Craft distillers in today’s market are facing uncertainty, but the way through it may involve leaning into what makes them distinctive: Stay small, be nimble, and work creatively within your means. While nanodistilleries come with their own challenges, they’re also well poised to keep costs manageable and focus on nurturing customer relationships in their communities.
As distillers consider routes that diverge from the once-popular pursuit of boundless growth, it’s worth considering the most pressing obstacles and how to navigate them. Being small can be its own kind of obstacle. How do you build a brand and make the spirits you want to make if you also happen to be very limited in space?
For distilleries whose business models and desired locations have left them with small footprints—those such as Ballmer Peak in Lakewood, Colorado; Copper Cat in Woodinville, Washington; Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, New York; and Nightside in Edgewood, Washington—the limited space doesn’t need to limit what they want to make.
Instead, these distilleries have assembled toolboxes of partnerships, moving parts, and MacGyver-ed setups to embrace the benefits of being compact, including lower overhead, greater flexibility, and room for creativity in smaller batches.