Tasting Rooms - Need ideas - Lets see 'em!

[tmbdistillery]

Hey all.  We are in the final stages of deciding where we will be putting our tasting room.  We are lucky enough to have two buildings adjacent to one another.  One is the warehouse/distillery and the other is currently office space with lots of windows, 6" hardwood floors and exposed brick and ceiling.  Not to mention a working hydraulic elevator.  

I am torn on where we should have the tasting room.  I have attached a pic for you to consider.  This is of the warehouse and distilling side.  I built in a floor to ceiling wall separating the warehouse from the tasting room and glassed it up so you can visually see the hardware.  On the other hand, we have a building that is elevated from the street (old truck dock facade) that will need to be converted for ADA as well as curb appeal renovations on the outside.  Thinking white washed logo.  

Would you rather enjoy your tastings in the warehouse where you can see the still and operation or in a newly renovated building with no visibility of the still but have hardwood, exposed brick and floors.  Second picture of test still just to show interior walls. 

Appreciate any discussion.  Pictures of your tasting rooms would be awesome too!!!

 

[JohnJacob]

After moving our tasting cocktail bar from a space that looked into the distillery through a big window up to a larger space on our town's main drag, we definitely lost something. Some people didn't even realize they had entered a distillery bar. Bottle sales went down and we knew we had to make an adjustment . Our solution was two-fold.

1. Training of the sales pitch to staff "Welcome to our distillery. We are the only one in town. We make all of the spirits and mixers for the bar right here in the building. Our business is founded on bottle sales. Please consider purchasing a bottle if you enjoy your experience here." 

2. The reluctant installation of a TV which now broadcasts the goings on in the manufacture space, but no actual TV. People visit our bar because there in no TV. It's a place to relax and enjoy communal company. 

My two cents on your project would be to set up the tasting bar in the separate space and be sure to make a connection to the manufacturing nature of your business. People want to see the action and will buy more if they can get some of that experience. Leave you manufacturing space to manufacturing. If you get going you'll need every inch of that space for substrate, supplies, barrels, finished product, etc, etc, etc. 

Good luck!

 

 

[38°]

My two cents: almost everyone who has come into our tasting room so far comments on the large windows looking into production. It is a huge boost to the ambiance. And, as NotSure pointed out, I believe it increases sales/awareness of what we do here.

One consideration is cost. In our set up (no sprinklers) and local we needed 2hour fire glass. Not inexpensive at all, difficult to install, long manufacturing lead times.

In my opinion, there is no other way to go.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHjGVISsMyE/?igshid=172asc7to8wfi

 

[Golden Beaver Distillery]

A window is a must!
 

Our tasting room after construction and just recently for a product shot. 
 

We will be putting a Tennessee Thumper in the window in a few week to run flavored moonshines. This will add to guest engagement watching the jars in action.

[Glenlyon]

The key to  a successful tasting room is making it female friendly! You want it cozy with lots of natural light and humour. 

[tmbdistillery]

6 hours ago, 38° said:

My two cents: almost everyone who has come into our tasting room so far comments on the large windows looking into production. It is a huge boost to the ambiance. And, as NotSure pointed out, I believe it increases sales/awareness of what we do here.

One consideration is cost. In our set up (no sprinklers) and local we needed 2hour fire glass. Not inexpensive at all, difficult to install, long manufacturing lead times.

In my opinion, there is no other way to go.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHjGVISsMyE/?igshid=172asc7to8wfi

 

Could you try you rInstagram link again?  It didn't work for me.  

So you were able to not sprinkle the tasting room in lieu of 2 hour fire glass?  Our roof is wood beams and we were told 2 hour firewalls won't work because the fire would just burn the roof.  I think we are stuck getting sprinklers no matter what but In my rendering above I guess it just makes sense to sprinkle the entire building.  I think in the end doing an additional 15 feet of iron pipe might not be a huge cost factor.  

[tmbdistillery]

Just now, tmbdistillery said:

Could you try you rInstagram link again?  It didn't work for me.  

So you were able to not sprinkle the tasting room in lieu of 2 hour fire glass?  Our roof is wood beams and we were told 2 hour firewalls won't work because the fire would just burn the roof.  I think we are stuck getting sprinklers no matter what but In my rendering above I guess it just makes sense to sprinkle the entire building.  I think in the end doing an additional 15 feet of iron pipe might not be a huge cost factor.  

Nevrmind on the instagram link.  I thought I was logged in but I was not.  

[tmbdistillery]

2 hours ago, Glenlyon said:

The key to  a successful tasting room is making it female friendly! You want it cozy with lots of natural light and humour. 

Totally agree!

[Glenlyon]

[38°]

6 hours ago, tmbdistillery said:

Could you try you rInstagram link again?  It didn't work for me.  

