February 26, 2011

Distillery visits in general

I have been to quite a few distilleries, more than most, but I’m pretty sure not as much as some others.I don’t do this for a living, just to put it in perspective.

I do feel I’ve been to enough of them to form an opinion of what they shoulkd be like. So, here is a few pointers divided into subjects, just to make it easier to understand

1. Before the visit

It should be easy to visit a distillery. For most, it is part of a vacation and the effort to find out where and when should be small. An accessible website is a first. This should not be based on flash, cause it is unreadable on most cell- and smart phones. If an appointment is needed, state so, clearly, and make sure there is someone to answer the phone.

2. The tour itself

There should be more than one option. A lot of us have seen mash tuns and stills before. We want to know why your distillery is special. What do you do that is special? Why do your stills look like they do? How does your new make taste? What’s so special about those mash tuns? And so on.

The guides should know what they are talking about, and be enthusiastic about it. I’ve met scripted guides and it really sucks. Citing marketing mumbo jumbo with no connections to reality, what so ever.

A “multimedia experience” should be just that, and not something you could watch on youtube in the comfort of your own home. If all you can come up with is a video, resembling a TV commersial. leave it, it’s just a waste of time.

A lot of us are actually willing to pay extra to get an interesting tour at your distillery.

3. The visitor centre

How much effort one puts in this is based on the number of visitors. I understand that. But, there should be, at least:

  • Interesting stuff to look at and excamine. Good museum stuff. Related to the distillery and it’s history, of course. Models of what it looked like when first founded. Pictures from days gone by and so on.
  • A shop. With the range of whiskies, of course. Aside from that, one should try to be original and interesting and avoid the typical souvenir shop items.
  • A nice quiet bar/pub to sit down and enjoy the offerings of the distillery.
  • Good food

I will elaborate on this one as I come up with other ideas, but it will be based on what I like from my distillery visits and what is possible to achive without to much effort.

Until next time. SKÅL

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