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 Shopify subscription and recurring billing tools do members recommend?
Members have tested several solutions, with clear preferences emerging. **Recharge** (Recurring Billing by Recharge) is widely used with no reported issues for some, though several members have encountered technical problems. **Smartrr** is gaining favour—members found it better than Recharge for technical reasons, and praise its seamless setup and design-heavy, plug-and-play approach. **BOLD** was explicitly flagged as one to avoid. The subscription tool landscape is notably fragmented and can be frustratingly complex to navigate.
What Shopify subscription plugins allow brands to restrict subscriptions to specific bottle quantities (e.g. 1, 2, 3, or 6 bottles)?
Members shifting to monthly subscription models have recommended two plugins that support quantity-restricted subscription options: - **MinMaxify** — tested and confirmed to work for restricting subscription quantities - **Gravias** — mentioned as an alternative option by community members These tools address the specific packaging constraint of needing to limit customers to set bottle quantities rather than open-ended subscription volumes. Members suggest requesting recommendations directly from peers who've implemented these solutions, as setup details and specific feature support may vary by brand.
Are gin club subscriptions and memberships a worthwhile sales and marketing channel for gin brands?
Members view gin club subscriptions as a **marketing activity rather than a direct sales channel**—the returns tend to be modest and favour the gin club operator over the brand. Key insights from the community: - **Brand awareness play, not revenue driver** — gin clubs can build some awareness but at low profitability for the brand. The fundamental challenge is customer intent: subscribers are typically looking to "try something different each month" rather than hunting for their next regular gin brand, making conversion to repeat purchase difficult. - **Consumer and club-owner focused economics** — members found them "very unprofitable," with margins benefiting the subscription club operator far more than the gin producer. **Bottom line:** Treat gin clubs as a brand-building tactic for early-stage awareness, not a core sales channel. Expect low ROI on direct sales unless your goal is purely experimental distribution and reaching novelty-seeking consumers who won't become loyal repeat buyers.