Work will soon get under way for a new, organic, carbon-neutral whiskey distillery and visitor center at the Curraghmore Estate in Portlaw, County Waterford, Ireland. And with that news, Curraghmore announced it has a new NFT project coming as well.
This new distillery and visitor center will allow Curraghmore Whiskey to distill single-estate, pot still whiskey at the site, and welcome visitors to Curraghmore to experience the whole whiskey-making process, from field to glass.
The application was approved for the change of use of five existing, 180-year-old agricultural buildings on Curraghmore Estate, to industrial use.
A statement from Curraghmore explained that these buildings are believed to be the first industrial farmyard to be built in Europe by noted architect William Tinsley. The buildings will be used for the distillation of spirits, retail use, spirits maturation and ancillary use.
The proposed development will also include ground-mounted solar panel arrays and an integrated constructed wetlands treatment system and production water well. An existing water wheel will be adapted to generate hydroelectricity. The plan looks to achieve organic and carbon-neutral status within a decade.
Curraghmore Whiskey is produced from barley and oats grown on the 850-year-old estate.
Richard De La Poer Beresford, Earl of Tyrone and founder Curraghmore Whiskey, said they are excited and look forward to the new chapter in their business.
“Our vision has always been to create a sustainable, organic, carbon neutral pot still whiskey, and with this distillery on the horizon, it looks like it will come to fruition,” he said. “Curraghmore Whiskey is at the sweet spot where organic farming meets environmentally responsible distilling – we’re offering the market a whiskey that not only has a provenance and authenticity that is unmatched, but also one that is sustainable and gives back to the land … a win/win for everyone.”
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Construction on the distillery is set to start in 2023 and will create up to 24 jobs. The distillery will have the capacity to make up to 250,000 liters and receive 10,000 visitors a year.
You can check out the proposed site at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwD7HElBFA0.
And with the innovative new distillery and center, comes the launch of their Non-Fungible Token (NFT) project.
In the statement from the distiller, it’s noted that with cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain and Web3, Curraghmore looks to NFTs to help streamline and simplify the cask ownership process.
Curraghmore founder De La Poer said, “We believe that NFTs will play a major role in the future of the whiskey industry. They are the best solution for procuring rare and luxury wines and spirits, providing digital proof of ownership.”
He said that NFTs and the blockchain will help bridge the gap between the producer and the consumer, through a touch of a button. “No need for tedious contracts and paperwork as this is all legally binding within the digital contract of the NFT. For these reasons, we have decided to launch our own NFT project and look to the future.”
A Non-Fungible Token is a unique digital identifier that cannot be copied, substituted or subdivided, that is recorded in a blockchain, and that is used to certify authenticity and ownership.
Curraghmore Whiskey partnered with Momint, an alternate investment platform. Verified Momint NFTs have been vetted by third-party auditors, with actual legal contracts embedded into the token, kept safe and secure on the blockchain. This provides legally binding mechanisms for ownership and dispute resolution, enforceable in more than 160 jurisdictions around the world.
For their first NFT project, Curraghmore Whiskey selected one of its younger casks, a 2.5-year-old, ex-bourbon 200-liter cask of single farm, pot still Curraghmore Irish Whiskey, made with barley and oats grown on the 850-year-old estate.
This cask has been fractionalized into 10 NFTs, with each NFT starting at $1,030. Once a user ‘collects’ or purchases one of these NFTs, they are basically buying a share of this 200 liter cask of Curraghmore Whiskey, to be bottled at a later date, and they also automatically become a Curraghmore Legacy Cask Member.
Legacy Cask Members have access to benefits and activities at Curraghmore Estate, including access to Ten Stalls – a private whiskey lounge available for private tasting sessions.
At the end of the project, which is linked to the cask’s maturation date at 15 years of age, NFT owners are entitled to their share of 18 bottles of the cask’s whiskey.
The NFT can be sold at a price the holder sees fit, with its utilities, at any point in the project’s timeline.
For more information on how to get an NFT and the Legacy Cask Membership, check out www.curraghmorewhiskey.com.
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