SORA is an omakase lounge created by Hotel Collection, where guests can scan a digital menu and order wine online than can be shipped to their homes.
make sure the delivery carrier is checking signatures.
“ Don’ t ignore age verification and compliance requirements,” advises Whisky Tasting Company’ s Sinclair.“ You may even need to ask the customer if they are of drinking age before they can use the site. Don’ t skip this, as it could lead to your site being shut down and maybe even result in legal issues.”
Agreeing with Sinclair is Stiefel, saying it’ s crucial to make sure the person receiving the package is 21 or older.
“ None of us in this industry can afford to have a bunch of folks out there loosely greasing their rules, resulting in legislators closing things down,” he says.“ The most important thing is the obligation we have to public safety and to the customer experience.”
“ Being active on social media and
creating content like recipes and tutorials is a great way to drive traffic to your store and add credibility to your brand.”
TABLE WINE TO GO
Once you add the experiential elements to your website and have your shipping logistics down pat, now it’ s time to promote it.
Aside from traditional advertising methods, such as through social media promotion or paid SEO, a bar and restaurant in Miami, called SORA, is putting digital menus on tables where guests can not only peruse on-premise options, but also purchase items and have them shipped to their home.
SORA is an omakase lounge created by Hotel Collection, a luxury lifestyle brand offering home goods like bedding, stemware, candles and more. Hotel Collection also owns vineyards and sells wine, along with its own caviar.
Founder and CEO Benzion Aboud wanted to create SORA not only as a neighborhood sushi and wine bar destination, but also as a physical and digital " showroom " for Hotel Collection items. For example, if customers love the glass of wine
– COLIN SINCLAIR, DIRECTOR OF WHISKY TASTING COMPANY
Whisky Tasting Company offers a variety of whisky gift sets and subscriptions through their ecommerce site.
they are sipping, they can easily pull up a digital ecommerce menu and purchase not only the wine itself, but the stemware, too.
“ On every table, guests will find SORA’ s integrated menu within our Hotel Collection catalog merchandise, including our wine subscriptions, so diners can purchase with just a few clicks straight from their table,” Aboud says.
Even if customers don’ t live in Miami, they can still have bottles shipped to their homes. SORA is able to ship wine nationwide through its parent company, Wine by Hotel Collection, which has an established online wine business, according to Aboud.
When it comes to digitally marketing your ecommerce website, social media and SEO are options that shouldn’ t be overlooked. Both can successfully get consumers to interact with your brand and drive traffic to your website.
“ Being active on social media and creating content like recipes and tutorials is a great way to drive traffic to your store and add credibility to your brand,” advises Colin Sinclair, director of Whisky Tasting Company.
“ I also highly recommend investing some time in optimizing the website for search engines, which will help drive more organic traffic to your site,” he continues.
The most important thing to remember when marketing your ecommerce site? Be authentic.
“ Consumers are savvier than ever and can spot a generic sales pitch a mile away. The brands and retailers standing out are the ones leading into their unique stories,” says Brass.“ Share your story with your customers and combine that with smart logistics, easy website navigation and a little creativity, and you’ ve got a formula for ecommerce success.” •
10 Beverage Dynamics • Summer 2025 www. beveragedynamics. com