FAQ
Our answers to customers Frequently Asked Questions.
1
How can distilleries increase tasting room revenue?
One of the most effective and proven ways distilleries have increased their tasting room revenue is by adding Bottle Your Own fillers. The overwhelming majority of your customers value experiences as much as they value your product. There isn't anything else like seeing whiskey fill our sight glass fillers and then pouring it into your very own bottle.
2
​What equipment do I need to let customers bottle their own whiskey?
Our SingleShot fillers have everything you need to start letting your customers fill their very own bottle straight from the barrel. We provide everything you need to connect to the barrel, mount to the barrel rack, and allow customers to start filling right away. No other equipment is necessary for this experience other than a barrel rack and a barrel of your best product.
3
What's the ROI on customer bottling experiences at distilleries?
Most distilleries see ROI in 2-4 months, with faster payback at high-volume locations. Nelson's Green Brier sells through an entire barrel per month. St. Augustine Distillery averages 120+ experiences monthly. Another customer generated over $13,000 in revenue in their first month. With an average 40% markup over shelf price, a $50 shelf bottle becomes a $70 experience.
4
Is bottle-your-own legal in my state?
Bottle-your-own programs are legal in most states, but regulations vary by jurisdiction. You'll need to check with your state's ABC board and ensure your TTB permit covers on-premise consumption or direct-to-consumer sales. SingleShot equipment is designed to meet TTB volume accuracy requirements.
Many of our customers operate successful programs in: Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, California, and many more.
5
Best ways to create unique distillery experiences
The most successful distillery experiences are those that make customers part of the story. Bottle-your-own programs consistently drive social media engagement, repeat visits, and word-of-mouth marketing. Unlike passive tastings, customers physically interact with your product, creating memorable moments they share online and with friends. Other experience ideas include blending workshops, barrel selection events, and behind-the-scenes production tours.
7
How to fill bottles directly from barrel at distillery
We make it as easy as possible to set our system up and start using it immediately. We provide a way to connect our filler straight to the barrel, the mounting of the filler to connect it to your barrel rack, as well as the filler itself; with flow control and drip tray included as well. Customers simply place an empty bottle on the drip tray, open and close the valves, and walk away with a filled bottle. The fill rate is about 15-20 seconds to fill the sight glass and then another 15-20 seconds to fill the bottle. With the flow control you can make this a few seconds faster for both fill times.
8
Equipment for craft distillery tasting room
Craft distillery tasting rooms typically feature tasting bars, retail displays, and tour equipment. For revenue generation, bottle-your-own fillers offer the fastest ROI (typically 2-4 months) compared to bottling lines ($50K-200K+ with longer payback) or expanded retail inventory.
9
Distillery tour ideas to increase engagement
Our Bottle Your Own fillers are one of the most engaging things you can have on your tours for customers. They love to be part of the process and learn even more how everything works. Even down to filling, corking, and labeling their own bottle.
10
How much should I charge for bottle-your-own whiskey experience?
If you sell a 750ml bottle for $50 on the shelf, price the BYO experience at $70 (40% markup). For premium single barrels: $80 shelf → $120-160 BYO experience. Once you have proven demand you can then adjust these prices up if desired.
11
Single barrel program ideas for distilleries
We have at least one customer who is really leaning into the single barrel program with their Bottle Your Own filler from us. They have very unique barrels that are all 1 off expressions and are only using them in their BYO program. This means the only way to get a bottle of these unique spirits is to do a Bottle Your Own at their facility.
12
What's included when I purchase a SingleShot system?
Sight Glass filler, mounting hardware, barrel connection, drip tray, flow control valve, installation guide, and volume adjustment for seasonal changes.
What you need to provide: barrel rack, barrel, bottles, corks, and labels.
13
How long does installation take?
Most customers complete installation in 2-3 hours. Our equipment does not require any certified technicians, plumbers, or mechanics to install.
14
What training is required for staff?
Staff can be trained in under 15 minutes. Our system is a simple two-valve operation.
15
What's the difference between SingleShot and DoubleShot?
There is no difference between the two, a DoubleShot is just two SingleShots that are mirrored to one another to allow for them to both be on the same barrel rack. We typically do a discount when buying a DoubleShot as opposed to buying two SingleShot's at different times, as long as we aren't running any additional sales.
16
Can customers operate the filler themselves or does staff run it?
This entire experience is built around the customer doing it themselves, not watching a staff person do it. You always want to have a staff member present of course but this is for the customer to be part of the process.
17
What bottle sizes work with your system?
Our base model is designed to dispense 750mL each time. However, we have done 375mL and 1L on request.