There's a Whiskey Inspired By the 808 Because Capitalism Consumes Everything

Watch out, Richie Hawtin: there's a new name in town bridging drinks and dance music. As Electronic Beats reports, a whiskey brand inspired by the famed TR-808 drum machine has launched a crowdfunding campaign to get its business off the ground.

The whiskey, called simply 8O8, is a product of the 8O8 Drinks Company founded by DJ and producer TommyD and businessman Paul Pullinger. On their Seedrs investment page, the company stated their intent to reel in a new demographic. "I wanted to make a whisky from the ground upwards, for my world—the funky, sexy world of nightclubs and music," wrote TommyD on the funding page. The drink is further described as having "warmth, bottom end and a definite KICK, the sub-bass of drinks… It's whisky remixed!"

Among the company's team of investors and advisory board members is none other than dance music industry titan Pete Tong, who stated in the below promotional clip, "Being a DJ for 30 years, it's mad that no whiskey has stepped up the way vodka has done so successfully. You're getting a younger audience that would never see themselves as whisky drinkers, drinking 8O8, and with universal praise and appeal, I think there's huge potential." Right.

That an alcohol brand is aligning itself with one of dance music's most iconic instruments almost feels inevitable. Internet-era capitalism demands brand synergy above all else and already this week we've seen the 808 turn into a tennis shoe. Why can't it be an alcoholic beverage too? I guess? And then of course drinks that draw on connections to music are nothing new—think of all those Metal-inspired high ABV brews—but even the thought of potentially casting Pete Tong as a Diddy-like liquor spokesman makes this one feel extra absurd. Oh well, as long as 8O8 gets you buzzed without going broke, by all means, sip away (responsibly).

According to wine, beer, and spirits online magazine The Drinks Report, 8O8 has already been pouring in clubs such as Ministry of Sound, Fabric, and The Warehouse Project.

Currently, 8O8 is seeking $386,340 USD (approximately £300,000) from investors, of which just over $187,000 (£145,384) has been raised. Watch a video clip below and head here for more information.