Google joins Brewdog in support of Degen Distillery's NFT Initiative

Degen Distillery, a London-based tech-driven maker of spirits, but also a whole lot more, has today announced that Google is joining the firm's existing partner Brewdog. 

The project will see Degen offer NFTs, (yes, remember them?) in what the company is calling a “social distribution” project that essentially allows community members to have their say in when and where the distribution of Degen’s distilled products will be distributed, alongside, in the company’s own words, “accrue next-generational wealth and notoriety”.

The leverage of Google

Having previously announced a partnership with Scotland’s $2 billion craft brewers, Brewdog, through the latter’s JetPack programme, the Google partnership further propels the brand through a “series of announcements” to be forthcoming via Google’s Web3 startup programme.

As part of the programme, Degen will have access to Google Cloud credits, Google’s technical support team, a private community of the top Web3 businesses, access to funding, and Google's unparalleled network.

Degen Labs long time entrepreneur, investor and co-founder and CEO Sammy Verghese elaborates:

“Degen Distillery not only represents the future of how brands are co-created through community, but how they are ultimately distributed. Partnering with Google allows us to truly pioneer and scale 'social distribution' alongside our community of creators, innovators and disruptors.”

Tarnished but not tattered

While the NFT market, at least in the form of art has taken a beating, something about simians that are not engaged, and the public persona of the mechanism tarnished, that’s not to say that the concept and future potentials are to be thrown out with the bathwater.

As a quick refresher — The easiest way for my simple mind to understand the latent potential of an NFT is that of a candy bar wrapper. Inside this wrapper, you can stuff any and all types of candy; images, videos, music, festival tickets, distilled products etc. if it can be digitised, it can have an NFT wrapped around it. 

The sole purpose of this wrapper is to serve as the definitive voice of ownership of this data. There's no question of whose candy bar it is. 

So put mine down.

NFT v2

So instead of artworks, which let’s be honest, by definition, is subjective, Degen is taking on the world of distilled spirits, which, depending on your purpose, even the worst tasting ones can achieve the goal. 

“Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, and which incorporates itself with the grapes to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy!” - Benjamin Franklin

Given that Degen is not only involving members in the distribution of its products, but the co-creation, there’s a very high likelihood that the company’s initial offer, 721 Vodka (the 721 refers to the number of participants that Degen is letting into the community), is going to be anything but poor in taste.

What’s more, and this is clearly a play at what a v2 of NFTs can be, in addition to the co-creation of the recipe(s) involved in the creation of Degen’s distilled beverages, the company is also encouraging users to licence any NFTs, IP or art they may own for use on the bottles themselves.

Lead image via Degen Distillery.