Well alot went into that. My company has not open yet, and I can attest to the over saturation in the local ABC stores with local brands. Some of the local distillerys that I have visited have shown me the version you see happening, and others it is more obvious that they have tried to bring a more unique product, sometimes unsuccessfully to market. I have always wanted to be a small business owner, I have floated many ideas over many years and growing up prior to the internet age I took a cautious approach to several business ideas due to the accelerated pace of change. The idea of a distillery came up in Jan of 2018. As with each prior business I thought about starting I vetted several reasons not to do it. The only two that gave me pause was the amount of small distillerys opening up, and the ABC laws of the state. I am by no means a master distiller, maybe a novice 8 gallon distiller in the back yard on a good day. I do have someone who is part owner that brings alot of experience to the distilling side. I also have some creative ideas (with Rum at least). I also have been very lucky to know some very skillful people that will help open and run the business. While I am not planning on making millions I am planning on being able to leave my current job after a year or two and make this my living. I think this industry is similar to the craft breweries in the early 2000s. Many will do well and many will fail, but each year the big dogs will lose a very small amount of market share to the little guys. I also think as with any business that someone starts, that if you do not enjoy the work and bring something unique then it can be more of a struggle to survive. I find it amusing that several of the distillerys that we have visited where started by commercial real estate agents. I also can say that my appreciation for local gin, rum and wiskey has improved.
Regards
Matt