News

SINGAPORE 19 April 2022 ecoSPIRITS released today a roadmap for an Intelligent Circular™ future in closed loop spirits and wine. Diageo, a global leader in beverage alcohol, will be the launch customer for ecoSPIRITS’ newest smart technologies in a pilot collaboration in Southeast Asia, with the view of a later rollout across the Asia Pacific region. The collaboration will feature two of Diageo’s leading spirit brands, Smirnoff Vodka and Captain Morgan Rum. ecoSPIRITS’ Intelligent Circular vision will transition its existing portfolio of circular hardware innovation into a global platform of Internet of Things (IoT) hardware, software and data. The Intelligent Circular roadmap is designed to bring circular spirits and wine to new levels of scale, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Under the roadmap, ecoSPIRITS’ core hardware portfolio – the ecoPLANT™, ecoTOTE™ and SmartPour™ – are being upgraded with IoT capability, sensing, tracking and smart features and integrated with a new CircularONE™ software platform. This fusion of hardware and software innovation will dramatically improve closed loop performance. The upgrades will also enable the entire circular platform to generate valuable operational and commercial data for the system users – the growing network of brands, importers, distributors, wholesalers and hospitality venues that make up the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program.

More details regarding ecoSPIRITS’ Intelligent Circular rollout, the new collaboration with Diageo, and the launch of closed loop service in Indonesia will be released in the coming months. Bars, restaurants and hotels interested in participating in the Indonesia pilot program may reach out via [email protected]l.

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.

Media Contacts: Azmar Sukandar, Head of Communications & Society, Diageo Asia Pacific [email protected]

PARIS 7 April 2022 Following a brief soft launch period, ecoSPIRITS closed loop service has launched officially in France, starting with the Paris region. To celebrate this milestone, ecoSPIRITS France has teamed up with La Maison Du Whisky and FAIR, the leading Fair Trade liquor brand, to support Experimental Group in reimagining the leading hospitality group’s famed Experience No. 1 cocktail. The new Experience Infinity cocktail will feature FAIR Vodka and be available at both Experimental Cocktail Club and at the Hôtel des Grands Boulevards through June. The early response to ecoSPIRITS in the French market has been strong, with both Experimental Group locations and more than 60 other leading on-premise venues joining the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in the soft launch period.

Experimental Cocktail Club opened in Paris in 2007, marking the emergence of a leading European hospitality brand and operator that has since grown to encompass 24 venues in 6 countries. By focusing on high quality ingredients​, Experimental Cocktail Club is credited with having catalysed the cocktail renaissance in France when few bars in the country were focusing on cocktails. Led by three passionate French entrepreneurs Romée de Goriainoff, Pierre-Charles Cros and Olivier Bon, Experimental Group has since branched out to operate bars, restaurants and hotels in Paris, New York, London, Ibiza, Menorca, Verbier and Venice. Each venue showcases the group’s signature style of tailor made bohemian luxury.

The inspiration for the Experience Infinity Cocktail is a rebirth of one of the most popular cocktails in the history of the Experimental Cocktail Club in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. FAIR Vodka, which is organic, Fair Trade certified, and available in low waste ecoTOTE™ format, was an obvious choice for the base spirit. Developed by Karim Hamadouche, Head Bartender at Hôtel des Grands Boulevards, the Experience Infinity Cocktail balances out the cereal notes of the quinoa vodka with a housemade citrus essence incorporating lemongrass, basil and chamomile.

The result is a wholistically sustainable and socially responsible cocktail imbued with freshness and lightness. In celebration of the collaboration, ecoSPIRITS, FAIR, and La Maison du Whisky will sponsor the planting a native tree in the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program for each Experience Infinity Cocktail served over the next three months. Overall, the Experience Infinity cocktail is ethically sourced, involves no packaging or ingredient waste and eliminates an estimated 61g of carbon emissions per cocktail through the elimination of single use glass. This carbon impact is supplemented by an estimated 22 kg of carbon emissions sequestered per annum by each tree planted once it reaches maturity. Trees in the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program have an average lifespan of 100 years.

