Introduction: Paul G

[Paul G]

Greetings all!

Lots of familiar names and faces here...well, at least to me. I've been scouring the interwebs doing my due diligence and have crossed paths with many fora, website, and article bearing the names I see in this forum. It kinda gives me goosebumps thinking that I can actually converse with some of the people who have or are paving the way for the starry eyed would-be distiller.

I'm currently in San Diego, CA. and from what I've been able to gather, the state of CA seems to be my biggest obstacle towards the completion of my goal of getting started. However, the intrepid souls behind Ballast Point Brewing have blazed a path to an arrangement nearly identical to what I have in mind, so it's not impossible. I'm looking to partner with a established micro brewer here in SD. He is pretty enthusiastic about it, too. If it works out, half the ordeal is already handled...location, zoning, brewing (mashing/lautering/fermenting/equipment), networking connections (distribution, TTB and so forth). To boot (and hoping desperately that I'm not counting too many chickens yet) I may also have an investor to help offset any start-up capital I'd otherwise have to hunt down and beg for.

As for *my* initial goals:

I'm concerned about market saturation of vodka, but it's the ubiquitous startup, doesn't-have-to-age, quick turnaround product. Still, I'm not one to reinvent the wheel.

Then there's rum. I like rum. Rum makes me happy. So, why not share the happy? That's among the initial offerings short list. There will also be a rich, chewy aged dark rum if I can have my way, too. There's local sugar cane production, so a locally sourced rum might be well received.

As San Diego is virtually the northern suburb of Tijuana, the temptation for an agave spirit exists. However, Skyrocket (a scant hour north of me) is already doing a bangup job at that. Perhaps in the future.

Then, of course, comes whisk(e)y. Being partnered with a brewery makes this one a no-brainer...well, in theory. Taking a fine brew and making a fine dram is far from a no-brainer, but at least I've got a solid base to work from. I'm actually looking forward to concocting some peaty-malty goodness. I also have a fondness for whisky's odd cousin with the extra toe, bierschnaps. Hey look, beer...now let's have bierschnaps. I suspect that the public won't take to it as hungrily as more mainstream spirits, but what the heck?

I'm of Norwegian descent (Mom's off-the-boat from Oslo) and I have a fondness for Aquavit. Then again, not many others do. It will still reside in the back of my mind as a potential product.

Also, being in a somewhat wine-centric neck of the woods, grappa has potential. Seeing more and more varieties on the shelf, particularly a Trader Joe's store brand leaves me considering the possibilities. Similarly, I might be able to experiment with various cask finishes of other spirits due to to availability of used casks in the neighborhood.

So, it's not like I've given it much thought or anything. Even if things don't work out with the brewery, I'm still pushing forward. I'm looking forward to conversing with the pros.

Cheers,

Paul

[Gwydion Stone]

Welcome Paul, good to see you!

[Ballast Point Spirits]

So, another distillery in San Diego, we might need a Distiller's Guild now! I am not sure if I have met you yet, but if you have not come by our place yet you should. My name is Yuseff and I am the head brewer/distiller here at Ballast Point. Maybe when you get going we can share some freight on barrels and such. Cheers!

[Paul G]

Good to make your acquanitance, Yuseff.

I'm pretty sure we've not yet had the opportunity to meet in person, though I'm a regular shopper at Home Brew Mart

As far as a local guild, somebody may have already beaten us to the punch. I saw a card on the cork board at your Linda Vista store advertising the "League of Brewing, Distilling, and Concocting." I've emailed the fellow on the card (who works for NASSCO) and he seems friendly enough. You never know what possibilities there might be in having a contact in a shipyard. Yes, visions of giant, gleaming copper boilers have already run through my head.

I'd love to drop by some time and talk shop. Sharing freight on barrels is always a plus...good suggestion! While I haven't actively looked into it, I would imagine the shipping on a used Bourbon barrel would be more than the cost of the barrel itself. Then again, I'm not averse to road tripping up to Temecula now and again to see what's available from the wineries.

Cheers,

Paul

[delaware_phoenix]

I Paul, I believe I do know you, you rascally devil.

Good luck on your endeavors. I'm glad you're an overachiever because it's something that comes in handy in this business.

Speaking of barrels, here's some useful sources. Wine Business Classifieds is out of CA, most used barrels up in Napa. LTL shipping probably reasonable given you're in a metro area.

http://www.winebusiness.com/UsedBarrels/

There's also:

Artisan Barrels

World Cooperage

And the many listings in the ADI resources.

[Guest sensei]

As for *my* initial goals:

I'm concerned about market saturation of vodka, but it's the ubiquitous startup, doesn't-have-to-age, quick turnaround product. Still, I'm not one to reinvent the wheel.

Then there's rum. I like rum. Rum makes me happy. So, why not share the happy? That's among the initial offerings short list.

Welcome Paul. I too share your same concerns and made a thread in General Discussion about it. It does seem as though there are countless Vodka/Rum distilleries popping up and very few brandy or whisky ones. Will Vodka/Rum expand so quickly and face a dot-com-like bubble burst? Who knows. All the best though.