As consumers increasingly seek connection through the spaces they inhabit, the spirits industry is entering a new era where physical environments play a defining role in shaping loyalty, emotion, and brand identity. In response to this shift, Solomon Group, FINN Partners, & Tales of the Cocktail Foundation have released From Liquid to Lifestyle: Rewriting the Rules of Connection and Turning Customers into Lifelong Fans, a new white paper exploring how immersive, hospitality-driven experiences are reshaping the relationship between spirits brands, bartenders, and their audiences. Explore a few key themes below, and download the full white paper here.
The Science of Fandom
The Art of Brand Community-Building
The science behind superfans and why the spirits industry’s future depends on community, not just customers.
The Fan Premium
The numbers tell a compelling story: fans are worth 1.7 times more than regular customers, and they drive 80% of all brand advocacy. In an industry facing headwinds, spirits brands are discovering that building fandom isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential for survival.
“Fandom isn’t a marketing strategy,” explains Gary Solomon Jr., co-founder and CEO of Solomon Group and chairman of Tales of the Cocktail. “Fandom is a relationship, and you build it by giving people something that they belong to, not just something that they buy.”
This fundamental shift from transactional to transformational relationships is reshaping how spirits brands think about growth, loyalty and long-term value creation.
Fandom in Spirits: The Whiskey Revolution
Think fandom is just for sports? Think again. Whiskey is just one example of spirits-related fandom. From premium drops on secondary markets to one million subscribers on Reddit, whiskey has become a fandom epicenter that extends far beyond traditional consumption. Enthusiasts trade limited releases like “sneakerheads” do, study trademark applications to predict future offerings, and create elaborate tasting notes that rival wine critics.
This community-driven passion translates directly to business value. When fans are willing to pay premiums, wait in lines, and evangelize, they’re demonstrating the kind of loyalty that transcends price sensitivity and economic downturns.
ROI of Brand Homes vs. Traditional Marketing
The spirits landscape is changing, and forward-thinking brands are seizing the moment. Traditional marketing channels are growing more expensive. Brands face difficulty harnessing attention. A consumer loses interest faster than you can finish a shot. Happily, a new frontier has emerged that’s reshaping how spirits companies connect, while generating additional revenue: brand homes.
Unlike traditional marketing, which typically involves short-term engagements and produces less consumer data, brand homes offer a more impactful and lasting interaction. These range from a full museum experience like Galleria Campari in Milan, which highlights Campari’s artistic legacy, to a traditional distillery tour in a historic setting. Some brand homes are ticketed, while others, like the Sazerac House in New Orleans, offer free experiences. Many are designed to collect better audience data, providing valuable insights for brands.
And the timing couldn’t be better. Consumer interest in craft spirits, artisanal production, and authentic experiences continue to grow. Younger consumers actively seek out brands that offer transparency, sustainability, and meaningful connections. Brand homes meet these desires while creating long-term competitive advantages.
What are brand homes?
Brand homes are physical locations where consumers can participate in a brand’s story and products. These aren’t just tasting rooms or visitor centers on steroids. They’re spaces that transform simple product sampling into opportunities for immersive storytelling. This experience can turn a casual visitor into a loyal brand ambassador. It can also create new revenue streams that extend far beyond bottle sales. Brand homes represent a shift in how spirits companies are thinking about customer relationships, brand building, and in many cases, revenue generation.
The spirits industry is at an inflection point. Brands that recognize the strategic value of brand homes and invest in creating authentic, engaging experiences will capture disproportionate market share and build resilient business models. Those that continue relying solely on traditional marketing approaches will find themselves increasingly marginalized in a marketplace that rewards genuine connection over simple product promotion.
The Scalability ROI of IRL Marketing
How One Brand Outperformed an Entire Country
5.3 Million: A Number That Should Make Spirits Industry Execs Stop Scrolling
That’s how many visitors Ole Smoky Moonshine welcomed across their four Tennessee locations in 2023. To put that in perspective, it’s more than double the 2+ million tourists who visited all of Scotland’s whisky distilleries combined. One American moonshine brand outpaced an entire country’s centuries-old whisky industry. Ole Smoky cracked the code on scalable IRL marketing.
The Replicability Revolution: Great Stories and Great Systems
Ole Smoky didn’t just build a business; it built a template. Its “Shine Shack” formula works whether it’s deployed at a NASCAR event, amid the tourist chaos of Gatlinburg, or rooted in the heart of Nashville’s music scene. The core experience — welcome, story, tasting, retail, photo opportunity — remains consistent while adjusting to local flavor.
This is experiential marketing’s holy grail: authentic yet replicable. Ole Smoky’s Tennessee moonshine story resonates in any American tourist market, from mountain getaways to urban music scenes. Its brand ambassadors deliver identical narratives with the same engaging personality, whether it’s in a pop-up or a permanent location.
The Template That Conquered Tourism
Ole Smoky’s brilliance lies in its systematic approach. The brand has standardized everything that matters: staff training protocols, experience timing, merchandise strategy, even its POS systems. Yet, it has left ample space for local adaptation. Its Gatlinburg sites lean into mountain themes while Nashville locations emphasize music culture. But the core moonshine experience remains identical.
This isn’t just operational efficiency; it’s strategic genius. Every visitor interaction reinforces the same brand story, creating brand equity that Scotland’s dispersed approach can’t match. When someone visits Ole Smoky in Pigeon Forge and later sees it at a NASCAR event, the recognition is instant and reinforcing.
