Find a location then obtaining all the permits necessary to build a craft distillery.

Obtain City,
Country Use permits to build a distillery. Order your equipment. Apply for a DSP from TTB.
Finally obtain COLA and Label approval for products.
It will cost over $350,000 to open a distillery capable of producing 3,000 to 5,000 cases / year.
Income from your first year of production will come from distilling gin (or moonshine) and then
whiskey. (Gin take two days to produce from NGS. Malt whiskey should be aged from six
months to two years.).
The Build Out
Building Improvements
Electrical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, General Construction
One year rent
TOTAL Build out Expenses

$50,000
$2,500 x 12 $30,000
$80,000

Brewing Equipment (New and Used) To Create Whiskey Wash

Boiler, Mash Tun, Two Fermentation Vessels

$70,000

Distilling Equipment
(A simple pot still from Portugal or USA)
350 Gallon Wash Still
100 gallon Spirits Still
Pumps, Hoses and Filtration System
Hydrometers, Thermometers & Ebulliometer
Office furniture, computers, phones
(Legal Fees, Trademark etc.)
TOTAL Distilling Equipment

$35,000
$12,000
$20,000
$1,000
$4,000
$5,000
$77,000

TOTAL Year One Cash Out

$227,000

Cash in the bank for things not planned

$47,000

You have your DSP. Distilling three days and marketing two days of the week
Products
Gin re-distilled or blended from NGS 60% of production
Whiskey, from Malt 40% of production

Annual Output, (Year Two)

Gin 2,000 Cases
Whiskey 30 barrels 660 Cases
(In reserve (aging) 15 barrels, 330 cases of whiskey.)
Develop plan to sell whiskey futures to investors.
Total Production (cases) Year One of Production

2,300

Best case scenario with 100% sell through. The numbers or gross income before production
expenses, taxes. etc.
Retail Sales
Gin 2,000. Cases at $260 / Case

$520,000

Neutral Grain Spirit Costs $330 for a 55 gal. drum.

One Gallon of 95% NGS produces over two gallons of 40% abv gin.
Total cost: $3/ bottle includes: product bottle carton and label
but not marketing and taxes.
The $3 Bottle of gin at retail is $21.67
Whiskey 330 Cases at $350 / Case

$115,500

Total sales at Retail / Gin and Whiskey $636,500

Distillery gross income, 50% to wholesale, retailer

$317.750

Excise Taxes

$60,394

Net Sales [Income]

Direct costs of goods ($3/bottle in the case)
Gross Profit
Marketing Cost ($2/bottle)
Operational Profit

$280,461
$83,880
$173,476
$55,920
$117,556

Fixed Costs
Rent, Utilities, Insurance and travel
*Income at the end of year

$61,000
$56,556