News

MELBOURNE 16 July 2024 Proof & Company, ecoSPIRITS’ licensed operator for Australia, has launched distribution of seven craft spirits from Husk Distillers’ portfolio in ecoTOTE™ format across the country. Husk Distillers, which recently joined the Proof & Company stable of distribution brands, is known for its ‘farm to bottle’ philosophy and passion for sustainability, and is the producer of popular Australian-born brands, Ink Gin and Husk Rum. ecoTOTE processing for this new partnership is taking place at Proof’s new co-packing partner, The Melbourne Distilling Co, with ecoTOTEs of the new spirits now available for distribution to on-trade venues across the country. At a later stage, Proof & Company also plans to introduce Husk brands in ecoTOTE format to venues in New Zealand.

As ecoSPIRITS’ first Licensed Operator in the Asia Pacific region, Proof & Company has led the expansion of the ecoSPIRITS technology in Australia – as well as Singapore, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and New Zealand – since early 2019. Since it was founded in 2012, Proof & Company has evolved into one of Asia Pacific’s leading independent spirits companies.

Husk started in 2012 when founder and CEO, Paul Messenger, planted the crops to create the country’s first cane juice rum. Husk’s first product was Ink Gin, an innovative new world gin made using botanicals found on the farm, as well as an unusual botanical from South East Asia, the butterfly pea flower. The launch of Ink Gin coincided with a boom in the gin category in Australia, and consequently Ink is now the best-selling independently-owned gin brand in the country. Ink Dry Gin will be the first of Husk’s gins to be available in ecoTOTE format, with Ink Sloe & Berry Gin and Ink Art Gin variants set to join later this year. These will join four of the producer’s rums to be offered in ecoTOTE format, each made in small batches from freshly crushed sugar cane juice: Husk Rare Blend Rum, Husk Pure Cane Rum, Husk Coconut Rum, and Husk Bam Bam Spiced Rum.

The home of Husk Distillers is Husk Farm Distillery, in Northern New South Wales near to Australia’s Gold Coast. The company’s ethos is to make spirits that reflect the land as a ‘farm to bottle’ producer, which means it adopts sustainable ‘full circle’ distilling practices. The family-owned business is the caretaker of 150 acres of land, of which a large portion is dedicated to sugar cane and cattle farmland, while 23 acres is virgin rainforest. Husk looks at sustainability in every part of its business, such as capturing and reusing rainwater, using solar power and reducing waste wherever possible. Husk is Australia’s first agricultural rum distillery and the sugar cane used to make the rum is 100% grown, harvested and aged at the farm.

Proof & Company recently established a new partnership for ecoPLANT operations with The Melbourne Distilling Co, a beverage company located in Melbourne’s Western suburbs. The 100% Australian-owned Melbourne Distilling Co fills and packages a range of products for the beverage industry and it has a focus on sustainability and Australian-made ingredients. Under this new partnership it will acts as a co-packing partner and will package many of Proof’s ecoTOTE format spirits, including brands produced by Husk Distillers. This new partnership is part of a strategy to grow the overall ecoSPIRITS program in Australia.

For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications, at [email protected].

About HUSK Distillers

Husk Distillers makes hand-crafted rum in small batches from the finest quality, freshly crushed cane juice sustainably grown, harvested, aged and bottled at Husk Farm Distillery. As Australia’s first agricultural rum distillery, we are developing this style of rum with a “farm to bottle” philosophy, using sugar cane grown 100% on our farm. Our volcanic soil, sub-tropical climate and local cane varieties combine each harvest to create something unique. The terroir of the Caldera Coast is reflected in every dram of Husk Rum.

For more information, please visit www.huskdistillers.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.

For more information, please visit www.proofandcompany.com or follow @proofandcompany on Instagram.

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 a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 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 further by the end of 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.

Visit www.ecospirits.global and follow us on Instagram for more.

MIAMI 20 June 2024 Following a successful pilot, ecoSPIRITS is working together with the world’s leading cruise ship operator, Carnival Cruise Line; and leading spirits producer, Bacardi Limited; to bring closed loop spirits packaging on board more ships. The pilot collaboration – which was first announced in August 2023 – saw BACARDÍ Superior rum delivered to three Carnival ships in ecoSPIRITS’ ecoTOTE format, in an effort to reduce single use glass waste in the tourism and hospitality segment. Now, closed loop spirits packaging will be introduced to an additional ship operating out of the Port of Miami, Florida. ecoSPIRITS is also collaborating with Carnival to develop new extensions to its core technology to support high volume cruise beverage operations.

The plan to introduce closed loop spirits packaging to cruise ships for the first time via a partnership between ecoSPIRITS, Carnival and Bacardi saw BACARDÍ Superior – one of the most-ordered spirits across Carnival’s fleet – delivered in ecoTOTE™ format to three of the company’s ships, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Horizon and Carnival Sunrise, operating out of the Port of Miami, Florida. A fourth Miami-based ship, Carnival Magic, will implement the program, with more vessels from other cruise ports in the United States expected to join later in 2024.

During the pilot phase, which ran from late August 2023 through to the end of March 2024, the three companies saved tens of thousands of single use glass bottles from being produced. In total, the pilot eliminated more than 38,000 pounds of packaging waste, while also funding the recovery of more than 6,000 pounds of ocean waste from endangered marine environments as part of the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program. Delivering Carnival’s most popular onboard rum in ecoTOTE format eliminated 95% of the packaging waste when compared with traditional glass bottles. The system also represents a more efficient way of delivering spirits to the cruise ships, saving both weight and space onboard.