Fair Vodka is the first vodka produced from quinoa, a grain farmed for over 5,000 years by the Incas in South America. Organic and Fair Trade certified, FAIR spirits are ethically sourced and distilled in Cognac, France. Born out of the research of French distillers and Bolivian farmers, quinoa for the production of the vodka is sourced in the Andes mountains from 1,200 Bolivian farmers grouped together in the “Anapqui” cooperative. Having joined as an ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner in France, FAIR will soon become available in ecoTOTE™ format in the United Kingdom as its partnership with ecoSPIRITS begins to expand to markets around the world.

For more information about Experimental Cocktail Club and the Hôtel des Grands Boulevards, please contact [email protected]. Bars, restaurants and hotels interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in France may contact La Maison du Whisky via [email protected]. Brands interested to learn more about joining ecoSPIRITS in France may contact [email protected].

About Experimental Cocktail Club

The Experimental Group was founded by Olivier Bon, Pierre-Charles Cros and Romée De Goriainoff, three childhood friends with a taste for innovation. Passionate about the cocktail culture that was developing in New York and London, and convinced that Paris could rediscover its rich mixological history, they opened the Experimental Cocktail Club in 2007 in a small street in the Montorgueil district, which became the spearhead of the cocktail wave in the capital. Xavier Padovani joined them in 2010, reinforcing the group’s common vision to offer a contemporary hospitality experience to a demanding clientele around the world. Now famous for introducing cocktail culture to Paris, the group now operates cocktail bars, wine bars, restaurants and hotels in Paris, New York, London, Ibiza, Menorca, Venice and Verbier.

For more information please visit https://www.experimentalgroup.com/destinations/paris

About FAIR

FAIR is the leading Fair Trade liquor brand. The hallmark of this range (rum, vodka, gin and liqueurs) 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 https://fair-drinks.com/

SYDNEY 22 March 2022 ecoSPIRITS announced today a significant expansion of its technology portfolio, taking on the substantial waste and carbon emissions footprint of the estimated 30 billion single use glass wine bottles that are produced each year. The extension of ecoSPIRITS’ patent-pending closed loop packaging technology to premium wines marks the launch of the world’s first globally-scalable circular glass packaging solution for the category. Developed to meet the standards of leading organic and bio-dynamic wine certifications, the new ecoSPIRITS circular wine technology will be deployed first in Australia in partnership with leading global wine producer Accolade Wines. Closed loop wine service will then be made available in a number of other ecoSPIRITS markets worldwide over the second half of 2022.

Designed with premium and certified winemakers in mind, the new circular wine solution offers full lifecycle wine preservation from winery to point of service. Upgraded versions of ecoSPIRITS’ ecoPLANT™, ecoTOTE™ and SmartPour™ technologies deliver high standards of hygiene, oxidation, temperature and ultraviolet light protection for wines distributed in the closed loop system. Amongst other innovations, ecoSPIRITS’ new circular wine technology will preserve the bottle presentation and consumer brand experience in hospitality venues, a distinct difference from existing keg and tapped wine solutions.  The new wine technology will leverage ecoSPIRITS’ global closed loop network, and offer the same dramatic cost and carbon footprint reduction as premium spirits.

Among other technology upgrades, ecoSPIRITS has released a new version of its successful ecoPLANT technology that is tailored to process both premium wines and spirits. The new ecoPLANT 2.0W is a semi-automated, containerised wine and spirits processing facility that generates high purity nitrogen gas for ecoTOTE filling and wine blanketing, complies with leading European Union and Australia-New Zealand standards for food grade processing, and delivers gold standard wine hygiene and preservation.

ecoSPIRITS’ award-winning ecoTOTE portfolio will now be expanded to include a wine variation, the ecoTOTE 3.0W. This newest ecoTOTE is designed specifically for premium wines, marked by a striking grey enclosure and with a stainless steel cap liner to comply with organic wine contact material standards and a tinted internal glass vessel to ensure ultraviolet protection for wines during transport and storage. The ecoTOTE 3.0W includes all of the features of the popular ecoTOTE 3.0S, including global cloud-based tracking, shock- and tamper-resistant features, and a 4.5L volume for efficient handling and transportation.

Recognised as a leader in sustainability initiatives in the wine industry, Accolade is a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, a sustainable packaging initiative which aims to change the culture of business by designing more sustainable packaging, increasing recycling rates and reducing packaging litter. Collaborating with ecoSPIRITS to pioneer waste and carbon emissions reduction in premium wines is a natural extension of Accolade’s broad commitment to environmental responsibility.

