phillip

Am trying to figure what it would cost to produce a 1 Liter bottle of vodka so I can determine if a profit can be made selling to local bars and retailers. It looks like the material and labor costs would run around $9. What is hard to figure is how much of the bottle (what the standard expenses ought to be for success) you can allocate for start up costs: [equipment costs, construction/renovation, etc.] & recurring costs: [rent, utilities, insurance, etc,]. If I can determine that, I can know what we can spend on rent, a still system, etc. Can anyone share their understanding?

Hi Charlie:

Where is your distillery going to be located?

Sounds like a great project, we'll all be excited to see some new small batch Tennessee Whiskey on the market.

With a little more notice I would consider coming. Could you advertise 3-4 months earlier next time?

What is the name of your distillery to look up on the internet?

Phil

What are the details of the investment?

Yes, what exactly are you selling. You can PM me the details. Thanks

I have done it both ways. The first time, I hired a lawyer. Thought everything was fine; they told me the name was researched, etc. Then, whamo, I received a letter from the Chanel corp demanding I abandon the name. This is after I paid the lawyer to do the work.

The second time, I did it myself. Yes, it took a little time. But, each and every name goes through a trial period when companies can object. However, once you have the trademark, it is yours. I have received two trademarks this way with success.

Vodka, Tennessee Whiskey, other considerations also.

Certainly. How do I contact you? Via email or should I call?

But what is in it for the guy who put together the small operation? I'm that guy. I'd be willing share my experiences, and by share i mean sell. I have a 75 page business plan complete with financial projections and shareholder subscription agreements that i used to successfully fund raise the $ required to start an operating distillery. It's exactly the type of information you are looking for. I'd let that go for a price.

PM me if you are interested.

-Scott

Thanks so much. I will contact you.

Salaries? Boy, that would be nice.

Phillip, all the things you mention are common expenses - but the amount of the expense can vary dramatically. It varies with location, personal cleverness, location, size of business, location, sweat equity and the skills you bring versus hiring, etc.

I think there is a lot shared on this site already - though scattered here and there through the topics. And I also think there is a strong sentiment here that there is _great value_ in doing the foot-work research yourself.

One of the best resources is to get out and meet other distillers. Brewers and vintners, too. There's a lot of overlap. But not complete. Most will take some time to chat - at least once - out of courtesy to folks following their own footsteps. And answer the occasional email question. But don't expect detailed lessons on industry practice and customs for free.

Besides, travelling around to distilleries is a decent vacation.

WI Distiller, I maintain a mailing list for WI distillers. Not that it sees much activity when the legislature isn't mucking around with the rules (or we want them changed). You can contact me off forum.

Oh, and one tip - making the product isn't the hard part. Selling it takes even more creativity, luck, perseverance, sweat, time, etc.

I am in the exact same situation. It would seem that there are some industry standards that could be applied; with variations of course such as equipment costs (depending on what you decide to purchase), rent, etc. However, insurance, marketing, standard salaries, type and number of employees needed for a successful operation, etc. should be known to industry insiders.

It would be very helpful if someone who put together a successful small operation was willing to share his/her experience.

Would rather find someone to run things or partner with.

What are you looking for? Someone to consult with, or someone to hire?

Dave Pickerell

We are looking for someone with professional distillery experience who lives near Memphis.

Thanks so much for the information!

I am in the process of opening a professional distillery. Thanks for your reply.

Hi: Any suggestions for the kind of hose needed to drain ethanol from the still (drain is 1/2 ID). Am new to this. Received suggestions the other day but they have disappeared from the blog.