To support expanded deployment of its circular packaging technology in the cruise environment, ecoSPIRITS has developed a new version of its SmartPour technology, tailored to the specific demands of onboard beverage operations. The new SmartPour™ SHV 1.0S is a bottle refilling unit developed in consultation with Carnival and Bacardi to make back-of-house operations even more efficient. This latest SmartPour can refill spirits bottles faster than the SmartPour 2.0S refilling solutions deployed during the pilot collaboration. The SmartPour SHV 1.0S joins the ecoTOTE 3.0SC, a special version of the award-winning ecoTOTE, which was also developed in consultation with Carnival to meet the unique requirements of the onboard beverage operations.

For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications at [email protected].

About Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & pls (NYSE/LSE: CCL;NYSE: CUK), is the first cruise line to sail over 100 million guests and is proud to be known as America’s Cruise Line, for carrying more Americans and serving more U.S, homeports that any other. For over 50 years, Carnival has continually revolutionized the cruise industry and popularized the cruise vacation as an affordable and fun travel option. Carnival operates from 14 U.S. and two Australian homeports and employs more than 40,000 team members representing 120 nationalities. Carnival currently operates 25 ships and is in an exciting period of growth with the addition of two ships over the next two years.

For more information visitwww.carnival.com and for more about Carnival’s sustainability goals, visit: www.carnivalsustainability.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 a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 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 further by the end of 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.

Visit www.ecospirits.global and follow us on Instagram for more.

LONDON 29 May 2024 Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS have announced a five-year global agreement to enable the distribution of Pernod Ricard’s spirits brands in ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technology to on-trade venues around the world. The collaboration builds on the success of a pilot project in Singapore in late 2022, which saw the launch of three Pernod Ricard brands in select bars across the city state. As part of this deepening partnership to promote circularity in the spirits industry, Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS have also been investing in developing shared knowledge and capabilities in circular packaging operations and circular packaging impact accounting and reporting. Under the new global agreement, ecoSPIRITS has expanded its customer success team to support Pernod Ricard and in January the two companies deployed a full ecoSPIRITS closed loop packaging system at the Havana Club distillery in San José de las Lajas, Cuba, to begin reducing single use glass packaging in the Cuban market.

As part of the original pilot project in Singapore, three of Pernod Ricard’s spirits brands – Beefeater London Dry gin, Havana Club rum and Absolut vodka – have been successfully deployed in ecoTOTE™ format to bars across Singapore, and dispensed in venues using co-branded SmartPour™ technology. These three spirit brands will now be introduced to new markets under the new global agreement, with additional Pernod Ricard brands to be added over time. Pernod Ricard’s partnership with ecoSPIRITS is aligned with the producer’s Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap, which includes a pillar of ‘Circular Making’, encouraging circularity by developing more sustainable packaging solutions.

Since late 2020, Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS have been collaborating to evaluate, refine and pioneer circular packaging for the spirits industry. As part of this collaboration, the parties have invested in developing capabilities and expertise in the complex transition from linear to circular packaging systems. Most recently, a joint ecoSPIRITS and Pernod Ricard global technical team has worked to develop global operations standards for closed loop systems, with a goal of enhancing the safety, security and scalability of circular packaging. The two companies also recently appointed leading French circular economy consulting firm, Circul’R, to conduct an independent validation and upgrade of the ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator. This work by Circul’R enables the tracking and reporting of the positive carbon emissions impact of the ecoSPIRITS technology, in line with rapidly evolving standards on carbon accounting and environmental claims.

The first local market deployment under the new global agreement is already underway with the introduction of a closed loop system for Havana Club rum in the brand’s home market of Cuba. The new system has been anchored by a dedicated ecoPLANT at Havana Club’s distillery in San José de las Lajas, Cuba. The ecoPLANT 2.0S is one of three ecoPLANTs in the Caribbean region, along with one in George Town, Cayman Islands and another in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Cuba’s first ecoPLANT is run by Havana Club distillery staff, who have been supported and trained by ecoSPIRITS’ Circular Operations team.

Iberostar Group, a leading Spanish hotel operator with more than 120 hotels around the world, was the launch partner for the Cuba market. Two of the group’s luxury properties – Costa Varadero and Bella Vista Varadero – became the first hotels in Cuba to take spirits in closed loop packaging, taking delivery of Havana Club Añejo 3 Años rum in ecoTOTE format from January 2024 and pioneering the ecoSPIRITS technology in Cuba. The two properties are located in the vicinity of the country’s renowned Varadero beach, with each home to at least 10 restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

In April 2024 Pernod Ricard’s venture capital fund, Convivialite Ventures, invested in ecoSPIRITS as part of a $10 million Series A funding round. More details of the two companies’ collaboration plans, including initial market launches, will be announced later in 2024. For media enquiries and general information please contact Emmanuel Vouin, Head of External Engagement on +33 (0) 1709 31624 or Jessica Whyte, International Media Relations Manager on +33 (0) 6769 37373 and Sonya Hook, Head of Communications at [email protected].