For its first collaboration with ecoSPIRITS, Accolade has selected its leading eco–wine brand, Banrock Station. Banrock Station produces premium South Australian wines with a passion for quality and holds a longstanding commitment to protecting the local environment. The Banrock Station vineyards and protected wetlands sit side-by-side along the meandering Murray River and South Australia’s Riverland. The winery’s environmental commitment is broad and sustained, having supported more than 130 conservation projects in 13 countries over the last 20 years. Banrock Station’s wines are sustainably produced, vegan friendly and already use lightweight bottles and recycled materials.

Initially, Banrock Station’s Pinot Grigio, Rosé and Pinot Noir wines will be offered in ecoTOTE 3.0W format to on-premise customers in Sydney, Australia. As part of the partnership, ecoSPIRITS and Accolade will collaborate on a study of the lifecycle reduction in single waste and carbon footprint associated with closed loop distribution of the Banrock Station wines. The partnership with ecoSPIRITS is one element of Accolade’s global sustainability strategy ‘Making Every Drop Count’, detailing a long-term action plan to create real change across the business, industry and planet.

Additional information on the collaboration and the launch of closed loop wine service in Sydney will be released soon. Parties interested in learning more about ecoSPIRITS and our circular wine and spirits technologies can get in touch via [email protected]. For media inquiries regarding Accolade Wines and the Banrock Station, please reach out to Kate Harper, Dialogue Public Relations, via [email protected]. For bars, restaurants and hotels interested in participating in the new collaboration between ecoSPIRITS and Accolade Wines, please reach out to Derek Burden via [email protected] or [email protected].

About Accolade Wines

Headquartered in Australia, Accolade Wines draws on a proud heritage, with Houghton established in 1836 and the first grapes crushed at Hardys winery in 1857, to become a world-leading provider of luxury, premium, mainstream, and commercial wines. With three of the top 10 wine brands in the UK and two of the top 10 in Australia, Accolade’s rich and diverse portfolio is made up of distinguished wine brands including Hardys, St Hallett, Petaluma, Houghton, Grant Burge and Banrock Station and modern wine brands such as House of Arras, Echo Falls, Madam Sass and Jam Shed shaking up the global landscape. 

Accolade is a fully integrated business, managing the entire supply chain from grape to glass. With more than 1400 employees in over 40 countries around the world, Accolade delivers approximately 276 million litres of wine to 130 countries every year. Accolade is committed to the sustainable growth of our business and the industry. Through our relentless innovation, global sustainability strategy, and the partners we engage with, we endeavour to have a positive impact on the industry and communities in which we operate. 

For more information please visit https://www.accoladewines.com/

About Banrock Station Winery

Founded in 1995, Banrock Station’s mission is to do good and produce honest, great tasting wine that doesn’t cost the earth. Every drop of Banrock Station goes into conserving the planet.  Over the last 25 years, Banrock have contributed to over 130 projects across 13 countries, starting with restoring their surrounding RAMSAR accredited wetlands in the Riverland; providing a haven for over 17,000 native plant, animal and threatened bird life. They have contributed over $6 million to conserving this planet! Banrock Station brings together a passion for conservation and wine to deliver an unforgettable experience where consumers can enjoy the same quality wine they expect from Banrock Station without compromising on their own sustainability efforts.

For more information please visit https://www.banrockstation.com.au/

VICTORIA 14 March 2022 ecoSPIRITS announced today that it has signed a Licensed Operator Agreement for ecoSPIRITS Seychelles with Trois Frères Distillery, the producers of Takamaka Rum. The new partnership will bring circular spirits packaging technology to another island market at risk from rising sea levels and climate change. As part of the collaboration, Takamaka Rum will join the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program and become available across their home market in ecoTOTE™ format. The partnership for the Seychelles builds on ecoSPIRITS’ upcoming launch in Bermuda, proving the appeal of circular spirits in markets both large and small around the world.

An archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, Seychelles is home to numerous beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as giant Aldabra tortoises. With a population of 98,400, the islands are a vibrant tourist destination famous for their mountain rain forests and iconic beaches. Like other island nations around the world, Seychelles has already experiencing the impacts of climate change.  These include the disappearance of most of the giant tortoises from the granitic islands, the felling of coastal and mid-level forests, and the extinction of unique species such as the Seychelles parakeet and the saltwater crocodile. As a result, Seychelles has emerged as a world leader protecting lands and waters for threatened species, designating 42% of its territory for conservation.

