Irish start-up LYQD has launched the country’s first secure digital exchange for cask whiskey.
The platform has been designed to transform how whiskey casks are bought, sold and matured.
Supported by Enterprise Ireland, the Cork-based company believes the platform will unlock fresh capital and opportunity within Ireland’s leading export sector.
LYQD allows verified users to browse, buy and sell authenticated whiskey casks, widening access to a market that has traditionally been closed ad complex.
The company said the long ageing process for whiskey has historically locked up capital for years, limiting investment and growth.
Irish whiskey exports exceeded €1bn for the second time last year, but many distilleries face a capital crunch and rising costs in addition to tariff uncertainty.
They are also constrained by the need to hold whiskey in bond for a minimum of three years before it can be sold as Irish whiskey.
LYQD allows them to raise working capital without necessarily foregoing future supply, as casks can be tracked, traded, and ultimately bought back in time, from cask owners.
“Our mission is to redefine how whiskey is traded as an alternative asset,” said James Jardella, co-founder and CEO of LYQD.
“We’re not replacing traditional cask ownership, we’re protecting and amplifying it. LYQD gives distilleries and investors a transparent, secure space to connect at a time when the industry needs liquidity and trust more than ever.”
Ernest Cantillon, co-founder of LYQD, added: “There’s no doubt that whiskey, both for its enjoyment and its ultimate value, is destined to end up in bottles to be shared and savoured. But there’s a lot of value, equity and capital trapped in that ageing process.
“We believe there’s a smarter way for that value to be released and for new market entrants to participate in that appreciation.”
Ahead of its public debut, LYQD hosted an exclusive pre-launch event at McCallan Bonded in Northern Ireland, bringing together distilleries, investors, and whiskey enthusiasts from across the island.
LYQD held a pre-launch event at McCallan Bonded.
With Enterprise Ireland’s backing, the company aims to position Ireland at the forefront of digital whiskey investment, with a model that could easily extend into Scotch, bourbon, rum and other aged spirits worldwide.
Photo: (l-r) Ernest Cantillion and James Jardella. (Pic: Supplied)