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine industry, blending traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand-building, and global distribution technologies. Our prestigious portfolio of premium to luxury brands includes Absolut vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouet champagnes. Our mission is to ensure the long-term development of our brands with full respect for people and the environment, while empowering our employees around the world to be ambassadors of our purposeful, inclusive, and responsible culture of authentic convivialité. Pernod Ricard’s consolidated sales amounted to €12,137 million in fiscal year FY23. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.

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 a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 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 further by the end of 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.

Visit www.ecospirits.global and follow us on Instagram for more.

LONDON 23 May 2024 Rémy Cointreau and ecoSPIRITS have announced a four-year global licensing agreement, bolstering their existing partnership in the United Kingdom and launching in the United States, with other global markets to follow. The collaboration will see the commercial scale-up of the existing pilot project in the UK, which started in early 2023 when two Rémy Cointreau brands were introduced in ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technology to select on-trade venues, predominantly in the London area. The new global agreement also provides a framework for Rémy Cointreau to make its iconic liqueur and spirit brands available in ecoSPIRITS’ technology in more markets around the world over the coming years.

In January 2023, ecoSPIRITS and Rémy Cointreau jointly launched closed loop service in the United Kingdom, with two of the producer’s iconic brands – Cointreau liqueur and Mount Gay Eclipse rum – made available in ecoTOTE™ format for on-trade venues in London. The UK launch also marked another milestone in ecoSPIRITS’ journey to develop industry-leading circular technology when the co-branded SmartPour 2.0S Cointreau Edition became the first SmartPour™ to be specifically tailored for liqueurs.

Many London venues, such as the four-strong Mexican restaurant chain, El Pastor, have seen a significant reduction in single use glass waste by taking Cointreau in ecoTOTE format. The success of the original collaboration between ecoSPIRITS and Rémy Cointreau has now led to the scaling up of the UK operations, to make Cointreau – a staple ingredient in the original Margarita – more widely available in closed loop packaging. In recent months Cointreau in ecoTOTE format was rolled out across The Alchemist’s key London sites with plans to cover all 23 of The Alchemist’s locations nationwide by December 2024. Meanwhile, many iconic venues across the UK, such as the award-winning cocktail bar and rum lounge, Trailer Happiness, have been taking delivery of Mount Gay rum in ecoTOTE format.

In addition to the commercial scale up in the UK, ecoSPIRITS and Rémy Cointreau have also cemented plans to extend into the United States. The first phase of this launch will focus on Nevada, and more specifically Las Vegas, a city known for its casinos and high volume beverage operations. Cointreau will become the first global brand available in ecoTOTE format in the United States. Supported by ecoSPIRITS’ partner for National Accounts, DrinksCorp, the iconic liqueur will be deployed to venues in Nevada from ecoSPIRITS’ existing ecoPLANT in Las Vegas, before expanding further across the country.

The global licensing agreement with ecoSPIRITS is another step for Rémy Cointreau in its overall commitment to sustainable practices. In 2023 it announced its Sustainable Exception roadmap to reduce glass bottle usage and this expanded partnership marks a significant step in achieving its ambitious goals across its portfolio. The company has also pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% per bottle by 2030 and plans to move towards Net Zero by 2050.

For media enquiries about Rémy Cointreau, please contact Melissa Levine, Group Corporate Communication Director at [email protected]. For media enquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications at [email protected].

About Rémy Cointreau

All around the world, there are clients seeking exceptional experiences; clients for whom a wide range of terroirs means a variety of flavors. Their exacting standards are proportional to our expertise – the finely-honed skills that we pass down from generation to generation. The time these clients devote to drinking our products is a tribute to all those who have worked to develop them. It is for these men and women that Rémy Cointreau, a family-owned French group, protects its terroirs, cultivates exceptional multi-centenary spirits and undertakes to preserve their eternal modernity. The Group’s portfolio includes 14 singular brands, such as the Rémy Martin and Louis XIII cognacs, and Cointreau liqueur. Rémy Cointreau has a single ambition: becoming the world leader in exceptional spirits. To this end, it relies on the commitment and creativity of its 1,924 employees and on its distribution subsidiaries established in the Group’s strategic markets. Rémy Cointreau is listed on Euronet Paris.

For more information, visit www.remy-cointreau.com.

About Cointreau

“I have passionately thrown myself into researching this liqueur. I wanted it to have the purity of crystal and a delicately subtle flavour thanks to the perfect harmony of sweet and bitter orange peels.” Edouard Cointreau. Iconic orange liqueur creator and cocktail pioneer, Maison Cointreau was founded in 1849 in Angers, France. The brand’s heritage as a liquorist-distiller lives on today at the heart of more than 500 cocktails, including the original Margarita and Cosmopolitan. Cointreau liqueur’s distinctive character is the result of the meticulous selection, harmony, and distillation of sweet and bitter orange peel essences, a task entrusted to Maison Cointreau’s Master Distiller. Unique and boasting exceptional organoleptic qualities, it’s a staple for bartenders and at-home cocktail enthusiasts around the world.

Visit www.cointreau.com and follow us on Instagram for more.

