Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
What regulatory and scientific evidence can I use to demonstrate that grapefruit in spirits like London Dry Gin does not interact with medications like statins?
Members working in spirits face repeated questions from consumers about whether grapefruit in their products will interact with statin medications. The key scientific argument centres on the thermochemistry of the compounds responsible for the interaction. The active compounds causing statin interactions are **furanocoumarins**, which inhibit the cytochrome P450 enzyme system that metabolises statins in the liver. Furanocoumarins have a boiling point of approximately **300°C**, well above typical spirit distillation temperatures (89–90°C). Since the vapour pressure of these compounds is negligible at distillation temperatures, furanocoumarins do not carry over into the distillate during production. This means grapefruit-infused spirits produced via distillation should contain no active furanocoumarins capable of interacting with medication. Members recommend: - **PubChem (NCBI)** — cited as a reliable source for technical data on bergapten and other furanocoumarins: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Bergapten - **EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) allergen paper** — https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2007.482 — useful for regulatory reference, though primarily focused on nut allergens **Caveats:** Members noted that even with printed technical evidence, some consumers remain unconvinced and may continue to raise objections at events. Having the scientific data on hand is useful for addressing concerns, though it may not satisfy all customers.
How many bottles of gin can be produced from an 1800L still, and what affects the yield?
Production yield from an 1800L still varies significantly based on your production decisions. Members report a wide range: **roughly 1,800 bottles** at one end, up to **2,000 to 20,000 bottles** depending on choices made. Key factors affecting yield: - **ABV (alcohol by volume)** — the strength you're targeting materially impacts the final bottle count - **Cut points** — where you make cuts during distillation (heads, hearts, tails) affects how much usable spirit you recover - **Dilution ratio** — described by members as ranging from "1x shot to 10x shot," suggesting significant variation in how much water/neutral spirit is added post-distillation The wide range (1,800 to 20,000) reflects these variables: a high-ABV, minimal-dilution run will yield far fewer bottles than a lower-ABV, heavily-diluted one from the same still.
Should I contract distillation with a co-packer or build in-house production capacity?
The choice between co-packing and in-house distillation depends on your priorities around cost, brand story, and market focus. **Cost and efficiency**: Co-packing is typically significantly cheaper than in-house production. Members report paying around **£5 per bottle** for contracted distillation, making it the more cost-effective route if your primary goal is scaling sales and marketing. **Origin and storytelling**: In-house or local production adds meaningful value if your brand narrative depends on provenance. Members noted that **origin stories are a genuine sales driver**—particularly if you can claim local/regional production. This justifies the higher in-house costs and can differentiate you in a crowded market. **Testing and iteration**: In-house production (or local co-packing) can be a low-commitment way to test new products and validate demand before committing to larger production runs or national distribution. **Market positioning**: Members cautioned against letting legislation changes alone drive the decision. The choice should reflect your actual market strategy—e.g., whether you're targeting local markets with strong origin narratives or pursuing national distribution where cost efficiency matters more. **Caveats**: Recent market shifts (e.g., gin market saturation, consumer preference for rum) suggest the category itself matters as much as the production method. Focus on market demand and your brand story first; the production model should support that, not drive it.