SINGAPORE 16 March 2023 ecoSPIRITS has launched a second–generation portfolio of its SmartPour™ technology, offering enhanced capabilities, intelligent features and new design elements. The revamped SmartPour lineup now comprises the SmartPour 1.1S and the SmartPour 2.0S, for the company’s spirits brand partners; and, for the first time, a SmartPour dedicated to wine preservation and dispensing, the SmartPour 2.0W. With this latest release, SmartPours are now available to pair with both the 4.5L and 1.75L versions of the ecoTOTE™. Each of the second generation SmartPours is powered by CircularONE™, ecoSPIRITS’ cloud-based software platform that is central to its ambitious Intelligent Circular™ roadmap.
The second generation SmartPour portfolio: the 1.1S, 2.0S and 2.0W models.
The SmartPour is ecoSPIRITS’ proprietary electronic dispense unit, designed for the safe and hygienic transfer of spirits or wine from ecoTOTE to reusable glass bottles or directly to serving glassware. The first generation SmartPour was first released in November 2020 to give hospitality outlets the option to dispense a variety of accurate spirits measures, which can be pre-programmed to suit the needs of the venue and the local market. The latest generation of patent-pending SmartPour hardware has been enhanced by the CircularONE software platform, with a range of security, data and IoT features, allowing ecoSPIRITS to collect and send performance and supply chain data to and from each partner company. This includes accurate depletion data, as well as cloud-based location tracking for the global ecoTOTE fleet, whereby each individual ecoTOTE is tracked through its entire lifecycle of closed loop operations, including in the venue, when it is linked to a SmartPour for dispense. This all forms part of the ecoSPIRITS Intelligent Circular vision, which is powered by CircularONE, and will eventually offer the comprehensive integration of hardware and software to make circular much more robust, scalable and cost-effective.
The ecoSPIRITS closed loop system for spirits and wine distribution.
The SmartPour 1.1S is designed for ease of operations in the back-of-house area and as such, it offers all the basic SmartPour functions. This slimline unit is well suited to venues that require high volume bottle refilling, and its range of one push pour options allow for the fast, hygienic and accurate transfer of spirits from ecoTOTE to bottle. Its ergonomic design means that it is not only quick and straightforward to assemble, but it fits neatly on top of the ecoTOTE, without taking up unnecessary space. This user-friendly accessory, which perfectly complements the ecoTOTE, is also easy to store away. Each SmartPour 1.1S comes complete with accessories, including silicone inlet and extension hoses, which are used to extract the spirit brand from the ecoTOTE; a USB-C charging cable to charge the digital unit; and a pouring spout, to dispense spirits into bottles or glassware.
The SmartPour 1.1S is designed for ease of operations in the back-of-house area.
The SmartPour 2.0S is the second spirits dispense solution in the ecoSPIRITS SmartPour portfolio. Unlike the 1.1S, which is a simplified but easy-to-use dispense attachment, the 2.0S is designed with a visually striking outer casing, which fully encloses the ecoTOTE, giving venues the opportunity to make a feature of the circular hardware on the bar, where it can be made visible to consumers. These WiFi-enabled SmartPours offer the full range of ecoSPIRITS’ Intelligent Circular features, and they are also equipped with the company’s patent-pending Verified Sustainable Refill™ (VSR) feature, which uses NFC-based refill bottle authentication to ensure the spirit inside the ecoTOTE matches the brand on the bottle.
The SmartPour 2.0S offers the full range of ecoSPIRITS’ Intelligent Circular features.
Completing the trio of SmartPours is the innovative SmartPour 2.0W, which has been designed specifically for preserving and dispensing wine. This intelligent wine system pairs with the specialised ecoTOTE 3.0W for wine to make the sustainable reuse of branded wine bottles possible. An enhanced version of the SmartPour 2.0S, the 2.0W also offers inert N2 gas blanketing and wine temperature management, to allow for the hygienic and fresh transfer of wine from ecoTOTE to wine bottles, glassware, carafes and decanters. Like its SmartPour siblings, the 2.0W offers a fast, accurate pour every time, and has NFC-based bottle authentication with VSR. Both the SmartPour 2.0S and 2.0W have brand plate lighting, giving users the option to light up the digital display and the brand plate; an added feature for venues wanting to make their circular innovation visible to consumers.
The SmartPour 2.0W pairs with an N2 gas canister for wine preservation and management.
The new generation of SmartPours are available as standard Forest Green or Oceans Blue options or they can be developed with partner spirits and wine brands as a fully co-branded design. These can be showcased by venues, giving both the technology and branding high visibility to consumers. Co-branded SmartPours have already been deployed by several of ecoSPIRITS’ global customers, including Diageo, which now has co-branded Smirnoff Vodka SmartPour 2.0S’ in venues in Indonesia; and Pernod Ricard, which has co-branded Beefeater Gin, Havana Club and Absolut Vodka SmartPour 2.0S’ available for the Singapore market. Both companies are looking at expanding their footprints to cover additional regions. Meanwhile, in the UK, Remy Cointreau now has co-branded hardware for its Cointreau and Mount Gay rum brands. ecoSPIRITS adapted the SmartPour 2.0S Cointreau Edition to ensure the perfect dispense of Cointreau, because liqueurs behave differently to higher proof spirits. In addition, the True Believers brand, Los Arcos Destilado de Agave, saw its UK debut this month, sporting co-branded SmartPour 2.0S units. ecoSPIRITS is also preparing to launch co-branded versions of the SmartPour 2.0W in Australia with industry leader Accolade Wines, featuring one or more of their eco wine brands.
Derek Tang, Chief Technology Officer, ecoSPIRITS
“ecoSPIRITS developed its software platform, CircularONE, to give the company the ability to collect and send performance and supply chain data at real time to and from each partner, leading to improved closed loop efficiency. To link this with the ecoSPIRITS hardware required upgrades to the full portfolio, and this second generation of SmartPours represents the latest piece of this puzzle. For me, this is an exciting development because it brings to life ecoSPIRITS’ vision of a global Intelligent Circular network of IoT hardware, powered by software and data. As we develop CircularONE we will be adding new features and capabilities to these SmartPours, throughout 2023 and beyond.”
Shanshan Zhang, Head of Product Design, ecoSPIRITS
“We released our first SmartPours in November 2020 and via this innovative piece of equipment we have been able to transform the dispense experience for hundreds of venues all around the world. Now, just over two years later, we have evolved the functionality and look of the SmartPour, and linked it with our software platform. Our second-generation portfolio offers a range of options, depending on whether venues require high volume bottle refilling, Intelligent Circular features, or options to suit wine or spirits. We can also now give partner brands and venues the ability to make a feature of this technology as a co-branded unit at the bar, presenting this as a sustainable talking point for consumers to engage with.”
ecoSPIRITS has submitted patent applications for its latest SmartPour technologies and its Verified Sustainable Refill feature. These join existing patent applications in its system of closed loop technologies, including the ecoSPIRITS’ third–generation ecoTOTE 3.0, and the SmartKiosk™, which was launched in September last year. The latest generation of SmartPour hardware uses dual-frequency IoT module so it is capable of connecting to two different wireless frequencies: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. They also have programmable dispense volume buttons, enabling venues to set their own range of push pour options for the easy transfer of accurate measures of spirits or wine from the ecoTOTE. Additional smart features will be developed for the SmartPour portfolio over time. For media enquiries or general information about ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager, 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 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 15 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. More than 1,500 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 25 countries worldwide by mid 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 information, please visit www.ecospirits.global