About Mount Gay

Mount Gay is the world’s oldest running rum distillery established in 1703. Founded and still located in the Parish of St Lucy, at the northernmost tip of Barbados, Mount Gay is crafted using pure, coral-filtered water and the finest Barbadian and Caribbean molasses. Distilled in traditional double copper pot and copper column stills, Mount Gay rums are aged in a diverse selection of casks including American whiskey, Bourbon and Cognac. Harnessing over 300 years of heritage and expertise, Mount Gay rums are a fine balance between science, art and innovation. Blended by Master Blender Trudiann Branker and aged under the influence of Barbados’ tropical climate, our rums highlight a unique, rich and flavourful character. Mount Gay’s core range includes Mount Gay Silver, Mount Gay Eclipse, Mount Gay Black Barrel and Mount Gay XO alongside the annual limited editions 1703 Master Select and the Master Blender Collection. In addition to crafting the world’s oldest rum, Mount Gay is committed at all times to the use of sustainable and transport practices in order to realise our vision of environmental stewardship and carbon neutrality.

For more information on our rum and to explore more about what we do for our community and planet, visit www.mountgayrum.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 a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 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 further by the end of 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.

Visit www.ecospirits.global and follow us on Instagram for more.

Bermuda, 16 April 2024 ecoSPIRITS Bermuda – along with Bermuda Gin Co. and Goslings Rum – have partnered with premium airline BermudAir to bring closed loop spirits into airline service for the first time worldwide. Under the new collaboration, BermudaAir will be supplied with both Bermuda Gin Co. gins and Goslings rums in ecoTOTE format for onboard service on all the airline’s flights operating out of Bermuda. The low waste spirits will feature in special cocktails such as the BGC Gin & Tonic and Goslings Dark & Stormy for Business Class travellers.

Low waste spirits such as Bermuda Gin Co’s Pink House Gin will be available onboard all the airline’s flights.

In July 2021, ecoSPIRITS signed a Licensed Operator Agreement with Bermuda Gin Co., a move which led to the introduction of circular spirits technology to a small island nation for the first time. Roy Fellowes and his family now operate both Bermuda Gin Co. and ecoSPIRITS Bermuda. Many hotels and bars across the island now take regular deliveries of spirits such as Bermuda Gin Co’s Pink House and White Roof Gins, and Gosling’s rums in ecoTOTE format.  

Bermuda Gin Co.’s White Roof Gin and Goslings rums will feature in ecoTOTE format for this partnership. 

BermudAir first launched in 2023 as the first locally established airline in Bermuda. The company currently operates two planes offering year-round connections between Bermuda and US destinations including Boston and Fort Lauderdale, as well as Toronto in Canada. Over a 12-month period the airline will operate a total of 2,700 flights, which is equivalent to 178,000 seats that were not previously available to and from Bermuda. The airline has a big focus on working with local producers, and serving Bermuda Gin Co.’s gins and Goslings’ rum on its flights forms part of this commitment. The spirits will be served onboard in branded refill bottles that can be used many times. These bottles are collected, cleaned and refilled from ecoTOTEs landside at BermudAir’s operations hub at the L.F Wade International Airport in Bermuda.

The move to bring closed loop spirits to the airline industry marks another first for ecoSPIRITS and it follows last year’s move into the cruise ship sector, in partnership with cruise ship operator Carnival Cruise Line and leading spirits producer Bacardi Limited. Introducing the ecoSPIRITS closed loop packaging system to these new and challenging environments in the all-important tourism and hospitality sector helps make the case for the universal appeal of circular economy solutions.  

Each order of the blue Ocean Conservation Edition ecoTOTE 3.0S funds the removal of one kilogram of single use waste. 

ecoSPIRITS Bermuda participates in the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program with each order of a blue Ocean Conservation Edition ecoTOTE 3.0S placed by Climate Partners such as BermudAir, funding the removal of one kilogram of single use plastic and glass waste from endangered marine environments. This year, ecoSPIRITS Bermuda has been working with the charity Keep Bermuda Beautiful (KBB) to jointly raise awareness and promote sustainability in the local hospitality industry. As part of this, ecoSPIRITS Bermuda is developing a Sustainable Cocktail Map, featuring a cocktail for each of the island’s major ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner venues, with some of the proceeds supporting KBB’s beach clean-up operations.

For media inquiries about BermudAir, please contact Pat Phillip-Fairn, Head of PR and Corporate Affairs, BermudAir, on [email protected] or for general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications at [email protected] 

About Bermuda Gin Co.

Bermuda Gin Co. is a local, family-owned business established in 2019. The first product Pink House Gin was launched in November 2019 with White Roof Gin hitting the local market in June 2020. Both gins are hand crafted in small batches and the recipes and flavour profiles were developed to capture the essence of Bermuda. This was achieved by including hibiscus in the Pink House and prickly pear in White Roof. They are available in many bars, restaurants and hotels throughout Bermuda. The amazing bar staff working in Bermuda’s hospitality venues have created some wonderful cocktails using Pink House and White Roof Gins that are definitely worth trying. The gins are also available for retail purchase from many supermarkets and liqueur stores on the island. For Pink House and White Roof, today Bermuda, tomorrow the world. For more information, please visit www.bermudaginco.com 

About BermudAir

BermudAir is Bermuda’s boutique airline, committed to redefining the travel experience. With a fleet of Embraer E175 aircraft renowned for exceptional performance and passenger comfort, BermudAir exemplifies its commitment to excellence. Operating convenient flights to and from Westchester Country Airport, Boston Logan International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Orlando International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, BermudAir enhances connectivity to the U.S. East Coast, contributing to the growth and prosperity of Bermuda. BermudAir also operates flights to Toronto Pearson International Airport and Halifax Stanfiled International Airport in Canada. With a dedication to exceptional service and curated onboard offerings that showcasethe island’s renowned hospitality and varied food and beverage available locally, BermudAir provides an unparalleled travel experience. For more information, and to book flights, please visit www.flybermudair.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 a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best barsand iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow by late 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.

