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 are the rules for serving and selling gin at Junipalooza, and what should exhibitors expect?
Junipalooza allows exhibitors to serve gin neat and as G&Ts, plus bottle sales on stand and in their retail store. However, **no cocktails** are permitted. Sampling is tightly controlled — exhibitors are limited to pouring **no more than a couple of millilitres per person**. The event typically hosts over 200 expressions, and most visitors want to try as many as possible, so sampling portions are kept minimal to manage stock. Members note that **Junipalooza is primarily a marketing opportunity rather than a profit-driving event**, so exhibitors should manage expectations around direct sales revenue. Bottle sales on the day and in-store placement are the main commercial benefits.
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.