My Role:
Brand Identity
Creative Direction
Illustration
Package Design
Overview:
2022 – Present
Crypto and Bourbon Industries
Generative Art
Web3
How It Started
What if horses came to watch humans race?
That was the question that sparked the creation of Party Horses. In late 2021, at the peak of the NFT boom, I was approached with an intriguing challenge: imagine half-human, half-horse creatures attending the Kentucky Derby—not as racers, but as spectators, watching the humans race. Having kept a close eye on a few NFT projects, I was eager for a way to get involved. So when this opportunity presented itself, I jumped at the chance.
The initial concept was rough, but it was enough to illustrate the vision—programmatically generating thousands of unique horses from a set of layered traits, almost like assembling a digital Mr. Potato Head.
Early concept sketches exploring the potential appearance of the horses, the layered traits they might need, and how rarity would play a role.
Creating The Art
From mullets to diamond grills – bringing the Party Horses to life
We created a class system that became the cornerstone for the hundreds of drawings that followed. These classes not only helped us establish a rarity curve within the NFT collection but also mirrored the societal tiers seen at the Kentucky Derby—Infield, Backside, Paddock, Turf Club, and Trillionaire’s Row. With this framework in place, I began to envision what the Party Horses could look like.
A total of 806 unique traits were meticulously hand-drawn, each assigned a specific class and rarity score. Using these traits, our algorithm generated a collection of 10,000 distinct Party Horses, each with its own unique combination and varying levels of rarity.
Examples of Infield horses
Examples of Backside horses
Examples of Paddock horses
Examples of Turf Club horses
Examples of Trillionaire's Row horses
Some early eyeball tests to make sure things we're lining up.
Video of our algorithm generating the 10,000 Party Horses from the 806 available traits.
Beyond the 10,000 generative horses, I also illustrated 30 rare, one-of-a-kind custom horses—some reserved for the NFT collection and others designed as celebrity likenesses to help promote the launch. Those fortunate enough to acquire one of these exclusive pieces received special perks and a 1 of 1 Maker's Mark Bottle.
Examples of one-of-a-kind custom horses
The making of the "Zombie" horse.
Maker's Mark Partnership
A smooth blend of physical and digital
From the outset, our vision for Party Horses was to seamlessly blend the physical and digital worlds in creative and meaningful ways. We aimed to provide real-world utility to those who invested in our NFT collection. With Kentucky and horses as core pillars of the brand, Bourbon naturally became a focal point.
We were fortunate to partner with Maker’s Mark, allowing us to bring this vision to life. I worked closely with their team to design over 30 exclusive bottles, which were awarded to owners of horses with specific class designations or rare traits. We even included a few Maker’s Mark "golden ticket" traits, granting a select group of lucky individuals a VIP Private Selection barrel experience at the distillery.
Early adopters who purchased one of our "Pre-Game Cocktail" NFTs were entitled to the first limited edition bottle.
A series of Stories the Maker's Mark team created to promote the project and educate consumers.
Our first limited edition bottle in the Maker's Mark series – the "Pre-Game" bottle. Photo credit: Rachel Walters Photography.
"Pre-Game" bottle redemption event.
A reel the Maker's Mark team created to show the artist behind the horses – featuring yours truly!
Those who purchased a Party Horse NFT were entitled to a bottle of bourbon for each one they owned. The class of your Party Horse determined which of these bottle designs you would get.
My daughter creating her Party Horse and having it enshrined on a one-of-a-kind Maker’s Mark bottle.
Those lucky enough to get a Party Horse with a Maker's Mark trait scored an exclusive Maker's Mark Ambassador bottle design and a Private Selection barrel experience at the Distillery. Photo credit: @iamjake_00
An impressive collection from one of Party Horses' early supporters! Photo credit: @iamjake_00
The group of VIPs blending their own "Party Horses" Private Select barrel at Marker's Mark Distillery.
The Party Horses' group signing the barrel of their own Private Select blend.