LONDON 05 March 2024 ecoSPIRITS has welcomed a new global head of sales and customer success, while also making a number of other appointments to bolster its customer support resourcing. James Doyle has joined the company in the role of Senior Vice President, Sales & Customer Success, with responsibility for all sales and customer implementation matters. Marco Lam has also been appointed to the role of Vice President, Value Engineering, overseeing a new internal consulting team supporting customers with a range of commercial planning, financial analysis and circular economy expertise. The new resources come as ecoSPIRITS works more closely with a growing base of global customers on the complex circular economy transition in premium spirits and wine.

ecoSPIRITS’ new customer success team, which is responsible for sales, account management and project management, is based in London, with regional teams in Asia Pacific and North America. Led by James Doyle, the new team is supporting ecoSPIRITS’ brand, distributor and outlet partners around the world as they integrate ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technologies – ecoPLANT™, ecoTOTE™, SmartPour™, SmartKiosk^TM and CircularONE™ – into their local, regional and global supply chains.

James Doyle joins ecoSPIRITS as Senior Vice President, Sales & Customer Success. He brings more than 20 years’ worth of experience in working with technology businesses on a global basis and played a leading role in building the EMEA Enterprise business at Tata Communications followed by Senior Sales Leadership roles in start up software companies, such as SightCall and CareAR. He has extensive experience in sales leadership roles, building growth platforms across sales and customer success, built on trusted relationships with customers, partners and employees. At ecoSPIRITS, he is responsible for overseeing the company’s worldwide portfolio of customer relationships. Working closely with ecoSPIRITS CEO, Paul Gabie and the executive leadership team, Doyle’s mandate is to build and manage high performing sales, account and project management teams.  

As part of its investment in expanded customer success resources, ecoSPIRITS has also launched an internal consulting team dedicated to Value Engineering, with a focus on refining circular packaging economics, enhancing their cost-effectiveness and maximising commercial value to customers and partners. The new team works particularly closely with ecoSPIRITS’ largest customers, where the integration of circular economy activities into their global supply chains requires innovation in commercial and financial analysis and practices. This team is led by Marco Lam in his new role as Vice President, Value Engineering. Lam originally joined ecoSPIRITS in 2022 as Commercial Planning Director.

The new customer resource appointments come at a time when ecoSPIRITS and its customers are navigating the complex linear to circular transition required to bring closed loop packaging to global scale. This is a transition that offers the prospect of dramatic sustainability impact, yet poses a host of challenges, particularly within the context of global supply chains. By bringing together a deep bench of customer success, project management, consulting, engineering and supply chain expertise, ecoSPIRITS is positioned to help its customers rapidly plan, deploy and scale their circular economy initiatives.

For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications at [email protected].

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 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.

MIAMI 9 February 2024 ecoSPIRITS USA has welcomed major beverage importer Preiss Imports, leading distributor XXI Wine & Spirits, and Fair Trade spirits brand FAIR^® to its closed loop network in the United States. The three companies have joined the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in Florida, home to the first ecoPLANT™ in the United States. The first brand from the Preiss portfolio to be distributed by XXI Wines & Spirits is FAIR Café Liqueur, which is now available to Florida venues as part of a Sustainable Espresso Martini campaign, which reduces single use glass waste in one of the most popular cocktails in the United States.

Preiss Imports is based in California and works with distributors across the United States to share brands from its portfolio with bars, hotels, retailers and restaurants across the country. Preiss is a third-generation family business, which specializes in importing and marketing international spirits, wines and culinary specialities across the United States. The company represents niche and artisanal brands and its team also has expertise in education and training on suppliers’ portfolios in various markets. Together with XXI Wine & Spirits, Preiss is offering select brands from its portfolio in ecoTOTE™ format to venues across Florida.

XXI ‘Twenty-One’ Wine & Spirits is a Miami-based distributor of hand-crafted spirits and artisanal wines from boutique vineyards, from all around the world. The company started in 2016 and now distributes fine wines and craft spirits to venues across the entire Florida state. The company’s mission is to offer wines and spirits with unique character, and ones which speak of the place they emanate from. XXI Wine & Spirits has joined the ecoSPIRITS system in Florida to represent brands across the state.

One of the first brands from Preiss Imports portfolio distributed in ecoTOTE format by XXI Wine & Spirits across Florida is FAIR Café Liqueur from the FAIR portfolio of Fair Trade-certified spirits brands. The company sources the best ingredients from all around the world to create its high quality spirits. FAIR focuses on paying farmers at a fair price, so that they can cover their production costs, live from farming, educate their children and build schools. FAIR Café is made from 100% Arabica beans from Mexico using a slow roasting process to extract the best properties from the coffee, supported by a three-week maceration to create a rich flavoured spirit.

FAIR Café Liqueur is one of two ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner brands featuring in the Sustainable Espresso Martini campaign, along with Tried & True Vodka. This is currently being offered to venues in Florida, allowing them to create this classic cocktail using high quality ingredients – such as FAIR Café Liqueur – but without single use glass. To create this, ecoSPIRITS teamed up with the two brands to develop an exceptional – and sustainable – version of the Espresso Martini cocktail, with both the spirit and the liqueur delivered to the venue in ecoTOTE format.