Founded in Seychelles in 2000, Takamaka Rum widely regarded as the ‘spirit of the Seychelles’ and is the market leader in the local spirits industry. A family-owned and operated producer, Takamaka Rum is on a mission to put the Seychelles on the world rum map by producing locally inspired rums to capture the spirit and uniqueness of Seychelles itself. Each rum bottle is filled with the character of these unique islands, their local craftsmanship and their people.

Bars, restaurants, hotels, distributors and brands that are interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in Seychelles can get in touch via email at seychelles@ecospirits.global. Media inquiries for ecoSPIRITS may be directed to [email protected]. Inquiries for Takamaka Rum can be sent to [email protected].

About Takamaka Rum

Family owned, Takamaka was founded by two brothers twenty years ago who have built the brand into the number one spirit on the island nation. Bernard and Richard d’Offay set out to create rums that capture the spirit of the Seychelles, with its diverse flavours and laid-back attitude, which they and their fellow islanders would enjoy. They didn’t follow an industry blueprint, instead using what means they had available to them to create their liquid. 20 years later, the brothers now produce a portfolio of premium rums that are enjoyed around the world, capturing the unique and undiscovered flavours of their remote, tropical island home in the Indian Ocean.

For more information please visit https://www.takamakarum.com/

HONG KONG 9 March 2022 ecoSPIRITS announced today that it has partnered with Pernod Ricard, the world’s second largest spirits and wine company, to pilot circular spirits, starting in Hong Kong and Singapore. The new collaboration will see Pernod Ricard’s iconic brands Absolut Vodka, Beefeater Gin and Havana Club Rum become available in ecoSPIRITS’ innovative closed loop packaging technology. The partnership is the first of its kind for a global brand portfolio, marking a major milestone in the industry’s transition to circular spirits. To celebrate the milestone, the Pernod Ricard brands will debut in the first co-branded editions of the award-winning ecoTOTE™.

The new partnership is a natural fit for both parties. Pernod Ricard is an industry leader in sustainability, having made broad commitments under a Sustainability & Responsibility Roadmap that supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The roadmap include a pillar of ‘Circular Making,’ which envisions reducing carbon footprint and minimising waste by developing more sustainable packaging solutions. Pernod Ricard has set a goal of reducing carbon footprint by 50% by 2030, and to pursue a Net Zero trajectory by 2050.

Under the pilot program, Pernod Ricard will make Absolut Vodka, Beefeater Gin and Havana Club Rum available in low waste, co-branded ecoTOTE™ format to up to 80 leading bars, restaurants and hotels in Singapore and Hong Kong. Both cities are known for their vibrant and innovative bar scenes, and have embraced the ecoSPIRITS technology over recent years. Using the ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator, the initiative is forecast to reduce the carbon emissions of packaging and distribution for the participating Pernod Ricard brands by an average of 66% when compared with the traditional format of single use glass.

The new initiative will form part of Pernod Ricard’s Bar World of Tomorrow program which promotes more sustainable and responsible bar practices. Locally in Hong Kong, Bar World of Tomorrow is partnering with Food Made Good Hong Kong— part of the UK-based Sustainable Restaurant Association, which is dedicated to helping food service businesses operate sustainably. The program aims to upskill bartenders on topics such as responsible service, waste management, sourcing and managing fresh ingredients and ice supply management, with an emphasis on work-life balance, customer care, and ways to maximize yield from bar ingredients—thus reducing overall operational costs. Since January 2021, close to 100 bartenders in Hong Kong have completed the training program.

The pilot collaboration between ecoSPIRITS and Pernod Ricard will launch in both cities in the coming months. Over time, Pernod Ricard hopes to include more bars and restaurants in both cities, before expanding the program to other key markets and brands across Asia and beyond. 

Bars, restaurants and hotels in Singapore or Hong Kong interested in participating in the collaboration between Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS can get in touch via email at [email protected] or [email protected]. Additional information on the timeline for the launch of closed loop service for the Pernod Ricard brands, and the participating venue partners, will be released soon.

