spread to Australia. Popular in the bar world, Mancino Vermouth is often used as an ingredient for cocktails such as the Negroni, the Manhattan, martinis and summer spritzes. Leading Asia Pacific independent spirits distributor, Proof & Company, has been distributing Mancino Vermouth to bars, hotels and restaurants across Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and China for more than 10 years.
Vermouth is popular as a cocktail ingredient for drinks such as the Negroni and the Manhattan.
Mancino Vermouth is now available in the stone grey ecoTOTE 3.0W which forms part of ecoSPIRITS’ circular wine technology. The wine version of ecoSPIRITS closed loop system has been designed to eliminate single use glass, while also delivering hygiene, oxidation, temperature and ultraviolet light protection to wines and vermouth. Vermouth ecoTOTEs are processed at an ecoPLANT 2.0W, which has been upgraded to support bottling of wines and vermouths. The upgraded ecoPLANT generates high purity nitrogen gas for vermouth blanketing and preservation once in the ecoTOTE. Venues receiving their Mancino Vermouth in ecoTOTE format can refill branded Mancino bottles using a SmartPour™, in the same way that venues work with spirits in ecoTOTE format.
The first venues in the Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney have already started receiving Mancino Vermouth in ecoTOTE format delivered by Proof & Company. Early Melbourne-based pioneers include Chinatown’s contemporary whisky and cocktail bar, One or Two Bar, and Continental Deli in Hawthorn. Meanwhile, Hilton Sydney’s Zeta Cocktail Bar is one of the early adopters of this technology in Sydney.
Hilton Sydney’s popular cocktail destination, Zeta Bar, is now taking Mancino Vermouth in ecoTOTE format.
Hayden Hughes, General Manager, Hilton Sydney (Zeta Cocktail Bar)
“Recently partnering with Mancino Vermouth and, in particular, Mancino in ecoSPIRITS form, aligns with Hilton’s 2030 sustainability goals, which (among other key targets) heroes the reduction of single use materials. At Hilton Sydney, our focus on sustainability is geared toward key areas such as waste management, water efficiency, use of eco-friendly materials and energy usage, and we are thrilled to now also be supporting the use of ecoSPIRITS on property.”
Giancarlo Mancino, Founder and Owner of Mancino Vermouth
“I am very proud and excited to be a part of this collaboration with ecoSPIRITS. And being the first vermouth brand in the world to be low carbon and low waste is a step forward in making a difference to our footprint as a business. With ecoSPIRITS’ determination in driving the sustainability message I’m sure we shall all be a huge success, opening further doors in the future for a perfect, no nonsense alternative. Salute!”
Vienna Thompson, Chief Marketing Officer, Proof & Company
“We’re thrilled that our long-term brand partner Mancino Vermouth joins forces with the ecoSPIRITS technology – this underscores our shared commitment for a future where spirit excellence meets environmental responsibility. And we’re extremely proud to be the first to launch this in the Australian market.”
James Wynn-Williams, ecoSPIRITS Sales Manager for Asia Pacific
“Aperitivo-style drinks are popular in Australia currently, and many of the country’s top cocktail bars are seeing good sales of cocktails such as Negronis, Vermouth Highballs and Spritzes, so by offering vermouth in ecoTOTE format Proof & Company can now help venues across Australia to dramatically reduce their single use glass bottle waste. We are delighted that the respected brand Mancino is now the world’s first vermouth in circular packaging.”
For media inquiries or general information about ecoSPIRITS, please contact Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager, at [email protected].
About Mancino Vermouth
Mancino Vermouth was born in 2011 in a small family-run distillery in Asti, Piedmont. The distillery, established over 60 years ago in 1957, inspired Giancarlo Mancino, owner of the brand, to compose his own vermouth using only the finest hand-picked spices and botanicals. From the moment you pick up the bottle, its classic look and feel, together with the bittersweet concoctions awaiting inside, impress upon you the timeless character that make Mancino Vermouth an integral part of the world’s finest cocktail bars.
For more information, please visit www.mancinovermouth.com.