Party Horses Private Select barrel experience at Marker's Mark Distillery.
Preparing For Mint Day
From traveling to Times Square to taking a time out
As Mint Day (launch day) approached, the team headed to New York City to promote the project. We were fortunate to have supermodel Helena Christensen and her business partner, Camilla Staerk on board. They took the lead in planning our launch party. We even managed to run some ads in Times Square! (Which was a pretty mind-blowing experience.)
Likenesses I made of Helena and Camilla. They didn't like them though – something about looking too much like a horse. 🤣 🤷🏻♂️
Party Horses ad that ran in NYC at Times Square to promote the "mint" date.
Reddit featured the Party Horses project in their Ultimate Guide to NFTs – The ABCs of NFTs.
Promotions were taking place back home in Louisville as well. Like this 30' Hunter horse banner.
And these stickers pointing people to our website.
A few more examples of promo materials used throughout the project.
After the NYC trip, everything seemed to be falling into place, and we felt optimistic about the project's success. But then, a crypto crash and unexpected legal challenges threw us off course. We managed to sell only about a third of the NFT collection, and the legal hurdles were slowing our progress.
Reality set in that we might not be able to achieve everything we had dreamed of, but the team remained committed to delivering on our promise—providing real-life experiences tied to a digital asset.
Our focus shifted to hosting an unforgettable Derby Party and ensuring the NFT owners received their custom Maker’s Mark bottles as promised.
Derby Party
Horsing around with Diplo
We partnered with the incredible team at the J Wagner Group to plan and execute an unforgettable Derby party. NFT tickets to our exclusive “Horse Party” were raffled off, and we literally rolled out the red carpet for the lucky guests. With Diplo and Irie as our musical guests, the night was filled with amazing performances and lasting memories. It truly was a night to remember!
The team behind Party Horses at our Derby "Horse Party".
Tickets were distributed and redeemed as NFTs.
Likenesses I made of Diplo and Irie.
Invite to the party.
Irie opened up the show for Diplo. Photo credit: Morales Media.
Diplo about to go on. Photo credit: Morales Media.
Diplo preforming. Photo credit: Morales Media.
My daughter's Party Horse making an appearance and Diplo on stage.
A Party Horse wearing a human mask of my face. Photo credit: Morales Media.
The party coming to an end. Photo credit: Morales Media.
The Pivot
Keeping the Party Horses brand alive
With the Derby party behind us, the bottles delivered, and our partnership with Maker’s Mark concluded, we found ourselves at a crossroads. We had built a unique brand with a solid following in the crypto and bourbon communities, but it was time to pivot and keep the momentum going.
Fortunately, we found a great partner in Atomic Brands to help transform Party Horses into a full-fledged bourbon brand. Our goal is to offer a lineup that ranges from 50ml shooters to 15-year single barrel picks, providing great, affordable bourbon while challenging the traditional bourbon establishment. We believe the industry has become too stuffy and pretentious, and we're here to offer something different. Party Horses brings color, personality, and a sense of fun to bourbon—we don’t take ourselves, or the industry, too seriously.
As we step into this new chapter, we’re committed to keeping one foot in the digital world and the other in the bourbon space. While the future of our bourbon brand is still unfolding, we’re ready for the challenge and optimistic about what lies ahead!
Our first product to hit shelves – flavored 50ml shooters. Find them here.
Promo art playing off of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam.
Promo art playing off of Michaelina Wautier's Triumph of Bacchus.
Conclusion
The power of embracing the unknown
Reflecting on this project, there’s a lot to learn. Did everything go as planned? Not at all. Did we have a plan? Sort of. Do we know exactly what we're doing now? Maybe. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to keep moving forward without overthinking. Create, have fun, surround yourself with smart people, and take that leap of faith—you never know where it might lead.
When I sketched those first silly horses that made me smile, I never imagined the journey would involve Maker’s Mark, Times Square, Diplo, and a supermodel.
If you think there’s an opportunity for me to help you or your team, please get in touch!
