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Alcohol
& Spirits

Influencer Marketing

The dusty top shelf is over. The new happy hour starts in the feed.

Consumer discovery in the alcohol and spirits category has shifted from relying solely on bartender recommendations or glossy magazine spreads to dynamic social content. From viral mixology TikToks to aesthetic lifestyle Reels featuring the perfect weekend pour, creators are now the ultimate tastemakers, driving brand preference and shaping modern drinking culture.

In today’s Alcohol & Spirits landscape:

0 %
of consumers aged 21–34 cited social media as a key alcohol discovery channel. (Drinks.com)
- %

of consumers aged 21–34 cited social media as a key alcohol discovery channel. (Drinks.com)

0 %
of U.S. Gen Z legal drinking age (21–24) wine drinkers trust social media for wine information and recommendations. (IWSR)
For Alcohol and Spirits marketers, the challenge is standing out in an ultra-competitive, highly regulated market. You must inspire thirst, build lifestyle affinity, and capture occasion-based drinking moments, all while strictly adhering to 21+ compliance, Tied-House rules, and responsible drinking guidelines. At Open Influence, we help Alcohol & Spirits brands show up where weekend plans and cocktail choices are actually made. Our influencer marketing solutions turn credible creators into your most effective mixologists, tastemakers, and storytellers, driving measurable awareness, consideration, and conversion across every platform where your next customer is.

Why Creator Marketing Works for Alcohol & Spirits Brands

Bring the Tasting Room to the Feed

Creators solve the biggest barrier in alcohol marketing: you cannot taste a screen. By using high-quality visuals, ASMR-style audio of pouring and mixing, and vivid descriptive storytelling, creators translate complex flavor profiles into visceral cravings. They transform standard product shots into an irresistible invitation to take a sip, making the liquid tangible.

 Navigate Compliance with Cultural Credibility

In a highly regulated category, trust and responsibility are paramount. Creator partnerships allow brands to navigate 21+ compliance while maintaining cultural relevance. By partnering with vetted, age-appropriate creators who authentically champion responsible consumption, brands build credibility without sounding corporate, proving that enjoying a premium spirit is both sophisticated and safe.

Tap into Diverse Lifestyle Occasions

Creator marketing allows spirits brands to reach far beyond traditional nightlife crowds. The biggest growth comes from contextualizing your beverage within adjacent lifestyle niches. Whether it is an outdoor creator sharing a refreshing canned cocktail post-hike, or a foodie pairing an elegant wine with dinner, creators unlock net-new consumer occasions.

Sell the Vibe, Not Just the Liquid

Spirits are intrinsically tied to aspiration and social currency. Proofs and tasting notes sell features, but creator storytelling sells the result: celebration, relaxation, status, and belonging. When audiences see your bottle as the centerpiece of a beautiful dinner party or an unforgettable night out, brand loyalty and premiumization naturally follow.

Drive Measurable
E-Commerce and Offline Sales

Alcohol purchase paths are complex, bridging impulse delivery apps and in-store retail. We overcome measurement challenges by utilizing intentful awareness strategies and direct integrations. By tracking clicks to e-commerce partners like Drizly or Instacart, and utilizing geo-targeted whitelisting around key retailers, we deliver measurable business impact and direct conversion tracking.

Proven Campaign Types
That Drive Results

Every campaign type is designed to educate, build trust, and convert. These are just a few ways we push the boundaries of what’s possible in Alcohol & Spirits.

At-Home Mixology Tutorials:

High-value, saveable recipe videos where creators demonstrate how to craft bar-quality cocktails at home using your spirit.

Occasion-Based Entertainment:

 Lifestyle formats showcasing your brand as the essential ingredient for specific moments, like holiday parties, summer barbecues, or game-day tailgates.

Food Pairing & Educational Explainers:

Sommelier or culinary creators breaking down flavor profiles, proper glassware, and unexpected food pairings to build premium brand authority.