So you were able to not sprinkle the tasting room in lieu of 2 hour fire glass?  Our roof is wood beams and we were told 2 hour firewalls won't work because the fire would just burn the roof.  I think we are stuck getting sprinklers no matter what but In my rendering above I guess it just makes sense to sprinkle the entire building.  I think in the end doing an additional 15 feet of iron pipe might not be a huge cost factor.  

Sprinklers were way out of budget for us due to california regulations and our rural location. We had to 2 hour firewall all walls and the ceiling. Even the adjoining business walls. If I recall, the distillery was the side that needed the sprinklers.

[Golden Beaver Distillery]

Get a good architect firm to help you design an F-1 rate distillery (2 hour walls/no sprinkles) and tasting room. The money you spend with them will save you down the line with the county/city and fire Marshall.  

[tmbdistillery]

On 1/27/2021 at 12:05 AM, 38° said:

Sprinklers were way out of budget for us due to california regulations and our rural location. We had to 2 hour firewall all walls and the ceiling. Even the adjoining business walls. If I recall, the distillery was the side that needed the sprinklers.

So you did sprinkle or did not. Just confused by what you said. We would have the tasting room under the same roof as the still. 

[38°]

We did not sprinkler. We chose to do a 2 hour firewall in lieu. With sprinklers we would only have to do a 1hr firewall. 2hr wall, with appropriate 2 hr windows and doors are a significant expense, but in our case, sprinklers were not feasible. FYI a tasting room and production area are two different occupancies in many scenarios for several reasons. Hence, the need for fire separation. Also, technically the ttb doesnt allow a tasting room in a DSP, another reason for physical seperation.

[tmbdistillery]

1 hour ago, 38° said:

We did not sprinkler. We chose to do a 2 hour firewall in lieu. With sprinklers we would only have to do a 1hr firewall. 2hr wall, with appropriate 2 hr windows and doors are a significant expense, but in our case, sprinklers were not feasible. FYI a tasting room and production area are two different occupancies in many scenarios for several reasons. Hence, the need for fire separation. Also, technically the ttb doesnt allow a tasting room in a DSP, another reason for physical seperation.

Okay so your DSP was sprinkled and not your tasting room. We think we are going to have to sprinkle the whole building if we have the tasting room under the same roof separated with a floor to ceiling wall IAW ttb guidelines. 

[Thatch]

3 hours ago, tmbdistillery said:

IAW ttb guidelines. 

Not sure what you are referring to.  Please send a link to the source of the "ttb guidelines" you are quoting.  You also haven't said anything about occupancy and whether you are seeking H-3 or F-1.  Your OP had to do with design of a tasting room and has evolved into a discussion on sprinklers.  

[tmbdistillery]

6 minutes ago, Thatch said:

Not sure what you are referring to.  Please send a link to the source of the "ttb guidelines" you are quoting.  You also haven't said anything about occupancy and whether you are seeking H-3 or F-1.  Your OP had to do with design of a tasting room and has evolved into a discussion on sprinklers.  

Because the tasting room in the DSP has a lot to do with sprinkled areas where there will be occupancy. We are probably shooting for an F1 but my question was about where we would put a tasting room and others chimes in regarding fire code restrictions. It is all good information so I’m thankful for the responses. 
 

Regarding the TTB, it is a requirement that your DSP and tasting room is separated by a floor to ceiling barrier preventing patrons from accessing the DSP. The reference was on the initial TTB application for operating a distillery. 

[Thatch]

Perhaps I misunderstood your initial post.  Yes, the DSP needs to be separated from the tasting room by a floor to ceiling wall but that has nothing to do with sprinklers.  If you've researched other areas of this forum searching on "MAQ" or "AHJ" you will find a wealth of information on what you can and cannot do.  In short, without sprinklers your MAQ will be 120 gallons not in bottles within your DSP.  That includes barrels.

[tmbdistillery]

2 minutes ago, Thatch said:

Perhaps I misunderstood your initial post.  Yes, the DSP needs to be separated from the tasting room by a floor to ceiling wall but that has nothing to do with sprinklers.  If you've researched other areas of this forum searching on "MAQ" or "AHJ" you will find a wealth of information on what you can and cannot do.  In short, without sprinklers your MAQ will be 120 gallons not in bottles within your DSP.  That includes barrels.

If we plan to store barrels off site, and have nothing on site except for the days run you’re saying we won’t have to sprinkle? Right now we’ve been quoted about $30k to sprinkle the DSP. Thanks for the reply and I’m going to research MAQ and AHJ. 

[Thatch]

You do not have to sprinkle.  There are many distilleries that are F-1 occupancy.  F-1 does not require sprinklers but limits your MAQ.  Even with sprinklers you can be F-1 and have a MAQ of 240 gallons.  That's code.  However, if your AHJ says you have to sprinkle, they are the last word.