How St. Augustine Distillery Doubled Their Bottle-Your-Own Volume
- Jeffrey Watterworth
- Feb 21
- 7 min read
From 60 to 120+ monthly experiences: A Florida distillery's strategic scale-up
When St. Augustine Distillery started their bottle-your-own program, they built their own system. For about a year and a half, it served them well. Customers filled bottles from barrels, the experience resonated, and they were averaging 60 experiences per month.
But as their vision for the program grew, the team recognized an opportunity. Their foot traffic could support significantly higher volume. They wanted the bottle-your-own experience to be a signature feature of their facility—something visible from multiple areas, offering customer choice, and positioned as a centerpiece rather than an add-on.
Their original system had proven the concept worked. Now they needed equipment designed to scale with their ambition.
In December 2024, they upgraded to a professional DoubleShot system. The results were immediate: they doubled to 120+ monthly experiences—and haven't looked back.
Here's how a Florida distillery transformed a functional program into a revenue-driving centerpiece of their visitor experience.
From Proven Concept to Scaled Vision
St. Augustine's original bottle-your-own setup had validated demand. Sixty experiences per month demonstrated customers loved the hands-on experience of filling bottles directly from barrels. The concept worked.
But the distillery team had a bigger vision. They saw opportunities to:
1. Make BYO a Centerpiece, Not an Add-On
They wanted the program to be immediately visible—something visitors noticed and asked about before staff had to explain it. A signature feature that defined part of the St. Augustine experience.
2. Offer Customer Choice
With diverse visitor preferences—bourbon lovers, rum enthusiasts, proof preferences—they recognized that offering multiple barrels simultaneously would serve their customer base better and capture more sales.
3. Scale to Match Their Foot Traffic
At 60 monthly experiences, they were serving a fraction of their visitor volume. The team knew demand existed for 2x, maybe 3x that number. They needed equipment designed for high-volume operations.
4. Create a Complete Experience
They envisioned not just filling bottles, but a multi-step journey: bottle preparation, barrel selection, filling, finishing. An experience worthy of their brand and the premium pricing they knew it could command.
Their original system had proven all this was possible. Now they needed to execute the full vision.
They needed equipment designed specifically for high-volume, high-visibility bottle-your-own programs.
The Decision to Upgrade
St. Augustine's team had seen bottle-your-own programs at other distilleries. They understood what professional equipment could deliver: reliability, customer choice, and the kind of visual impact that turns visitors into customers without staff intervention.
When they reached out to SingleShot Barrel Works in late 2024, they weren't looking for basic filling equipment. They wanted a completely custom installation that would become a signature feature of their facility.
The requirements:
Maximum visibility: The system needed to be seen from multiple areas of the distillery
Customer choice: Two filling stations to offer different barrels simultaneously
Professional presentation: Equipment that matched their brand's quality standards
Complete experience: Not just filling, but bottle preparation and finishing too
We designed a DoubleShot system specifically for their space: mounted between two sets of windows in their bonded area where it's visible from the moment visitors enter through to the gift shop.
"From just about every corner of their facility," as they describe it. First-time visitors see customers filling bottles before they even start the tour. That visibility creates anticipation and questions before staff say a word.
The Complete Experience Design
But St. Augustine didn't stop at professional filling equipment. They invested in the entire customer journey.
Custom Finishing Station
They contracted a local carpenter to build a dedicated finishing station—a beautiful wooden piece that houses corks and labels. After customers fill their bottles at the DoubleShot, they move to this station to hand-cork and hand-label their bottles.
This separation creates theater. It extends the experience from a 30-second fill to a 3-5 minute journey. Customers aren't rushing; they're savoring each step.
Barrel-Mounted Bottle Rinsers
We built St. Augustine two custom bottle rinsers mounted inside bourbon barrels. Before filling, customers rinse their bottles at these stations—adding an extra "wow factor" and giving staff a natural moment to explain the importance of clean bottles and the care that goes into every BYO experience.
The barrel-mounted rinsers aren't functionally necessary (any rinse station works), but they reinforce the barrel-to-bottle story. Every element of the experience connects to cooperage, aging, and craft.
The Flow
Here's what a customer experiences at St. Augustine's BYO program now:
See it everywhere: Notice the DoubleShot from multiple vantage points during the tour
Choose a barrel: Two options always available—maybe bourbon and rum, or different age statements
Rinse the bottle: Hands-on preparation at barrel-mounted rinse stations
Fill from barrel: Watch the sight glass fill, then dispense into your bottle
Cork and label: Move to the finishing station to complete your bottle
Story and photos: Staff engagement throughout, Instagram-worthy moments at every step
The entire experience takes 5-7 minutes. It's hands-on, photogenic, and memorable.
The Results: Immediate Doubling
The impact was instant.
Before (original system):
60 experiences per month
Single barrel option
Proven concept with solid demand
After (DoubleShot + complete experience):
120+ experiences per month
Two barrels always available
High visibility from multiple areas
Premium multi-step experience
Signature facility feature
The doubling happened immediately—not over months of optimization, but from day one of the new system going live.
