cornelius_b

Thanks! Yes, navigating through all the legal requirements is an odyssey down here in Portugal too. The biggest hurdle so far is the fire risk implied by the storing of GNS at the production facility. Working with lower proof alcohol (lower flash point) as base spirit makes things easier! Well, all this is so complicated that I was afraid of losing the focus on the challenges regarding scaling up my somewhat limited home distilling experiences to commercial "production". So I posted the question regarding dimensions/space and production goals. Btw, here are the specs in feet: available for production are 2600 square feet open space with a 16ft ceiling, 860 ft2 for the tasting room (Bar), 860 ft2 annex to the building that can be used for offices and sanitation Still hoping for more opinions regarding the feasibility of my goals!

Hi everybody I have been a hobby distiller for the last 10-15 years (gins, fruit brandies and even a whiskey – some good some not so good) and it has been a lot of fun. Now I see a great opportunity to get into commercial distilling – I got offered a relatively affordable location in a central urban setting (Europe) where it should be legally possible (I checked it very carefully) and where there is definitely a market (many tourists) and no other local distillery. Also, I have a great and authentic story to tell and good contacts to a local winery that is producing “cheap” grappa on a large scale and that I want to use as base spirit. My objective (3-5 years) is to produce (and sell!) up to 200.000 bottles (total) of gin, absinthe, vodka and liqueurs (e.g. limoncello) a year. However, besides having visited a few gin distilleries and read all information I could find on the forums (thanks everybody) and some books I do not know much about commercial distilling. Naturally, I have many, many questions and uncertainties. For now, however, because the opportunity is mainly given through the location I got offered, the one thing I want to ask you, is whether you think I can reach my production goals given the dimensions of the offered location. Available for production is a 240 m2 open space with a 5m ceiling plus 80m2 for a tasting room (Bar). I also have an annex to the building (80m2) that can be used for offices and sanitation. Since my friend and future distributor has a large warehouse close by I will also not have to worry about storage space for the bottled product, we talked about it already. Also, I am planning to work with the genio or istill (2 x 500l) because they are very compact (1.5m*1.5m) and efficient (8hrs per run). AND keep in mind that I do not plan to produce the base spirit in my facilities. Here is a simple floor plan including the equipment which I think is essential. What do you think? Is it possible to produce up to 200.000 bottles with a good logistic? Where do you see the bottlenecks? What am I not aware of? Thank you so much! Really, any thoughts and 2 cents are welcome!

Hi I come from a region in Germany that traditionally produces "dry" ciders. One day I decided to distill some of my production and the journey began ...

Sorry I'm a little late, but think this a very interesting, valid but mostly semantic discussion. In my opinion transparency towards the consumers is most important. Doesn't ADI itself has a definition and certificate for "craft distilling". If you think that label is not restrictive enough or there is the need for further differentiations (and I do agree with that!) you should start your own certification/certificate - maybe call it "grain-to-glass" ?