Several venues in Florida are already offering Sustainable Espresso Martinis, including Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, Surfside. Many of the group’s hotels and resorts in the Asia-Pacific region already partner with ecoSPIRITS, and as one of the first in Florida to work create Sustainable Espressos, Four Seasons is strengthening its commitment to eliminating single-use glass waste throughout its business. The popular Miami-based bars Esotico and Lost Boy Dry Goods, and Silverspot Cinema, Downtown Miami, have also joined as early pioneers for the Sustainable Espresso Martini in Florida, along with the luxury hotel: The Miami Beach EDITION. Venues in Orlando and Tampa are also preparing to add this to their menus.

Since the launch of closed loop spirits in the United States was first announced at the start of 2023, ecoSPIRITS USA  now supplies many high-profile bars and restaurants with a collection of brands in ecoTOTE format from the country’s first two ecoPLANTS, serving venues across Florida and California. Plans for a third ecoPLANT, in Nevada, were revealed at the end of last year and this facility is now ready to start deploying ecoTOTEs. Additional ecoPLANTS are planned for other U.S. states, with details to be revealed later in 2024.

To find out more about ecoSPIRITS in North America, please contact Sales Director, North America, ecoSPIRITS on [email protected]. For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager at [email protected].

About Preiss Imports

Preiss Imports is a third-generation family business which specializes in the importing and marketing of one-of-a-kind artisanal spirits and is dedicated to developing a portfolio that embodies our passion for exceptional products made by exceptional people. As a boutique firm, we are structured to manage niche and family-owned brands where product intimacy and knowledge matter most. Our portfolio represents brands that are handcrafted and showcase the excellence that exacting technique can bring: we seek products and brands with a rich and meaningful legacy and craft. Most of the products in our portfolio are made with pure, organic ingredients, using sustainable methods that are synergistic with the ecosystems and land in which they are made. Our portfolio is deep and varied and our territory spans markets in almost every corner of the U.S.

About XXI Wines & Spirits

XXI Wine & Spirits is an importer and distributor of fine wines and craft spirits from all over the world, with its headquarters in Miami, Florida. The company was set up with the aim of celebrating what has been possible in the world of beverage alcohol since the shackles of prohibition were lifted with the passage of the 21^st amendment. Showcasing the way this sector has evolved and developed since prohibition is the company’s mantra, and to do this, it hones in on premium products including hand-crafted spirits, artisanal wines from storied vineyards, craft beers and ciders, and other unique and high-quality products. All in all, its wide-ranging and eclectic portfolio now represents a whole new frontier.

For more information, please visit: https://www.xxiwinespirits.com

About FAIR

FAIR is the leading Fair Trade liquor brand. The hallmark of this range (liqueurs, vodka, whiskey, rum and gin) is in the combined use of Fair Trade, sustainable development and French craftsmanship for producing these products. The brand has a philosophy of fair deals for all partners involved in the production chain. This aim has taken them across the world in order to produce high-quality spirits from the finest ingredients.

For more information please visit http://fair-drinks.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 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, please visit: www.ecospirits.global

BARCELONA 1 February 2024 ecoSPIRITS has announced plans to launch closed loop service in Spain under a Licensed Operator Agreement with a new company created by Francesc Escolà, CEO of Spanish wine and spirits distribution group, Ecosistema Escolà (‘Escola’). ecoSPIRITS Spain will start its activity in the Spanish market from this month, starting with three spirits in ecoTOTE™ format. These will be deployed from the country’s first ecoPLANT™, which will be hosted by the Barcelona-based spirits producer, Bardinet-España. Distribution will initially commence in the Spanish region of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands and will quickly expand to the rest of Spain and Andorra. The move into Spain builds on ecoSPIRITS’ rapidly expanding European footprint, following recently announced partnerships with new Licensed Operators in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Italy.

Escolà has a history dating back to 1962 when the Escolà family found success in Barcelona; initially with grocery shops and later, in 1973, moving into wine and spirits distribution. Today, the company has more than 90 employees and more than 5,000 products, marketed under two different distribution divisions.

Also in Barcelona, the company runs Magatzem Escolà, an impressive space which serves as its training centre and showroom. The building, which dates back to 1890, was carefully restored by the company in 2011 and retains many of the original architectural elements.

Spain has been earmarked as a world leader in tourism competitiveness for the third consecutive year (World Economic Forum) and it recently launched its 2030 Sustainable Tourism Strategy, which will help it to maintain its global leadership. Barcelona has long been known as a capital of gastronomy and the city is home to at least 26 Michelin starred restaurants. In addition, its cocktail scene is now thriving, with the city having recently enjoyed an influx of bar talent from overseas. Barcelona is one of the country’s top tourist destinations and in 2022 it saw 12.4 million tourists.

Spain also has ambitious waste reduction targets. In December 2022, the country issued its Royal Decree 1055/2022 on Packaging and Packaging Waste, which seeks to align Spain’s packaging legislation with the new extended producer responsibility scheme set in place by the European Union. It also sets in place a series of measures for producers for both the marketing of their products and management of their waste. The main purpose of this new Decree is to make all packaging on the market recyclable by 2030 and, where possible, reusable.