About Pernod Ricard

​​Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales amounting to €8,824 million in fiscal year FY21. The Group, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive portfolios in the industry with over 240 premium brands distributed across more than 160 markets. Pernod Ricard’s portfolio 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-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, New Zealand Wines, Campo Viejo, Mumm Sparkling and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard’s strategy focuses on investing in long-term and sustainable growth for all its stakeholders, remaining true to its founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and strong sense of ethics. The Group’s decentralised organisation empowers its 18,500 employees to be on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of “Créateurs de Convivialité”. Pernod Ricard 2030 Sustainability and Responsibility roadmap “Good Times from a Good Place” is integrated into all its activities from grain to glass, and Pernod Ricard is recognised as a UN Global Compact LEAD participant for its contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.

About ecoSPIRITS

Founded in 2018, ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for the premium spirits industry. Leveraging business as a force for good, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. The ecoSPIRITS patent-pending, closed-loop technology is licensed in 18 countries worldwide, including many of the world’s largest consumer markets, and is used by almost 1,000 leading hospitality venues. The ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program is a global coalition of hundreds of brands, distributors, wholesalers and hospitality operators committed to reducing the environmental impact of their operations. ecoSPIRITS serves its customer base from offices in Singapore, Shanghai, London and Miami.

MIAMI 28 February 2022 ecoSPIRITS announced today that it has signed a Licensed Operator Agreement for the United States with a new joint venture company established with Park Street Technology Ventures and the Edmund Pillsbury family. ecoSPIRITS USA will be headquartered in Miami, where Park Street is also based. Financing for the joint venture will be provided by all three parties. As part of the launch of ecoSPIRITS patent-pending closed loop spirits technology in the world’s largest premium spirits market, ecoSPIRITS’ Zdenek Kastanek will transition into the new role of Managing Director, ecoSPIRITS USA effective July 2022.

Park Street Technology Ventures is an affiliate of Park Street, a leading technology-enabled services company that helps emerging and established alcoholic beverage suppliers and brand owners cost-effectively and securely scale and manage their businesses in the U.S. market. ecoSPIRITS selected Park Street as their U.S. partner for their extensive experience across the entire beverage alcohol value chain, including regulatory compliance, freight and logistics, importing and distribution, and information and data management. Backed by Park Street’s 400 team members in the United States and around the world, and ecoSPIRITS’ global team and industry-leading experience with circular spirits, the new joint venture is well positioned to bring circular spirits to a complex and exciting U.S. market.

Private financing for the new joint venture will be led by the Edmund Pillsbury family, with co-investments by ecoSPIRITS and Park Street. Edmund Pillsbury, who is an experienced private investor and a board member of Tahoe Blue Vodka, will take a seat on the board of the joint venture entity alongside Kohlmann and Gabie. The joint venture has opened offices in Miami, where Kastanek is based, and will build a team of industry professionals dedicated to scaling closed loop spirits across the country.

In the first phase of development, ecoSPIRITS USA will offer closed loop service in Florida and California from three ecoPLANTs (Nos. 31, 32 and 33) based in Miami, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, respectively. The ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program will open to spirit brands, importers, distributors and hospitality operators and venues who are looking to reduce the single use waste and carbon footprint of their U.S. spirit distribution and consumption. ecoSPIRITS USA will also participate in the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program, which plants native trees in endangered wild areas based ecoTOTE™ cycles in the closed loop system.

Bars, restaurants, hotels, importers, distributors and brands that are interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in the U.S. can get in touch via email at [email protected]. Additional information on the timeline for closed loop service and the coverage in each state will be released soon.

About Park Street

Launched in 2003 by former McKinsey consultants, Park Street is a technology-enabled services company that helps emerging and established alcoholic beverage suppliers and brand owners cost-effectively and securely scale and manage their businesses.  The company combines complex sector expertise with skilled human capital and a purpose-built technology platform to deliver fully transparent and reliable performance.  Areas of expertise include regulatory compliance, freight and logistics, importing and distribution, order fulfillment, accounting, HR and benefits management, working capital, information and data management, systems development, systems integration, and more.  The company is trusted by thousands of brands from new-to-market entrepreneurs to well established multi-brand global portfolios.  Park Street is headquartered in Miami, Florida and has over 400 team members supporting operations across the United States and around the world.