About Proof & Company
Proof & Company is one of Asia Pacific’s leading independent spirits companies, merging a disruptive approach to independent spirits distribution with a team of highly regarded bartenders and educators, a customer-focused mindset, and the region’s leading hospitality clients. From offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Auckland and Christchurch, Proof & Company manages the exclusive distribution of a portfolio of independent spirits, craft cocktail ingredients, and premium bar tools and glassware. Proof Creative’s award-winning team of Senior Bar Consultants is one of the most well-regarded creative teams in the cocktail and spirits community globally. Together they guide the development of bars for clients across Asia Pacific. Four of these bars ranked in the World’s 50 Best Bars list of 2020 and eight in the Asia’s 50 Best Bars List 2021, including Proof & Company’s own cocktail bar, 28 HongKong Street in Singapore.
For more information, please visit https://proofandcompany.com/.
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first closed loop packaging system for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 23 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Almost 2,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 27 countries worldwide by late 2023. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
For more information, please visit: https://ecospirits.global/.
ecoSPIRITS USA to Launch in Nevada, Starting With Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS 6 November 2023 eS Operator USA I LLC, ecoSPIRITS’ licensed operator for the United States, will launch closed loop spirits packaging service in Nevada, starting with Las Vegas, a city known for its high concentration of casinos, hotels and bars. As part of the Nevada launch, a new ecoPLANT, the third in the US market, will be brought online in partnership with 17A Stillery LLC, a Las Vegas-based distillery. One of city’s largest casinos – South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa – will act as the launch customer in the state, piloting the closed loop spirits technology for high volume casino beverage operations. As part of the launch, ecoSPIRITS has also developed a new technology solution to make its award-winning ecoTOTE™ format compatible with back-of-house systems known as ‘pump rooms’, which are commonplace in the casino industry. The Nevada ecoPLANT will begin deploying spirits in ecoTOTE format from January 2024.
The ecoPLANT host for Nevada, 17A Stillery, produces City Light Shine, which is 100% distilled in Las Vegas from a traditional southern moonshine recipe using a whiskey-style mash to create moonshine in flavors such as blueberry and salted caramel. 17A Stillery was founded by Brendan Gaughan, whose family also owns the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa. The Gaughan family has operated and owned casinos in Las Vegas since the late 1940s; Brendan Gaughan is the grandson and son of Vegas gaming pioneers Jackie Gaughan and Michael Gaughan. The South Point casino is one of Las Vegas’s busiest resorts, boasting a 64-lane bowling center, 16-theatre movie complex, 600-seat bingo hall, 11 restaurants and six bars. The South Point is also home to the country’s largest indoor equestrian center with a 4,400-seat arena and more than 1,300 indoor, climate controlled horse stalls. The South Point will be the first hospitality venue in Nevada to take delivery of spirits in ecoTOTE format, starting in January 2024, with others set to join shortly after.
17A Stillery, which is famous for producing City Light Shine, is the host company for the Nevada ecoPLANT.
The South Point is situated on Las Vegas Boulevard, just a few miles south of the famous Las Vegas Strip, a stretch of the Boulevard known for its high concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip is home to many of the largest hotel, casino and resort properties in the world, establishing it as one of the most popular and iconic tourist destinations globally and one of the driving forces for Las Vegas’s economy. The hotel casino properties are known for their contemporary architecture, lights and wide variety of attractions and in recent years resorts have trended towards the luxurious high end segment, including high end dining, nightclubs and cocktail bars.
The South Point Hotel, Casino & Resort is one of Las Vegas’s busiest resorts.
Although the Las Vegas Strip has elaborate neon lighting displays, many of the hotel resort properties have made extensive sustainability efforts, including water conservation, recycling, waste reduction and energy efficiency programs. Renewable energy is generated and used on the Strip, while energy efficient buildings are also being implemented and this area has one of the highest concentrations of LEED-certified buildings in the world. The South Point casino is among those with sustainability high up on its agenda and its efforts include a focus on reducing water, waste and energy usage. By taking delivery of spirits in ecoTOTE format, The South Point will help demonstrate the benefits of reducing single use glass waste in Las Vegas on a large commercial scale.
