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Austontatious

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  1. Also does anyone have a link to distribution laws by state. I recall seeing that sonewhere, but I can't locate it now.
  2. Leftturndistilling: do you not think the market is a little flooded in colorado? I considered that because of the supportive nature of the locals, but with 40+ craft distilleries it seemed a tight market.
  3. If you had the opportunity to go anywhere in America and start a distillery, where would you go? I'm speaking in terms of likelihood of success. Market, regulations, real estate costs?
  4. I realize it is off topic, but I disagree with the "secret recipe" statement by Mr. Thurmon. The fact is that you can take my grain bill and run it on my equipment and not come up with the same product, everything we do is subjective to the distiller. Added to that, there is almost no market for identical or knock off products in liquor. Anyone CAN buy bulk alcohol and pay a lab to recreate the flavor of Captain Morgan. No one does because it is much more difficult to convince a Captain Morgan (or Jim Beam or Jose Cuervo) fan to drink your liquor than it is to attract new customers who prefer something different. There was a book written probably 20 years ago called "Big Secrets" that explored the secret recipes of Coke and Pepsi. It turns out that the original families had intermarried at various times and so it was nearly a certainty that they both knew each other's recipes. They didn't copy each other because it was MORE profitable to have a different product than to try and rip each other off. Liquor is like that - it makes more sense to make your own product than to copy someone else's. Back on topic - I really like this thread. The business analysis of equity vs. other types of investment is fascinating and very eye opening.
  5. All of the above. I have had the priveledge of interning at the distillery. They want to make a buck, it helps me at the same time. How about we simplify the question: Should the greater percentage go to me for the work and the investment in supplies, or to the distillery for their license and equipment?
  6. A couple of items I forgot to state, in case anyone is concerned: 1 - The products will be my brand but under the distillery's label. 2 - We do not have competing product lines - I will be starting with a bourbon and they don't produce any aged spirits. 3 - This will have a contract start and end, and I will retain ownership of the trademark for the brand. Ideally this will be a head-start for my own distillery in the future, not an end to itself.
  7. I have the opportunity to launch and manage my own product line out of a licensed distillery. They have spare capacity and have approached me to see if we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement for a percentage of the net. I would have full autonomy to develop and market the product(s) as I see fit and full use of the distillery's equipment. It would be my outlay for supplies and marketing, but I avoid the time and money involved in setting up my own shop. What is a reasonable offer, at least a jumping off point for negotiations, for the percentage split between me and the DSP holder?
  8. I have an indiegogo campaign set and ready for launch to cover my first 6 months of operating costs. I figured that way I could give away a couple hundred "first bottling" limited edition bottles for contributions. You are correct that most crowdfunding sites restrict giving away alcohol, however indiegogo allowed me to do certificates for bottles to be picked up at the distillery. I was only shooting for for $20K though. FYI, Kickstarter specifically told me that I would not fall within their terms of service. I think it's got wheels. Crowdfunding is about getting people to believe in something that they don't have yet. The trick is to sell them on the excitement and generate buzz. Start with friends and family and hope that they get their friends and family excited.
  9. Lol @ cats pajamas. I have seen joes still and it is very impressive. Just the innovation on it and the fact that he has it working at a craft distillery size is amazing. How much "craft" are you really putting into your stripping run anyway?
  10. http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/copper-exposure-likely-key-player-in-alzheimers/ I am not one of those alarmists about everything that we eat, but as long as we have distillers concerned about GMO corn going in their whiskey, it makes sense to at least think about copper compounds as well, at least in the downstream part. Just food for thought, this comes out of a reputable university and is published in a peer reviewed journal. If there is a demand for stainless stills, manufacturers will step up to the plate.
  11. If I were to purchase an existing distillery, would the license remain valid or would I have to start a brand new application? I'm sure there would have to be some transfer paperwork at a minimum, but would I have to shut down for 6 months while I wait on the paperwork?
  12. All good points. I haven't met with the accountant or the lawyer yet, but I will pass along anything useful I come up with
  13. All I'm saying with the Master Distiller argument is that the standards do not exist to define such a title, and so it is presumptuous of us to say who may or may not use that title. I don't claim it for myself, but what curriculum do you define it with? My sister is a chemical engineer and designs industrial ethanol stills for a living, can she be one? There are guys on the Home Distiller website with decades of experience distilling in their basements? Do they qualify? Do we take a test or do you need a degree? Can I apprentice? Until we define the answers to those questions (not so much the one about my sister ) we can't judge.
  14. I'm just going to throw my .02 in... I like the idea of the TTB setting a craft distillery standard, and in my opinion there isn't a need for a separate "craft blended" category. If you have a DSP and fall under a certain output, you should be able to label your product as "Craft", whether you're 100% from scratch or just part of it. If the big boys want to buy out a small distillery and operate that distillery under a separate license that complies with the rest of the standard, that is just the price we have to pay. Excessive regulation isn't good for anyone's business. Regarding the title of "Master Distiller", I think some are getting on their soapbox a little too much. If I have a DSP and a commercial product that I am distilling, I am the Master Distiller of that product. No one else is in charge of it, right? The label of "Master" tradesman is a tool of unions and trade associations to maintain control of an industry. Until we feel a need to unionize or major universities start offering Master's degrees in Distillery Science, we are arguing over a standard that doesn't exist
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