About Park Street Technology Ventures

Park Street Technology Ventures (“Park Street Ventures”) is an affiliate of Park Street and invests in early-stage start-ups and established growth companies in the alcoholic beverage industry.  The firm’s investment mandate focuses on transformative technologies and green initiatives.  Park Street Ventures provides a combination of capital, strategic and operational guidance, and industry knowledge to help companies accelerate growth.

For more information, please visit www.parkstreet.com

SINGAPORE 21 February 2022 ecoSPIRITS announced today the appointments of Sui Ling Cheah to the role of Executive Board Chair and Anand Subramanian to the role of Chief Operating Officer. The appointments bolster ecoSPIRITS’ leadership team and governance as it navigates both a period of extraordinary global growth and the next phase of development of its closed loop technology. Together, Ms. Cheah and Mr. Subramanian bring more than 40 years of experience in strategy, investment banking, private equity, venture capital and governance to the ecoSPIRITS mission. Both of the new roles will be based in ecoSPIRITS’ Singapore headquarters.

In the newly-created role of Executive Board Chair, Ms. Cheah will lead the ecoSPIRITS board, oversee the company’s governance, and assist the CEO in setting the company’s overall strategy and direction. Ms. Cheah brings more than 25 years of experience to the role, primarily in investment banking, technology company advisory and board governance. In addition to her role at ecoSPIRITS, Ms. Cheah is an Operating Partner at Wavemaker Partners, a leading early stage venture fund. She previously spent more than 20 years in investment banking, including time at Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan and BNP Paribas. Ms. Cheah also holds independent board positions in several publicly listed companies in industries spanning hospitality, healthcare and telecommunications.

In addition to the new Executive Board Chair, ecoSPIRITS has appointed Anand Subramanian to the newly-created role of Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Mr. Subramanian will oversee the company’s board and investor relations as well as the finance, talent and strategy functions. He brings experience in strategy, investment banking, private equity and venture capital to ecoSPIRITS. Mr. Subramanian joins from Comcast NBC Universal, where he was Head of Strategy & Business Development in Asia Pacific. He previously spent thirteen years in investment banking and private equity and growth company investing, most recently with Fullerton Financial Holdings and J.P. Morgan.

Both of the new leadership roles will be based in ecoSPIRITS’ headquarters in Singapore, allowing ecoSPIRITS CEO Paul Gabie to spend time across the company’s Miami, London and Singapore offices to better support a growing global network of ecoSPIRITS Licensed Operators and Climate Partners.

About Sui Ling Cheah

Sui Ling Cheah is Operating Partner at Wavemaker, a B2B and deep tech focused early stage venture capital fund where she is responsible for helping the mature companies in Wavemaker’s portfolio with business development, follow-on financing and eventual exits. Prior to joining the venture capital industry, she spent 20 years in investment banking raising capital for high growth companies and executing cross-border M&A. Her last investment banking role was as the Co-Head of Corporate Finance of SEA at BNP Paribas. Prior to that, she was Executive Director of Investment Banking at JP Morgan Singapore. Sui Ling started her career with Merrill Lynch New York followed by stints in Singapore and London. Sui Ling is currently also a board director of several publicly-listed companies such as CDL Hospitality REIT, Parkway Life REIT and Telechoice International.  Born in Malaysia, she graduated from Wellesley College in the United States with a Bachelor of Arts in French and Economics.

For more information, please visit LinkedIn

About Anand Subramanian

Anand Subramanian has over 16 years of experience in private equity, venture capital, and investment banking. Prior to joining ecoSPIRITS, Anand was the Head of Corporate Strategy and Business Development APAC at Comcast NBCUniversal where he oversaw the go-to-market strategy for NBCUniversal in Asia Pacific across both linear and digital assets. Previously, Anand was Vice President of Investments at Fullerton Financial Holdings, Singapore, a wholly owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, overlooking fintech and financial services investments across South & South East Asia. Anand spent close to 10 years at J.P. Morgan, Singapore, where was an Executive Director, Investment Banking overseeing all facets of IB including capital markets and M&A. He was also the Head of Junior Resources. Born in India, Anand graduated from Symbiosis Center for Management and Human Resource Development with an MBA in Finance & Marketing and from Delhi University with a Bachelor in Commerce.