Our Proven Work

Lobos 1707 — Holiday Campaign

In partnership with Lobos 1707, we launched a campaign to drive brand awareness for its tequila line during the holiday season. The initiative leveraged a diverse influencer strategy to highlight product versatility, positioning the brand as an essential component for festive, innovative home entertaining.

Strategy:

The campaign targeted US-based adults aged 21+ interested in food, beverage, and mixology. By activating mixologists and lifestyle creators across Instagram Reels, Stories, and YouTube Shorts, the approach balanced broad reach with instructional, interactive content. This mix of creator tiers and formats successfully encouraged audience participation and deeper brand connection.

5K Total shares and saves.
7.31% View engagement rate.
18% of total engagements were from YouTube Shorts.

Fresca Mixed — Holiday 2024 Influencer Campaign

In partnership with Fresca Mixed we teamed with creators to amplify the brand’s canned cocktail product during the 2024 holiday season. The campaign aimed to maximize brand awareness by prioritizing content quality over volume, connecting with adult fans of canned cocktails and the original Fresca soda.

Strategy:

The campaign activated elevated lifestyle, trendsetter, and alcohol-focused creators to produce content on Instagram Reels and Stories. By refining creative briefs to emphasize an elevated positioning and encouraging creators to amplify Reels via Story shares, the team successfully increased engagement and efficiency among qualified audiences.

62% of total views were driven by creators re-sharing Reels to Stories.
195% increase in clicks vs previous Summer initiative.

Deep Eddy Vodka — Celebrity Pickleball Showdown

In partnership with Deep Eddy Vodka, we activated Instagram creators to build excitement and buzz around the brand’s deep association with pickleball throughout PPA Worlds Week. By leveraging creator-led content, we integrated DEV’s product into the Celebrity Pickleball Showdown, fostering excitement and strong brand advocacy among consumers.

Strategy:

The strategy activated lifestyle creators, including pickleball pros and enthusiasts, to reach audiences interested in cocktails, sports, and entertainment. Using a mix of Instagram Reels and Stories, creators produced engaging, authentic content that seamlessly integrated branding. This approach maximized reach and resonance, specifically targeting a US-based 21+ audience to build product awareness during a competitive Q4 timeframe.

1.9 Million Followers reached.
98.5% Positive sentiment.
5.7 Million Total impressions across targeted segments.
<$3.00 CPM Benchmark.

Who We Help

Open Influence partners across every sector of the Alcohol & Spirits ecosystem.

Global Spirits Portfolios:

Scaling brand awareness and distinct positioning across diverse liquid categories and global markets.

Craft & Independent Distilleries:

Building passionate cult followings, regional relevance, and educating consumers on unique distillation processes.

Ready-to-Drink (RTD) & Hard Seltzers:

Capturing younger demographics by integrating into high-energy, occasion-based consumption moments.

Beer & Wine Brands:

Refreshing legacy brand perceptions, driving seasonal volume, and expanding into new lifestyle adjacencies.

E-commerce & Delivery Apps:

Driving immediate conversion for impulse weekend purchases and capitalizing on trending cocktail culture.
No matter the sector, OI connects your brand with creators who move audiences from casual curiosity to confident purchase, brand advocacy, and lasting loyalty.

OI’s Full-Service Approach for Alcohol & Spirits Brands

Every OI campaign combines creative excellence, brand safety, and advanced analytics, all optimized for high-performance Alcohol & Spirits marketing.

Creative Strategy with Studio OI

Studio OI pairs authentic tastemaker voices with diverse content styles, ranging from cinematic, studio-grade production to raw DIY/UGC styles, to give Alcohol & Spirits brands content that hits harder at every stage of the buyer journey. Think dynamic weekend recap commentary, clear mixology demos of specific recipes, elevated dinner party lifestyle shots, and polished creator POVs that feel both real and premium.

Our premier content production capabilities also amplify your existing in-house or external production teams to deliver cohesive and culturally impactful visuals, ensuring your brand stays in the conversation among cocktail enthusiasts and casual social drinkers alike.

