Found North Whiskey and EQL Launches: A Perfect Blend
Found North Whisky, co-founded by brothers Nick and Zach Taylor, has carved a unique niche in the whisky market by making complex, nuanced blends. Leveraging mature Canadian distillates aged in a variety of casks, Found North offers its fans flavor profiles that are distinct from typical American bourbons and ryes. Their commitment to quality in every stage of their process has led to surging popularity among whisky enthusiast communities.
Zach Taylor highlighted Found North’s unique approach:
"We make 100% blended Canadian whisky... Our process allows us to create layered, complex whiskies that appeal to those enthusiasts who value thoughtful production and authenticity."
As Found North’s demand grew, so did the popularity of each of its releases. However, this presented challenges in ensuring equitable access for loyal supporters and new customers alike.
The Challenge
By late 2023, Found North experienced a tipping point in demand. Zach Taylor recounted:
"Our first releases took six months to sell out. Then it became one month. Suddenly, it was instantaneous... We were so grateful for that level of support. But, loyal fans were frustrated that they couldn’t get a bottle. And that’s not the experience we wanted for them. These were the same supporters who helped us establish Found North as a relevant whisky-maker. Many had bought every previous release."
The team decided to undertake a manual lottery process for their next releases to help their supporters feel they had an equitable chance to purchase a bottle and no bad actors. However, the process quickly became untenable, requiring hours of labor and risking administrative errors.
Additionally, there was growing concern over bots and bad actors attempting to hoard stock — which were near impossible to parse out from the true fans.
I personally spent weeks uploading thousands of entries, randomizing selections, and manually removing duplicates. The process was stressful and prone to mistakes. It just wasn’t scalable.
The Solution
Wanting to ensure their commitment to quality extended to every area of their business, the Found North team turned to EQL, the first North American whisky company to do so.
EQL was able to quickly integrate its world-class launch software with Found North’s fulfillment partner, Flaviar, creating a seamless experience for future launches and helping them to achieve the following goals:
- Ensuring Fairness
The transparency and integrity of EQL helped reassure customers that the process was as fair as possible and that only real fans of the brand were able to get the releases.
Taylor stated: “EQL allowed us to reduce friction and cultivate trust. Customers felt confident that the process was fair, which is incredibly important to us.” - Reducing Friction
EQL’s streamlined launch platform eliminated the manual labor and technical risks associated with in-house lotteries.
“The margin for error when dealing with highly sought after releases is razor-thin,” added Chris Riesbeck, Found North’s VP of Sales & Marketing. “EQL enabled us to deliver an experience that exceeded expectations.”
- Gaining Insight into Demand
EQL’s detailed launch analytics provided actionable data on customer interest, informing future production decisions.
“Knowing how many people want our whisky helps us plan responsibly,” Taylor explained. “EQL gives us clearer signals than any manual system ever could.”
The Outcome
Found North’s first launch with EQL was met with positive reactions from its customers. Key outcomes included:
EQL’s partnership with Found North Whisky exemplifies how technology can preserve authenticity and trust while scaling for success. As Taylor summarized:
Making great whisky is our core and always step one. Delivering it in a way that exceeds expectations is where EQL helped us lead the way.
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