The Barcelona-based Bardinet-España has been selected as the host company for ecoPLANT No. 036, which will be Spain’s first ecoPLANT. Bardinet-España is part of the French group La Martiniquaise-Bardinet, based in Paris, which has a wide portfolio of different spirits brands. The parent company, which has a history dating back to 1857, is one of the world’s top ten spirits producers with 29 subsidiaries and manufacturing plants in Spain, France, UK, Portugal and the Netherlands. The ecoPLANT for Spain is a 2.0W model, capable of processing both spirits and wine. It will be hosted in a dedicated production and warehouse facility to be operated by Bardinet-España staff, who will be trained and supported by ecoSPIRITS’ global Closed Loop Operations team.

Spain will also participate in the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program, planting one tree for every cycle of an ecoTOTE delivered to hospitality venues. To find out more information about opportunities to partner with ecoSPIRITS in Spain, please contact David Grau at eS System Operator Spain, SL, on [email protected] or Iain McPherson, ecoSPIRITS Sales Director, EMEA, at [email protected]. For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager at [email protected].

About Ecosistema Escolà

The history of Escolà dates back to 1962, when the Escolà family found success in Barcelona, initially with grocery shops and later, in 1973, changing the activity to wine and distillates distributor. Today, the company has more than 5,000 references, marketed under two different distribution divisions and more than 90 employees. Also in Barcelona, the company manages Magatzem Escolà, a magnificent space that serves as the company’s training centre and showroom. The building, which dates back to 1890, was carefully restored by the company in 2011 and retains many of the original architectural elements. At the same time, it has developed other projects related to the distribution and development of the spirits industry in Spain, such as the OTC Group importer and the Spirit Essence training activity and competition, which will be integrated into the newly created Liquid Solutions Foundation in the current financial year 2024. All these projects are part of the Escolà Ecosystem as they serve the wine and spirits industry from different perspectives that are complementary to each other.

For more information, please visit: www.escoladist.com

About Bardinet-España

Bardinet-España belongs to the French La Martiniquaise-Bardinet Group, based in Paris. It is one of the top ten spirits producers in the world. Bardinet is positioned among the leaders in the Spanish and world spirits market. It was in 1993 that Bardinet joined La Martiniquaise, France’s leading group in the production and distribution of wines and spirits and currently ranked in the top 10 worldwide. This alliance, known as the LMB Group, gives Bardinet the opportunity to increase its already strong international presence. Bardinet has a portfolio covering all categories of the sector, from rum, whisky, liqueurs, gin, vodka, tequila to brandy, port and cavas. To do so, it has facilities occupying 24,000 square metres at its plant located on the outskirts of Barcelona, in Gelida, and has a staff of around 100 collaborators.

For more information, please visit: www.bardinet.es

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 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. 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 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, please visit: www.ecospirits.global.

ZANZIBAR 28 December 2023 ecoSPIRITS has extended its partnership with eco-tech sustainability and nature-based solutions pioneer, Green Steps Group, to expand the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program. This initiative, which was first announced in July 2021, is aimed at island nations most at risk from rising sea levels due to climate change. Venues in these island nations are now taking delivery of spirits in special blue Ocean Conservation Edition ecoTOTE™ 3.0S. The ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program complements the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program, first introduced in May 2020 to further offset the carbon impact of beverage operations at leading hotels, bars, and restaurants across the world. The impact programs allow ecoSPIRITS and its partner venues, spirit brands and distributors to deepen their commitment to sustainability and positive environmental impact for the beverage industry.

Each order of an ecoTOTE placed by venue partners in participating island nations funds the removal of one kilogram of single use plastic, glass, and other man-made waste from endangered marine environments. The Oceans Program – complemented by the striking blue Ocean Conservation Edition ecoTOTE – has been established to draw attention to ocean pollution and the impact that CO2 emissions are having on sea levels, and the severe threat these issues pose to human and animal life on island nations worldwide. Using Green Steps Group’s proprietary “proof of impact” technology platform, recovered ocean waste is photographed, weighed, and logged for each venue with real-time map visibility. 

Green Steps Group’s climate-tech platform helps ecoSPIRITS and its partner brands and venues assess their environmental impact. The unique online platform verifies that each and every tree is planted and that every kilogram of plastic recovered from the ocean is measured and tracked. The system displays impact information in geo-tagged map format, allowing venues to share their impact progress with their target audiences. As part of the partnership, Green Steps Group has created customised ‘Impact Dashboards’ for the two ecoSPIRITS impact programs.

The ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program’s beach cleanups currently take place in Zanzibar, an island archipelago off the coast of Tanzania in East Africa. Working with local village cooperatives, the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program offers meaningful employment opportunities to residents of low-income areas, creating social uplift and environmental regeneration. Through regular clean-up initiatives, the local community benefits from consistent remuneration and training on conservatorship of natural resources. The program may be extended to include other clean-up locations soon.

