Because of the advancement of blockchain-based technology, the concept of Web3 has gained popularity in a variety of businesses. In essence, Web3 indicates the next step in the evolution of the World Wide Web. It employs cryptocurrencies, decentralized finance, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to return power to the users through ownership.
As many experts agree, it offers a “read-write-own” version of the web in which you can have a financial stake and more power over the web communities to which you belong. In other words, Web3 enables you to take ownership of your digital assets in an easier way.
In the rum industry, different companies and spirits experts have engaged in blockchain technology to promote and trade their products and, in this way, gain access to a broader market. In this context, a group of aficionados and adventurers passionate about pursuing rare, premium rums decided to create the Rare Spirits Society. This team is taking advantage of Web3 technology to develop a community online so that they can create a Rare Rum Collection in real life.
At the Rare Spirits Society, members are eager for adventure and exploration, both in rum and Web3. According to Antonio Lopez De Haro, Co-Founder & CEO, their focus is on providing exclusive access to rare rum barrel collecting through their Rare Rum Reserve.
Antonio Lopez De Haro, Co-Founder, Rum Explorer& CEO of Rare Spirits Society. Source: Courtesy of Rare Spirits Society
“We find ourselves in perfect timing, as the premium rum category emerges as the fastest-growing sector worldwide, marking a rum revolution. However, the exclusivity and hurdles associated with accessing rare rum barrels remain significant challenges for ordinary individuals. Entry barriers, industry connections, limited information and price discovery, and substantial budgets are prerequisites typically reserved for the elite, resulting in a transactional rather than a collecting experience. Our vision differs; we aspire to build together the rarest and finest collection of rare rum barrels the world has ever seen. Confronted with these obstacles, we turned to blockchain technology, recognizing its potential to address accessibility, transparency, authenticity, traceability, and liquidity within the rum industry. Plus, being a society, it’s also about the experiences, networking with like-minded beings, bespoke trips to distilleries, and being a part of the process to build this together.”
Every rum in their Rare Collection will be tokenized with their Proof-Of-Barrel™ technology. The specifications of every barrel, such as provenance, liquid type, percentage of alcohol by volume, aging barrels, date of distilling and filling, as well as other information to help in traceability and transparency of the liquids, will be available live at members’ fingertips in an immutable ledger of ownership.
The Rare Spirits Society will be officially launched on May 18, 2023. The minting will be done in stages. For the first phase, there will be only 500 Sugarcane Membership Passes. Each of them will grant members more benefits and Supreme Status within the society.
The first 100 passes are reserved for pre-seed, team, and marketing. From 101 to 200, it will be $700. These first 200 Sugarcane Membership Passes will go live on May 18. Consecutively, from 201 to 300 will be on sale in mid-June at $1,000, from 301 to 400 in mid-July at $1,200, and from 401 to 500 in mid-August at $1,500. The minting will be done in USDC, a stablecoin pegged to the USD that lives on the Ethereum Blockchain.
Luigi Rockets, Co-Founder, Rum Explorer, and Chief Creative Officer, emphasized the benefits of Web3:
“The blockchain is a rich technology that allows you to create the business of your dreams. If you have a project, you can adapt it to this technology since it allows you to transform how people interact in this market. That is why we decided to bring the rum industry to the blockchain world. Our project uses this technology to create an online community and explore premium rum markets to create this collection of rare rums in real life.”
Luigi Rockets, Co-Founder, Rum Explorer, and CCO of Rare Spirits Society. Source: Courtesy of Rare Spirits Society
How to Become a Member?
To acquire a Sugarcane Membership Pass, visit the society’s official website. Just make sure to have a Digital Wallet first in order to receive the memberships. Moreover, the way they curate who will be part of the society is very simple: The Sugarcane Membership Passes are obtained via an Allowlist, so it is not open to public minting. Once you fill out the Allowlist, you can schedule a Zoom call with the founders.
The team is looking for the “rarest minds” from the spirits industry and the web3 world, including entrepreneurs, connoisseurs, aficionados, and founders of other projects who can add value to this society and are planning to be involved with the community for a long term. Indeed, being a member of the Rare Spirits Society is for entertainment, education, and networking purposes.
What Are the Members’ Utilities and Benefits?
As a membership club, they mainly offer exclusive access to rare rum barrel collection, providing accessibility, transparency, traceability, and liquidity using blockchain technology.
First, accessibility because for a reasonable membership fee, many people who are usually unable to enter higher-priced societies can now be part of this kind of opportunity. Secondly, transparency is improved because all memberships and barrels that the Society acquires will be tokenized, so all the information and transactions of the barrels will be visible to everyone on the blockchain, improving traceability for the life of the barrels. Finally, liquidity is available because the token marketplaces are open 24/7/365.
In addition, the society’s members will enjoy many other benefits and utilities, such as,
Participation in masterclasses and IRL events to learn not only about the rum industry but also the Web3 world.
To build together the Rare Rum Barrel Collection.
Bespoke trips to the partner distilleries and participation in rare rum barrel selections.
Voting power in deciding which casks to acquire, sell, or bottle.
Access to unique Barrels & Bottling from the collection.
Lifetime membership to be part of this community of rum explorers.
Community and networking with experts and entrepreneurs in the rum industry and the web3.
Know the Rare Spirits Society Team
The Rare Spirits Society is made up of experts from both the rum industry and Web3.
Antonio Lopez De Haro – Co-Founder, Rum Explorer, and CEO
Joaquin Brillembourg – Co-Founder, Strategy, and CMO
Luigi Rockets – Co-Founder, Rum Explorer, and CCO
Philip Gillier – Rum Explorer and Barrel Management
Federico Hernandez – Rummelier and Barrel House Relations
Valentin X – Blockchain Engineer & Systems Architect
They are building the finest collection of Rare Rum Barrels the world has ever seen, which will then be tokenized. Now, to create this Rare Rum Collection, the rum explorers will travel far and wide to rum countries such as Jamaica, Martinique, Barbados, El Salvador, Venezuela, Cambodia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, and Hawaii, among others.
“We’re not looking to obtain the largest collection but the finest collection of rare rum barrels. And we plan to do this by exploring different countries and distinctive distilleries. So, we’ll acquire and collect the rarest and most valuable rums from around the world,” Rockets added.
The Rare Spirits Society aims to offer innovative solutions for the rum industry by bridging rum and blockchain-based platforms. In this sense, Lopez de Haro concluded:
“The blockchain is the future, and we’re pouring rum all over it (…). We’re working with different programmers and companies to design a specific solution for the rum industry. And we’re becoming experts in the application of this technology. We will become a bridge between the rum industry and Web3. So, this goes beyond rum. We’re being part of something that can revolutionize the spirits industry in general, as we’re creating technology for greater transparency and authenticity.”
Emily Cruz Villegas
Content Director at The RumLab || She is a Journalist & Ghostwriter from Caracas-Venezuela, with more than six years of experience in Academic Research. She also has a postgraduate education in International Relations and a Master's Degree in Public Management. In the last few years, she has been working in sales and digital marketing.