The result is scroll-stopping, multi-platform content that makes your beverage more desirable and easier for consumers to picture in their own social routines and upcoming celebrations.

End-to-End Program Management

With deep experience in regulated verticals, OI handles the heavy lifting. From sourcing creators with a history of responsible content and brand-aligned values to rigorous background checks (ensuring no history of underage targeting or irresponsible drinking behavior), we protect your brand equity.

We streamline the complex approval process, ensuring legal and compliance teams have clear oversight on age-gating, responsible drinking disclaimers, and regulatory requirements without bottling up the creative workflow. You get turnkey execution that balances safety with viral potential.

Advanced First-Party Reporting

  • Audience demographics (Strict 21+ Verification)
  • Top-performing creator/content formats
  • Competitor post activity & share of voice
  • Industry-specific safety & relevance filters

Using OI’s proprietary data platform, Prism, we give Alcohol & Spirits brands a true competitive edge by revealing exactly what is driving category performance. We analyze which creators competitors partner with, what content formats resonate, and where your brand can gain faster wins.

Powered by more than 420M+ posts and 1.7M+ creators, we uncover the creators, trends, and conversations shaping the Alcohol & Spirits landscape. With real-time competitive intelligence and brand safety indicators, we help brands spend smarter, partner more effectively, and stay ahead of category shifts using key signals such as:

Paid
Amplification

OI amplifies top-performing creator content using creator handles, unlocking paid media results that routinely outperform generic spirits ads. For Alcohol & Spirits brands, this means extending reach to verified 21+ high-value audiences, retargeting users who engaged with cocktail recipe content, and driving measurable actions such as “Shop Now on Drizly” clicks, “Find in Store” searches, and direct-to-consumer purchases. Our paid strategy maximizes efficiency using:
  • Creator-handle whitelisting for higher trust and CTR 
  • Precise audience targeting (Mixology Enthusiasts, Home Entertainers, Premium Liquor Buyers)
  • Cross-platform distribution optimized for conversions

Our Expertise

Trusted by 42% of Fortune 100 brands, with a 92% renewal rate. Brands don’t simply work with us. They stay with us as long-term partners in every step of their marketing strategies.

Award-Winning Strategies

We don’t follow trends, we create them. With over 30 awards across YouTube Works, Webby, Shorty, MediaPost, The Drum, OMMA, Cynopsis, Inc., and Forbes, our successful campaigns reflect our commitment to quality, combined with cultural impact globally and regionally.

Compliance

In Alcohol & Spirits, risk is everything. Open Influence ensures every piece of content is brand-safe, FTC-compliant, and quality-checked. We act as the firewall between your brand and regulatory risk, managing disclosures and claims so you can scale creator marketing with total confidence. We rigorously manage age-gating protocols, adhere strictly to Tied-House rules, and mandate responsible drinking messaging in every single asset we produce.

Amplify Your Next Campaigns Further With OI Partners

To supercharge results, OI integrates with innovative partners that extend reach and conversion.

Kerv

Adds interactive elements to video (e.g., a “Shop on Instacart” or “Find Near Me” button directly within a creator’s video).

NPRP Media

Connects social campaigns with OOH advertising (e.g., billboards near nightlife districts, major liquor retailers, and sports arenas).

Resonate

Uses deep consumer intelligence to target audiences based on entertaining preferences, socializing habits, and premium purchasing behaviors.

Viasat

 Delivers creator-driven beverage content to in-flight passengers for high-value, captive engagement when they are ordering drinks.

Pour Growth Into Your
Spirits Brand With Open Influence

The alcohol industry runs on cultural relevance, aspiration, and trust, and your marketing should match.

At Open Influence, we help Alcohol & Spirits brands accelerate awareness, premiumization, and sales through creator partnerships that perform. Whether you’re launching a new seasonal flavor, scaling a heritage brand, or revitalizing a classic spirit for a new generation, we’ll help you dominate the feed and the digital shelf with measurable, authentic influence.

👉 Let's Build Your Next Alcohol & Spirits Campaign