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Angel’s Envy unveils first ‘meta distillery’
By Nicola CarruthersBacardi-owned Angel’s Envy has completed its US$8.2 million visitor centre expansion in Kentucky and created a virtual reality distillery experience in Decentraland.
The American whiskey brand revealed the expansion plans to its Louisville site on 500 East Main Street in July last year. Construction started in late 2020.
The extension has added more than 13,000 square feet to the Angel’s Envy brand home and will include a new events space and an additional bar, a larger retail space, a catering kitchen and five tasting rooms.
In addition, the facility will have a designated room for the brand’s ‘Bottle Your Own’ experience, which will offer guests the chance to fill their own bottles of a distillery-exclusive single barrel offering.
The site will boost annual guest capacity to 64,000 and create approximately 20 new jobs in the city.
“Angel’s Envy has seen significant growth over the past several years, and that will only be amplified with our brand home expansion as we can now better meet the incredible demand from visitors who want to tour our facilities and experience our distillery,” said Gigi DaDan, Angel’s Envy general manager.
“We’re proud to be part of such a strong community in Louisville and will continue to invest in our hometown.”
Virtual distillery experience
To celebrate the expansion, the brand has revealed a ‘meta distillery’ – which includes a gamified and educational distillery production tour and Bourbon-making experience, interactive cocktail challenge, a proof of attendance protocol (POAP) token, a non-fungible token (NFT) wearable giveaway, and more.
Users will also be able to plant virtual white oak trees around the distillery, linking to the brand’s Toast the Trees initiative.
US consumers will be able to purchase physical items from the Angel’s Envy web shop and order a metaverse cocktail to their door via Cocktail Courier. An Angel’s Envy mixology kit is also up for grabs through a competition.
The virtual reality distillery will launch in Decentraland on 14 June to coincide with National Bourbon Day, and will remain open until 20 June.
DaDan added: “We’re thrilled to launch the Angel’s Envy Meta Distillery on National Bourbon Day and look forward to engaging and celebrating Bourbon with new audiences from all over the world through the virtual experience.”
The creation of the VR distillery marks the first spirit in Bacardi’s portfolio to offer a brand home in the metaverse.
“We are excited to welcome the first distillery in Decentraland with the Angel’s Envy Meta Distillery,” said Adam de Cata, head of partnerships for Decentraland Foundation.
“As we have seen over the past several months, people want to engage in the metaverse with activities and goods that they can relate to from this reality. The Angel’s Envy Meta Distillery creates a new way for people to engage and celebrate in the metaverse.”
Absolut vodka also ventured into the metaverse with its launch of immersive experience Absolut.Land.
Meanwhile, Tequila brand Jose Cuervo recently revealed plans to open a meta distillery in Decentraland this summer.