Crurated expands into spirits

London-based fine wine platform Crurated, which uses blockchain and NFT technology to sell directly from producers, has announced it is expanding into the spirits category.

Maison Lineti, a Samaroli bottling of The Macallan, The Glenturret, Royal Salute, Camus, Dictador, and Ballantine’s within the first half of 2024.

Samaroli Macallan Single Cask 1997 will be the first spirit to launch on Crurated, bottled just over 26 years later in 2023, with only 108 bottles of the Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky produced.

Later in December Crurated will be partnering with Maison Camus, France’s largest independent Cognac house.

Expressions made available on the platform will including Cognac Camus Collection Privé Légion d’Honneur and Cognac Camus Cuvée 4.186 Electrum. With a combined age of 186 years of ageing, this is the rarest Cuvée ever produced by Camus with only 315 decanters created.

Cognac Camus Collection Privé Gérard Basset Tribute will also be offered by the online retailer. This Cognac is a rare limited edition with only 20 bottles, and 50% of proceeds will be donated to the Gérard Basset Foundation.

In addition, Crurated has said it will invite members to bid for the Ateliers Camus Masterpiece — a limited edition of just five sets, each including three bottles, with an estimated value of €125,000.

New spirits allocations will be released every two weeks, ranging from whiskies, rums, Cognacs and Armagnacs.

“This move is a testament to the unwavering commitment by the Crurated team to deliver unparalleled access, quality and authenticity to our global community of members,” notes Alfonso de Gaetano, CEO and Founder of Crurated. “Our team is changing the paradigm in spirits, as we successfully did with wine and will continue to do so as we expand into other verticals. Moving into the spirits market will excite our existing members, provide us with opportunities to attract new customers and nurture people’s passions across both categories and beyond.”

Crurated announced in January 2023 that it had raised US$7.2 million from private investment to evolve its tech platform, reach into new markets and expand the partnerships with winemakers beyond its French and Italian heartlands.

The online members club, which was launched in May 2021, said it would use the funds to expand into producers outside of France and Italy.

The company argues that partnering with established producers and selling via fractional barrel, in addition to traditional lot purchases/auctions, appeals to this younger demographic, with strong demand causing it to sell out in some of it fractional auctions within hours. It argues that selling this way not only secures members the allocation, but means they can choose the format and also customise the labels.

Further releases and category launches are planned throughout 2024, with a calendar of events taking place across the US, Asia and Europe.