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Kindness or something else


MVD

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So I am in the very beginning stages of opening a small distillery. I am new to the industry but not to business. The years I spent in Combat arms with military may have made me a little (or a lot) suspicious of random kindness so I need to get a general feel of this industry. I have had more than a couple craft distilleries around my area offer to help me get started with advice, suggestions, lessons learned, I even had one guy who offer to take me into his building and walk me through his entire distillation process, Start-finish. I couldn't believe it. Is this industry really that mindful and open with each other or am I being let on?

-Note- I am in favor of Suzzane Massie's famous quote for Regan, "Trust but Verify"

Thanks All

Matt

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Matt,

If someone is is giving freely and asks nothing in return and there is no way that they can take anything from you, then I say trust. If they want something in in return or if you will be giving them an opportunity to take something, then I would say trust but make sure that you cover your ass. I've learned to always fallow my gut. We all know the drill when something seems hinky. I served as well.

I will say that most everyone that I have met in the craft distilling industry are good, hard working people and since the industry is so small the word gets around about bad apples pretty fast.

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Hi Matt,

Good luck with starting out. My general advice is that there are good people out there that are willing to help out and go the extra mile and that covers about 99% of the people working or owning distilleries. The other 1% is there to make a profit and utilize you to their advantage.

So your quote stands. Follow your gut, be open to new opportunities and for the small percentage that are simply not good people to be around, move pass them.

Cheers,

-ilias

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I think the people who are want to do a craft distillery they are very independent people but they also like the same sort of people and are generally helpful. The advice you get on this board and other craft distilling boards is gold and given freely. Check out the stilldragon forums. There is are lots of very helpful people sharing ideas and advice. The other good website is homedistiller.org and which has some huge following of guys sharing advice.

I work in mining projects, at least I have and I too believe in Trust but verify. Good luck in your endeavour and I hope your successful.

Cheers

Matt

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If it makes you feel any better, I recently attended a tasting/tour at a local micro-distillery and asked the owner if I could pick his brain sometime....his face immediately went blank as he went from talking to a customer to a potential rival or something. His words to me were, and I quote "My time is very valuable."

While I dont begrudge him for that statement, he did go on to tell me that most start-ups will fail now that the market isn't quite as exclusive, and he would be there to suck up any and all distilleries around him that did fail in what he called "vertical integration". This man is also a veteran and touts it on his brand's homepage. So much for brother's in arms eh? haha

If I were you, I'd gladly soak up as much free advice as I could and then filter and sort out what I found as BS or cold hard fact. Its up to you to decide which is which. I think I'd probably make a spreadsheet, AAR style, and look for trends among all your sources.

I think, like many here do, that craft distilleries are not competing with one another. I think that craft distilleries are going to create their own sort of micro-tourism just like Napa Valley or the Texas Hill country does with wine (among others) I think Distiller's Row in Portland, OR is a good indicator of that trend. So generally speaking, I think that micro's are better off helping each other than not. That might be why you are seeing some people being free with their knowledge.

CW3 Daniel S. Bickett (still serving on active duty)

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So true chinookpilot77. My architectural team, who I've worked with for many years at my "day" job, are all on board with doing my distillery this spring but they've never done one before. My mentor at the distillery I trained at gladly showed them around and even loaned out his as-builts. I also wanted them to see a distillery that would be closer to my design (open cypress fermenters, substantial barrel aging, large tasting room, etc.) and while I initially got a "no problem, we'll do it after the holidays" response from a local distiller (who happens to participate here on the ADI forum), I got a follow up from their PR gal last week that was effectively "not now, not ever". No biggie, but it's a shame distillers can't be more like brewers.

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First I must say that some of my favorite moments were spent in the back of a Chinook being driven by a warrant so "Cheer." Second, I am in full agreement that this community is not in competition with each other. The amount of available market that is still out there both domestic and internationally is astounding. Now, Perhaps that is just my naivety but I would imagine that there could be a very healthy mix of business boundaries and a helping hand within the craft community.

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So true chinookpilot77. My architectural team, who I've worked with for many years at my "day" job, are all on board with doing my distillery this spring but they've never done one before. My mentor at the distillery I trained at gladly showed them around and even loaned out his as-builts. I also wanted them to see a distillery that would be closer to my design (open cypress fermenters, substantial barrel aging, large tasting room, etc.) and while I initially got a "no problem, we'll do it after the holidays" response from a local distiller (who happens to participate here on the ADI forum), I got a follow up from their PR gal last week that was effectively "not now, not ever". No biggie, but it's a shame distillers can't be more like brewers.

Yep, which is why I go around now to distilleries and dont mention my plans until after the tour is over. I generally ask vague questions, too. Then I buy a bottle of something, you know, because their "time is valuable". ;-)

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Just to throw in my 2 cents. I've only ever encountered one hostile distillery. Other then that every single distiller and distillery I've come across has been open arms amazing. Whether it's sharing technique, offering help and advice, having a drink, and anything else; every distiller I know is extremely helpful.

We are all completition. Our own existence helps each other out by promoting spirit drinking. I absolutely think we will have local distillery trails in every state just like wine.

Don't look at other distiller's help as nefarious, 99.99% of the time it will be totally genuine

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I will say that after 30+ years of being in the international "cut throat" business world, the feeling among craft distillers has taken me off guard. I find them very giving.

I would say it stems from the mentality of the distillers. I think most craft distillers see themselves as artists! That may bode bad for their business, it makes them great people.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Also coming from another industry....I've been amazed at how supportive in general the community can be. I've found the experienced folks don't mind sharing a lot of knowledge because the other hurdles are significant enough to stop the casual investigator (still cost, TTB compliance, capital sourcing & management, etc.). The attitude is often...here's the knowledge...go use it and if you can make a great product let's get back together and toast your success.

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having seen this industry grow for the last 16 years.. i can definitely say its different than say the brewing and wine side of things.

Since so much of our products are a result of our individual stills, there is not nearly as much competition (comparatively) as there are for purely procedural sciences like brewing and wine making.

Recipes and techniques can be discussed more freely between distillers, particularly if the stills are of different origin.

As long as you are not asking them to create FOR you (without compensation), I would appreciate and or consider any thoughts they might have to offer. Cordiality (and sharing of spirits) between distillers is a wonderful thing.

just my 2cents

PS, if it hasnt been said yet.. thank you for your service. we are a Combat/Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business ourselves.

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