The Las Vegas Strip has elaborate displays but also one of the highest concentrations of LEED-certified buildings in the world.
As part of the new partnership, ecoPLANT No. 30 will be located in a dedicated production and warehouse facility to be operated by 17A Stillery, with distillery production staff trained and supported by ecoSPIRITS’ global Circular Operations team.
The ecoPLANT for Nevada will be located in a production facility operated by 17A Stillery.
To support the casino industry in Nevada, ecoSPIRITS has worked with The South Point to develop a technology extension that makes its ecoTOTE format compatible with casino back-of-house systems for house pour spirits known informally as ‘pump rooms.’ These systems allow high volume beverage operations to efficiently dispense house spirits in ‘draft’ form on the casino floor; however, the high volume of spirits poured make these operations a major source of single use glass waste. By integrating a circular packaging solution into existing casino beverage systems, ecoSPIRITS can help operators eliminate nearly all of the packaging waste generated by their highest volume house pour spirits.
The ecoSPIRITS technology has been upgraded to suit back-of-house casino pump rooms.
Brendan Gaughan, Owner of The South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa and Founder of 17A Stillery
“We are delighted that South Point Casino, Hotel & Spa will be the first venue in Las Vegas to work with ecoSPIRITS and we hope this paves the way for venues across the city to follow suit, so that we can work together to eliminate single use glass waste. We are also excited about 17A Stillery acting as the host facility for ecoSPIRITS’ ecoPLANT in Nevada, we are certain this site will become very busy very soon, as more venues look to make the transition to circular packaging technology for spirits.”
Zdenek Kastanek, Managing Director, ecoSPIRITS USA
“ecoSPIRITS USA is focusing on expanding into high-consumption states where we can make a major difference in reducing single use glass waste. This not only represents our third ecoPLANT activation, but also an important move for the business in being able to tackle the all-important casino segment, following our recent move into the cruise industry. We are delighted to have found the perfect host partner and site in Las Vegas for our Nevada ecoPLANT. 17A Stillery and the Gaughan family bring invaluable expertise and knowledge, not only about the spirits market, but also the casino industry and the Las Vegas hospitality segment. We are looking forward to getting started together!”
For information about opportunities to partner with ecoSPIRITS in North America, please contact Jessica Berry at [email protected]. For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager at [email protected].
About 17A Stillery
City Light Shine is produced by 17A Stillery. We are the only legal distillery in the history of Las Vegas. Our facility is located in the Southwest area of Las Vegas approximately 3.5 miles west of the South Point Casino. The name of the company is derived from one of our founder’s NASCAR roots. Mike Dolan was a former NASCAR official for over 20 years and his radio designation was ‘17A’, so our name is in honor of his former career and our southern beginnings, which everyone knowns, all the best shines come from the South. The rest of the company is all Vegas! Brendan Gaughan’s family goes all the way back to the 1940s and the Gaughan family name has become synonymous with Las Vegas and is the name that all the locals know and trust.
For more information, visit: www.citylightsshine.com.
About South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa
South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa is a resort located in the heart of the premiere southwest Las Vegas valley, just minutes away from the famous Las Vegas Strip. Some of our many amenities include a 16-screen Century Theatre movie complex, 64-lane bowling center and 60 lane tournament bowling plaza and a variety of 11 restaurants that cater to all appetites and tastes. Our Las Vegas casino features a large selection of table games including Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Progressive Fortune Pai-Gow Poker, No Commission Baccarat, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘em with Progressive and Three Card Poker with Progressive. More than 2,100 of the most popular slot and video poker machines featuring ticket-in, ticket-out technology. Our distinctive hotel features spacious rooms and suites with 50 inch view surface with 4k resolution televisions, Point Plush mattresses and Wireless Fidelity throughout. A unique feature to this property is its Equestrian Center, which is the finest horse facility in the country. South Point also has a fabulous 400-seat showroom that features headliner entertainment and dancing to live bands.
For more information, visit: www.southpointcasino.com.
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 22 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 2,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 27 countries worldwide by the end of 2023. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
For more information, visit: https://ecospirits.global/.