Stella Artois has become the first beer brand to enter the brave new world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – creating four ‘Non-Fungible Tips” to support the UK hospitality and bar industry.

NFTs are the latest craze to take the art world by storm and are powered by the same blockchain technology behind Bitcoin.

Stella Artois is unveiling the world’s first “tipping” NFT, with 100 per cent of the proceeds from the original sale and 10 per cent royalties of each subsequent resale going towards bar staff tips.

Available to bid on at auction from 4 May via Rarible, the ‘Non-Fungible Tip’ will open at £1 to reflect Stella Artois’ current ‘Stella Tips’ campaign, which is tipping £1 to bar staff for every pint of Stella Artois served between 12 April and 9 May.

The first beer brand to join the NFT hype, this new drop will feature four striking pieces of visual art; ‘Infinite Skim’, which pays homage to Stella Artois’ iconic serve, ‘Neverending Tip’, a visual representation of the Non-Fungible Tip, ’The Life Artois’, and ‘Spin’, a nod towards the £1 tip generated with the purchase of each pint of Stella Artois.

These four pieces will be available to bid on until 9 May, when the ‘Stella Tips’ campaign draws to a close.

However, the collection of ‘Non-Fungible Tips’ will continue to generate revenue for the hospitality industry in the form of an ‘endless tip’. The money raised will be donated to Licensed Trade Charity, enabling them to continue supporting the wellbeing of hospitality staff long into the future.

The Stella Tips initiative is set to meet its target of generating £500 thousand in tips, rewarding staff who have suffered a tough 12 months of closings, curfews, and furloughs.

“Britain’s pubs are the cornerstones of our communities, and it’s the people behind the bar who bring us together, with a welcoming smile and pint in hand. The last 12 months have been particularly hard on this workforce, with one important issue being the lack of their usual customer tips” said European Marketing Director for Stella Artois, Ali Humphrey. 

“We want to put tipping back on the agenda. That’s why Stella Artois have launched the world’s first Non-Fungible Tips as NFTs, to encourage consumers to rally up their support for the industry whilst getting their hands on a limited-edition collector’s item.”