For more information, please visit LinkedIn

PHNOM PENH 12 January 2022 ecoSPIRITS is celebrating the launch of its inaugural closed loop service in Cambodia with one of the country’s leading luxury hotels, Rosewood Phnom Penh, and local ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner, Samai Rum. To mark the launch of ecoSPIRITS Cambodia, Sora Sky Bar at Rosewood Phnom Penh has created the Nom Slek Chak Sustainable Cocktail – the first in Cambodia to feature the ecoSPIRITS technology – to showcase a uniquely Cambodian spirit alongside sustainable local flavours and ingredients. For every Nom Slek Chak Sustainable Cocktail served through April 2022 at the hotel, one tree will be planted under the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program.

Rosewood Phnom Penh, the latest property from Rosewood Hotels and Resorts to collaborate with ecoSPIRITS, is an ultra-luxury hotel located in the heart of the Cambodian capital. Soaring 188 metres above Phnom Penh, the hotel occupies the top 14 floors of Vattanac Capital Tower, the city’s most iconic modern structure and a symbol of the new Cambodia. With unobstructed views of the fabled Mekong River, the hotel is home to six restaurants and lounges. Sora Sky Bar, the hotel’s flagship rooftop bar, is one of the country’s most acclaimed beverage venues, offering an expansive whisky collection, carefully curated cocktails and a spectacular view.

Sora Sky Bar Manager, Udom Chhoun, created the Nom Slek Chak Sustainable Cocktail to honour the hotel’s new partnership with ecoSPIRITS. Inspired by a traditional Khmer snack from Kampot, Cambodia, the unique cocktail stars hand-crafted, aromatic Samai Kampot Pepper and Gold rums from Samai Distillery, the country’s first and only premium rum producer. Both rums are delivered to the hotel in low-waste ecoTOTE™ format, infused with coconut meat, then mixed with Mancino Bianco vermouth, fresh lemon juice, and egg whites. As a finishing touch, the cocktail is garnished with toasted black sesame and dried coconut for a silky, elegant tipple bursting with Khmer flavours.

As Samai Distillery transitions to ecoTOTE™ format for the distribution of its award-winning rums in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and other cities across the country, it is set to become the most sustainable spirit producer in the Cambodian market. The move to closed-loop packaging technology will dramatically reduce the distillery’s import of glass bottles from Europe and eliminate single-use paper labels, stoppers and cartons. Overall, the ecoSPIRITS system will now eliminate an estimated 91% of the carbon footprint associated with the packaging and distribution of Samai Rum in Phnom Penh, or the equivalent of 830g of CO2e per bottle. To further the positive impact of the collaboration, ecoSPIRITS and Samai Distillery are planting one native tree in the Rosewood Phnom Penh forest under the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program for each Nom Slek Chak Sustainable Cocktail served.

Samai White, Gold and Kampot Pepper Rums are now available across Cambodia in ecoTOTE™ format from ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner distributor, Moonshine Cambodia. For more information, please contact [email protected]. For a booking at the Sora Bar to enjoy the Nom Slek Chak Sustainable Cocktail, please contact [email protected]. You can also follow Rosewood Phnom Penh on Instagram @rosewoodphnompenh

About Rosewood Phnom Penh

Rosewood Phnom Penh presents an ultra-luxury hospitality experience in the Cambodian capital. The hotel is located on the top 14 floors of Vattanac Capital Tower in the central business district, with unobstructed views of the city and the fabled Mekong River from its position within the tallest building in the capital. Rosewood Phnom Penh embraces the Rosewood brand’s A Sense of Place®️ philosophy and reflects the location’s history, culture and sensibilities. It features 175 rooms and suites; six restaurants and lounges, including Sora, a sky bar on a cantilevered terrace; Sense, a Rosewood Spa; a fitness center; a 22-meter indoor lap swimming pool; and meeting facilities that include The Pavilion residential-style meeting and function space.

