How contract distilling can help spirits start-ups – Category Intel

“Building a distillery was never in the plan,” admits Philip Everett-Lyons, founder of Hattiers Rum. “I flirted with the idea of buying a set of stills twice, only to walk away each time with the nagging feeling that I was veering off course.”Instead, Everett-Lyons, who created the English rum brand eight years ago, focused his efforts on partnerships. He collaborated with E&A Scheer, one of the world’s most respected rum blenders, which gave him access to high-quality aged rum without needing to own production equipment. “By no means was this simply a budgetary decision,” he