High Sierra

Coop,

I believe the proposal from Melkon has some of the numbers you're looking for: http://www.distilling.com/PDF/PROPsmall.pdf

A table on the third page assumes an annual production of 500,000 cases for small US producers (ADI estimate), which would be 0.26% of overall production from July 2006 - July 2007

John

Hi Paul,

Just wondering if you've found any software or online solution for tracking your production?

So far I've only found Alcodens and Distillery Solutions for production oriented software. Have you discovered anything else out there?

Thanks,

John

Has anyone seen Moon Mountain Vodka on their local shelves yet?

Looks like Diageo sees an opportunity and is taking direct aim at small producers. From stamping "copper pot - small batch" on the bottle to trademarking the phrase "Crafted. Not Made."

Now, we buy refurb totes with new alcohol rated food-grade "bottles" for around $200. Everything that touches the product is new.

Hi Will,

Where have you been sourcing your refurbished totes from?

Thanks,

John

I'm really intrigued by the number of people who put so much business-faith into the "intangible". ... Everything has a cost associated with it, including time, which it feels that many are conveniently forgetting. If you are busy working on anything, and someone stops by for a tour, than you need to stop that productive activity to conduct the tour. If that isn't the case, then that means you've hired a person to do nothing by wait for people to want a tour. I don't yet see the value in those expenses, and i don't agree that some intangible benefit or potential good or other super-brand-loyalty is achieved in the magic that is a tour. I feel I've achieved those things and I don't offer tours. I've recently been dedicating a lot of time to facebook, and my fan count has benefited greatly.

Scott,

How do you reconcile your time investment in Facebook? Are there tangible results from that effort that wouldn't translate when interacting with consumers in person?

I can understand your resistance to public access due to the addition costs (upgrades, permitting, etc.) but based on Ralph and Coop's experience that shouldn't be an issue. In a heavily regulated industry with limited access to the consumer I want as much exposure and interaction as possible. Online venues are a great way to spread the word and keep in touch with your customer base, but my impression is a physical encounter leaves a much greater impact. Furthermore, I'd suggest it's the move towards "one stop shopping" and limited contact with producers that creates a market opportunity for micro distillers.

John

Hi Nathan,

There is an annual publication called the Liquor Handbook that contains sales and consumption data for the US distilled spirits market. They sure aren't cheap but if you're ever near Stanford, Cornell or Cleveland, OH you could stop by the library and do some research.

Happy hunting,

John

Bob,

Just completed your survey - would love to see the results when they're ready.

John

Does anyone have experience with (or an opinion of) Kothe stills?

They appear to have a strong presence in Europe but not many installations in the US at this point.

Thanks,

John

I've used Mountain Rose Herbs and was impressed with their selection, quality and speedy delivery.