Other ecoSPIRITS island markets now taking deployment of Ocean Conservation Edition ecoTOTEs now include the Seychelles, the Dominican Republic, the Cayman Islands, and Mauritius. These island nations are also at risk from rising sea levels and climate change, with some now emerging as world leaders in protecting land and waters for threatened species. The Seychelles, for example, has now designated 42% of its territory for conservation. In total, venues in these island nations that are part of the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program have helped with the recovery of more than 7,000 kg of ocean waste to date.

ecoSPIRITS recently joined forces with Bacardi Limited and Carnival Cruise Line in a partnership to deploy Ocean Conservation Edition ecoTOTEs containing Carnival’s house pour rum (BACARDÍ Superior rum) to three of Carnival’s ships operating from the Port of Miami in Florida. As part of this pilot collaboration, the partners are funding the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program to remove one kilogram of waste for every ecoTOTE of Bacardi Superior Rum delivered to Carnival Cruise Line vessels.

ecoSPIRITS offers its Climate Partners two impact programs: the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program and the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program. The latter was set up to help ecoSPIRITS’ partner venues generate additional carbon mitigation beyond the substantial carbon footprint reduction from their use of low-waste, low-carbon spirits. Under the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program, one tree is planted for each cycle of an ecoTOTE through the ecoSPIRITS closed loop distribution platform. Every tree planted is geo-tagged and photographed in the name of the partner venue. Since the program’s launch in 2020, more than 44,000 trees have been planted, effectively mitigating more than 97,000 kg of CO2e annually in carbon emissions. This collaborative effort has also created 12,947 hours of community engagement, with 47% of engagement and employment opportunities going to female workers.

For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager at [email protected]

About Green Steps Group

Green Steps Group is a global eco-tech sustainability pioneer on a mission to rewild the planet. We empower businesses and institutions with management, governance, verification, and visibility to integrate positive environmental impact into their products and services. We verify, integrate and amplify bespoke nature-based solutions, using our unique proprietary technology with proof of impact, geotagging, and real-time map visibility. Every tree counts, so we count every tree. Our advanced eco-tech platform verifies that each and every tree is planted. Whether it is tracking the planting of individual trees in reforestation projects or monitoring ocean waste recovery projects at a kilogram-by-kilogram level, we integrate sustainability into your company’s DNA and verify your CO2 offset and its impact. We showcase your environmental impact, community upliftment, and biodiversity regeneration aligning with the UN’s sustainable development goals for 2030. We transform data into powerful stories with compelling visuals for your brand’s communication and marketing. Immerse in our tech-enabled impact solutions, unveiling the climate-conscious Reforestation/Ocean and River Waste Recovery Programmes and empower clients in this transformative journey where impact is verified, visible, tangible and immediate. Passionate about building a future, Green Steps offers innovative solutions that drive real change.

For more information on Green Steps Group, please visit www.greenstepsgroup.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 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 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.

PARIS 15 December 2023 ecoSPIRITS France and La Maison du Whisky (LMDW) have launched a new circular retail initiative in France, offering a spirits refill solution for premium and exclusive spirits within the retail sector. This new initiative, marking the first time the ecoSPIRITS closed loop technology has been made available to retailers in Europe, has initially been introduced in select LMDW-owned retail outlets in the Paris region. It will later be made available to more than 100 spirits retail outlets supplied by LMDW across the country, before being offered to other off-trade retailers in France from early 2024. The programme features limited-edition spirit brands which have been produced specifically for the collaboration and which cannot be purchased in a traditional glass bottle format. The refill solution was developed in response to France’s anti-waste law ‘Loi AGEC’, which requires products to be accompanied by information about their sustainability and circularity.

Spirits are dispensed in-store to consumers via SmartPour 2.0S technology, with three bottles sizes to choose from.

The spirits will be delivered to the retailers in ecoTOTE™ format and dispensed in-store to consumers via SmartPour™ 2.0S technology. The units have been produced in a bronze colour to reflect the appearance of a copper pot still, specifically for the retail sector. Consumers can choose from three sizes of specially-branded reusable bottles: a 20CL tester size, 50CL or 70CL. They are encouraged to fill their own bottles with their chosen spirit directly from the SmartPour, and attach a label and bottle cap to complete the purchase. The wooden bottle cap is screen-printed with the ecoSPIRITS logo.

Consumers fill their own bottles directly from the SmartPour and attach a label and bottle seal.

The initial spirits taking part in this project are: Compass Box Synthesis (Blended Scotch Whisky), Christian Drouin Verger Sauvage gin, Renegade Hope rhum agricole, and Amorik single malt whisky. These have all been produced in small batches specifically for this project and when stocks run out, they will be replaced by new special release spirits, including seasonal variants.

The France retail collaboration forms part of ecoSPIRITS’ ongoing trials of circular solutions for the off-premise in the spirits industry. It follows the development of the SmartKiosk, which is an intelligent retail system, designed to tackle single use glass waste from at-home spirits consumption. The SmartKiosk, which is currently featuring in a pilot project in CS Fresh supermarket outlets in Singapore, allows consumers to securely refill spirits bottles in retail environments.

For more information about ecoSPIRITS in France, please contact [email protected] or contact Iain McPherson, ecoSPIRITS Sales Director for EMEA, on [email protected]. For media enquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager at [email protected].

About La Maison du Whisky

Founded in 1956 by Georges Bénitah, La Maison du Whisky has long been a market leader in fine spirits. With more than 200 employees, LMDW’s expertise spans spirits import and distribution, rare spirits collection, sourcing and discovery, events management and publishing. Their event, ‘Whisky Live’ is the world’s premium whisky show, hosted each year in Paris and other cities around the world. These broad capabilities will strengthen the ecoSPIRITS France platform and help drive scale in circular spirits in one of the world’s largest spirits markets.

For more information, please visit: www.lmdw.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 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, please visit: www.ecospirits.global.