So we opened our distillery at the end of 2013, 2 people working full time, six days a week 10 to 12 hour days.. Grain to glass operation from the outset. I read just about everything I could get my hands on in terms of online material from folks who'd started distilleries before, much of it here. A recurring theme was that this business is difficult, won't make money for years, etc. While I believed it, at some level I thought it was a bit of gamesmanship - keep the newbies out by telling them it's not all roses... Well three years later, I'm here to tell you (you being my alternate reality self, heeding my warning) - it's for real. This business is hard! It takes more money than I thought, more time to get going, the works. I still love it, and wouldn't change anything - finally feel like we're getting some momentum - but dang! I officially declare the warnings legitimate.