The Smart Vodka Bottle That Turns Your Night Into a Story: Inside Amoon Vodka’s Tech-Driven Pour [interview with Co-founders Mark McLaurine and Christopher Tooley]

The smart vodka bottle from Amoon Vodka—AI shows, LED vortex tech, and a creamy, complex vodka built for modern cocktail culture.

In a great bar, you can feel the room shift. A DJ hits the right track. A chef sends out the dish everyone talks about. And suddenly, strangers lean in like old friends.

That’s the kind of moment Amoon Vodka is chasing—with a smart vodka bottle that’s equal parts spirit and spectacle.

Co-founders Mark McLaurine and Christopher Tooley aren’t pitching a gimmick.

They’re building a bottle that can light up, sync with other bottles, and even create a custom “story” through an app.

Still, they’re adamant the wow-factor only works if the liquid earns its place on the back bar: “we didn’t want just the technology, but the vodka had to match it, right?”

A bottle that steals the room, then earns the second sip

Walk into a crowded lounge in New York, Miami, Chicago, or Las Vegas and you’ll see the same challenge: too many bottles, too little attention.

McLaurine and Tooley designed Amoon to interrupt that blur. When the vortex spins and LEDs pulse, people do what we all do (no judgment): they stop mid-scroll.

Tooley put it simply:

“when you see our product, you’re going to see the lights and the show and a lot of things that grab your attention,”

but “at the very core and essence of the product…

every single part was intentional.”

Here’s the part upscale drinkers will care about: the base is “a 75% potato, 25% corn vodka,” with “a hint of sweet potatoes in there as well.”

That blend is meant to give a “very, very unique and complex flavor profile.”

In other words: this is built to be tasted, not just photographed. Flavor-first, fun-loving, and designed for real cocktails—not only VIP sparklers.

And yes, it’s a little funny that the bottle is the one telling you to look up from your phone.

The smart vodka bottle idea: merge old craft with new tech

The founders keep coming back to one thesis: spirits have evolved, but packaging hasn’t.

“the spirits industry has been pretty archaic,” Tooley said.

So they approached it like a software product with updates, features, and a longer life than one empty bottle.

McLaurine frames the identity like this:

“we say we’re a tech company that just happens to do vodka”

That’s the mindset behind what they call “Amoon AI,” where you tell the app what kind of night you want—birthday, romance, a favorite color—and it generates a lighting “show” plus a short written story.

And the “story” isn’t metaphorical. It’s literally delivered in the app. One example they shared:

“It says this show beautifully captures the warm welcoming accents of the distillery, showing the intricate process of whiskey making reflected through the interplay of amber and earthly tones. It’s a captivating charm nestled in the heart of the city.”

That’s the vibe: cinematic, personal, and just a bit extra—in a way that feels made for bottle service culture from Dubai to London to L.A. Also, if your first thought is this could get chaotic, you’re not wrong. But chaos is kind of the point when the night is supposed to be fun-loving.

Six years, four countries, and a lot of “no”

If your instinct is to roll your eyes at “first-ever,” stress test this: they claim they had to build the tech from scratch because nobody could manufacture the vortex system. McLaurine says, “Germany, Canada, China, Japan, I went everywhere to kind of figure out, and everybody said no.”

So they kept going. “We worked for six years, and it was very difficult, but we got patents from the US Patents Office.” If you want the straight story on what patents cover (and why that matters for copycats), the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s overview is a solid primer. USPTO

This is where your bullshit detector should stay on: patents don’t automatically mean greatness. They do suggest real engineering work happened. And the founders describe that work as miniaturizing museum-style vortex and LED effects into something “that can fit in the palm of your hand.”

What it tastes like when the lights are off

Let’s get ruthless: if the liquid isn’t good, the bottle is an expensive prop.

Their tasting notes aim right at the serious crowd. Tooley says the potato-and-corn base gives “less of that burn on the back end,” with “a creamy, nutty type of texture.” He adds that some people find “the hint of the sweet potatoes… and a little bit of pumpkin.” McLaurin goes further: “the sweetness, maybe a hint of butterscotch.”

That flavor set: creamy, nutty, gently sweet, plays well in upscale settings because it doesn’t bully the other ingredients. Think martinis with precision, not punishment. Think a cleaner vodka soda that still has personality. Think a late-night espresso cocktail where the spirit doesn’t vanish. Flavor-forward, fun-loving, and flexible.

Also: they love hearing, “I don’t even like vodka, but I don’t hate that. I love it.” That line is relatable in the way only vodka can be—every city has at least one friend who “doesn’t drink vodka” until the right one shows up.

A smarter night out—if they build the safety right

Here’s where you should demand substance. They talk about responsible drinking features, including hopes to partner with ride services so the app can nudge users toward a safer choice. Tooley described it like this: “hey, you’ve drunken too much. You might want to call an Uber here.”

That’s aspirational, not a guarantee. But the direction matters.

And yes—there’s humor baked into their ambition. McLaurin joked, “we pay our debts like the Lannisters,” which is either a flex or a warning label. Probably both.

Mini FAQ: Amoon Vodka

Q: What is a smart vodka bottle?
A: A smart vodka bottle connects to an app so you can control features like lighting, shows, and interactive experiences—beyond just pouring a drink.

Q: What is Amoon Vodka made from?
A: The founders describe it as “a 75% potato, 25% corn vodka” with “a hint of sweet potatoes in there as well.”

Q: Can the app do anything today, not just “in the future”?
A: Yes. They say you can control lighting, speed, pulsing effects, link multiple bottles, create custom shows, and generate a story through their “moon AI.”

The next generation of premium drinking

Amoon Vodka is betting that the next generation of premium drinking is part flavor, part theater, and part personalization—anchored by a smart vodka bottle that’s meant to evolve over time. If they keep the liquid quality high and ship real safety features, they’re not just selling vodka. They’re selling a new ritual. Want to see where it goes? Visit the brand, watch the tech, and if you try it, report back—especially on how it drinks when the room is quiet.