For more information or reservations, please contact [email protected] or +855 23 936 888

For more information, please visit: rosewoodhotels.com/en/phnom-penh
Connect with us: Facebook, Instagram @rosewoodphnompenh

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, please visit: https://www.samaidistillery.com/

Stranger & Sons Gin, Third Eye Distillery’s flagship product, is India’s leading craft gin by volume. Launched in 2018 and produced in Goa, Stranger & Sons Gin was conceived to celebrate the agricultural diversity and abundance of India and its love affair with spices. It captures the spirit of India, in a spirit from India that is produced with nine botanicals from local Goan farms, markets and spice vendors. Now exported to Singapore, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Taiwan, New Zealand and the UAE, Stranger & Sons Gin has picked up a host of international awards, including being declared one of the 8 best gins in the world in 2020 by the International Wine & Spirit Competition to winning the highest honours at The Asian Spirits Masters 2021 and their most recent Gold medal at the Gin Masters 2021. With the launch of ecoSPIRITS in India, Stranger & Sons Gin will become the first Indian spirit to be available in low waste packaging format.

The launch of closed loop service in India will also make the market more accessible and sustainable for imported premium spirits, a well-known challenge in the industry. ecoSPIRITS India will participate in the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program, which grants a wide range of spirit brands and their importers, distributors and wholesalers with access to our global closed loop network. Plantation Rum, the world’s number one super premium rum brand and an ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner since 2019, will become the first imported spirit available in India in ecoTOTE™ format. This transition will make Plantation Rum the most sustainable premium rum offering in the Indian market. With the packaging waste and transport cost savings of the ecoSPIRITS system, Plantation Rum will be available at a reduced on-trade price point, making it more accessible to the Indian bar community.

ecoSPIRITS closed loop service will be available in Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka from February 2022. Bars, restaurants, hotels, distributors and brands that are interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in India can get in touch via email at [email protected] or [email protected]

About Third Eye Distillery

Established in 2018, Third Eye Distillery was founded by Sakshi Saigal, Rahul Mehra and Vidur Gupta with the vision of redefining the spirits landscape of the Indian market. They were the first to explore contemporary style Gins in India with their flagship spirit, Stranger & Sons, which has garnered praise and recognition across the globe. Through pioneering innovations that are built consciously, Third Eye Distillery aims to elevate the homegrown spirits market and uplift India’s cocktail culture.

About Stranger & Sons Gin

The spirit of India in a spirit from India.

Stranger & Sons is a contemporary Indian Gin, the debut spirit from Third Eye Distillery in Goa, founded in 2018 by Rahul Mehra, Sakshi Saigal and Vidur Gupta. Crafted with inherently Indian botanicals including a unique citrus peel mix and warm spices such as pepper, mace and nutmeg, they built a three-dimensional gin that is proudly Indian and true to its origin. Inspired by the country’s agricultural wealth, entrepreneurial spirit and rather wonderfully strange traditions, Stranger & Sons was launched as an Indian spirited gin created in contemporary India, a country that is diverse, nuanced and eccentric.

Starting out as early innovators in the Indian Gin category to winning awards at multiple international spirit competitions, they’ve managed to put Indian Gin on the world map and continue to work towards showcasing India’s diversity to the rest of the world!

*Currently available in Goa, Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka and Rajasthan within India and the United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, internationally.

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

About Plantation Rum

Plantation Rums, in their instantly recognizable raffia-wrapped bottles, are served at the world’s finest tables and in the most prestigious bars. The fruit of a unique savoir-faire, they express the flavors of the terroirs of rum in fascinating expressions whose double ageing technique has become a true trademark. The Plantation range, through its originality and quality, has conquered the hearts of rum lovers around the world. Multi-awarded expressions like Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple and Barbados XO 20th Anniversary are now classics.

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

Vesper in Bangkok is one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars

The stunning Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, which opened in 2020

As part of the new joint venture, two new ecoPLANTs, Serial Nos. 18 and 24, will be commissioned in Bangkok and Phuket to provide a network of closed loop service in Thailand. A third ecoPLANT is planned for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 2022.

Founded in Bangkok in 2014 by Minway Chi, Bootleggers Trading is an importer, educator and producer of craft spirits. Bootleggers’ exclusive distribution portfolio of craft and premium spirit brands include Plantation Rum, Citadelle Gin, Ferrand Cognac, Mancino Vermouth, Widges Gin, Tried & True Vodka, Chartreuse, Kavalan Whisky and Black Tears Rum. Bootleggers will bring its lengthy experience with Thai spirits import, distribution and brand building to the new joint venture.