The Revenue Math
At St. Augustine's $200 per experience pricing:
Before upgrade:
60 experiences × $200 = $12,000 monthly
$144,000 annually
After upgrade:
120 experiences × $200 = $24,000 monthly
$288,000 annually
Incremental revenue: $144,000 per year
That's from equipment and installation that paid for itself in the first few months. Every month since has been pure incremental profit.
Why The Scale-Up Worked: Four Key Factors
1. Visibility Drives Discovery
The strategic placement between windows means visitors see BYO activity before they're even asked if they're interested. They watch other customers filling bottles, see the engagement, and self-select into the experience.
Staff don't need to pitch—the equipment and customer activity pitch for them.
2. Choice Prevents Lost Sales
With two filling stations offering different barrels, St. Augustine dramatically reduced "not interested in that barrel" objections. When one option doesn't appeal, the other might. And many customers buy both.
The DoubleShot configuration ensures they're never selling only to bourbon drinkers or only to rum enthusiasts—they're serving their entire customer base.
3. Premium Presentation Justifies Premium Pricing
At $200 per experience, St. Augustine is at the high end of BYO pricing. But the complete experience—professional equipment, barrel-mounted rinsers, custom finishing station—makes that pricing feel not just justified but generous.
Customers aren't paying $200 for whiskey. They're paying for a multi-step, hands-on experience they can't get anywhere else.
4. Built for Volume
When you're running 120+ experiences monthly, you need equipment engineered for that scale. Professional systems designed specifically for high-volume programs deliver consistent performance day after day, allowing staff to focus on customers rather than equipment management.
The Ripple Effects Beyond Direct Revenue
The increased BYO volume created secondary benefits:
Social Media Amplification
With 120+ experiences monthly, that's 120+ Instagram posts, Facebook shares, and personal recommendations. Every customer becomes unpaid marketing generating authentic social proof.
St. Augustine's BYO program now appears in visitor blogs, travel guides, and whiskey enthusiast forums. That organic reach is impossible to buy.
Differentiation in a Competitive Market
St. Augustine competes with numerous Florida distilleries and attractions. The BYO program—especially the complete, polished experience—gives them a distinctive selling point in marketing and word-of-mouth recommendations.
"You have to go to St. Augustine and fill your own bottle" becomes a recommendation friends make to friends planning Florida trips.
Staff Engagement and Pride
When you're running impressive equipment and delivering memorable experiences, staff enthusiasm increases. The BYO program became something the team actively promotes and takes pride in, rather than just another tour component.
Lessons for Other Distilleries
St. Augustine's transformation offers clear takeaways for distilleries considering BYO programs or evaluating upgrades:
Proven Concept, Scaled Vision
Many distilleries start with their own systems to validate demand—there's nothing wrong with that approach. St. Augustine proved customers wanted BYO experiences. Once they understood the opportunity, they invested in equipment designed to scale with their vision.
Invest in Visibility
The best equipment in the world doesn't help if customers don't know it exists. Strategic placement where BYO activity is naturally visible to tour traffic drives discovery without relying on staff mentions.
Build the Complete Experience
Filling bottles is one step. St. Augustine understood they were selling an experience, so they invested in rinsing, finishing, and storytelling. Each element reinforces the premium positioning and justifies higher pricing.
Equipment Designed for Scale
When you're ready to run 100+ experiences monthly, equipment purpose-built for high-volume BYO programs delivers the consistency and reliability that level of operation demands.
Give Customers Choice
Two options outsell one option by far more than 2x. The DoubleShot configuration doesn't just serve more customers—it serves customers better, matching their preferences and reducing "not interested" objections.
The Bottom Line: From Functional to Foundational
St. Augustine Distillery's bottle-your-own program evolved from a functional add-on to a foundational element of their visitor experience.
The transformation wasn't luck or circumstance—it was strategic investment in the right equipment, thoughtful experience design, and recognition that "good enough" equipment was limiting their potential.
They went from 60 to 120+ monthly experiences immediately. From $144,000 to $288,000 in annual BYO revenue. From a tour component to a tour destination.
More importantly, they created a competitive differentiator that drives word-of-mouth recommendations, social media amplification, and customer loyalty that extends well beyond a single visit.
The upgrade paid for itself in months. The strategic value—positioning, differentiation, customer experience—compounds indefinitely.
Is Your BYO Program Ready to Scale?
If you're already running a bottle-your-own program, you've proven the concept works. The question is whether you're ready to scale to match your ambition and foot traffic.
Signs you're ready to expand:
Strong demand from your current program
Vision for BYO as a centerpiece of your visitor experience
Foot traffic that could support 2-3x your current volume
Interest in offering customers multiple barrel choices
Desire for high-visibility installation that markets itself
St. Augustine made the decision in late 2024. By early 2025, they were doubling their previous volume.
The investment paid for itself in months. The strategic value—differentiation, customer experience, revenue growth—continues compounding.
Ready to upgrade your bottle-your-own program?
For equipment specifications, custom installation options, and design consultation, visit singleshotbarrelworks.com or contact us at singleshotbarrelworks@gmail.com.
See St. Augustine's complete installation and other customer examples in our portfolio.
Want to understand pricing strategy and program structure before upgrading? Read our comprehensive Bottle-Your-Own Program Guide and our analysis of how distilleries are adding 40-60% margins with BYO programs.
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