So after reading through the forums on the legalities and intricacies of starting a distillery, I've found many reasons why these two ideas won't work. Still, I'll throw them out there in case someone more knowledgeable than me can think of a loophole that might just work. Just playing with ideas here…
When I daydream about fun things to do with distilling, here are two scenarios I'd love to explore if I could:
1. A "distill-your-own" business loosely based on the "brew-your-own" shops popular in Portland, etc. Super-small scale where clients (think "homebrewing geeks" or "expectant fathers") could come in; create a one-of-a-kind mash bill, gin recipe, barrel aging plan, ect,; get to help with the actual distillation so they feel like it's "theirs"; and then walk out with a 3-5 gallon barrel to age as they see fit. Local restaurants could create custom liqueurs...you get the picture. Obviously, there's the ridiculous reverse-economy-of-scale issue. Could this be created as a “division” of an already existing distillery? Can it get some kind of exemption/status if it’s not selling the distillate but renting time on the equipment? I’m guessing not…
#2. I noticed an obscure concept in Bill Owens’ “Art of Distilling Whiskey”: that of the bouilleurs de cru (itinerant distillers). Could you create a mobile distillery to travel to local wineries/orchards/breweries and distill right on the spot ? In my more crack-addled moments I imagine some Monster Garage –esque super-modified fire truck.
Thoughts?
- B. B.