Having a product so popular you can’t keep up with demand is a good problem to have if you’re a recent start-up – but it’s still a problem.
James Lester and Richard Klaus of Sons of Vancouver Distilling had big dreams when they opened for business in a North Vancouver industrial unit last year. It didn’t take long for their amaretto, vodka, and chili vodka to find a home in bars and liquor cabinets across the city. But keeping the booze flowing has proven to be increasingly difficult as the capacity of the “really, really small distillery” is too low to meet the demand.
“Were at the point where the accounts we have are ordering more and more, and we’re having a hard time keeping up,” says Lester.
The main problem is the distillery’s mash tun: It’s tiny.
“Our current mash tun we bought from a Seattle distillery and it’s a repurposed dairy pasteurizer,” says Lester. “We’re hoping to buy something three times as big.”
Since mash tuns don’t come cheap, the pair have decided to turn to crowdfunding to help finance the purchase, and are asking fans of the brand to donate to the effort through an Indiegogo campaign. With 12 days left, they’ve already managed to secure more than $8,300 in donations towards their $15,000 goal.
Donors, of course, will be rewarded with some pretty awesome perks. In addition to options like barrel-aged spirits and private parties, donors have the opportunity to learn the art of distilling from Lester and Klaus themselves with a week-long crash course where the pair “will teach you everything you need to know to put us out of business” for just $750.
For a donation of $2,000, donors can even design and distill their own custom 30L barrel of whisky.
“We used an Indiegogo campaign to build the tasting room a year and a half ago, and we thought this would be a good way to raise money for a new mash tun,” says Lester. “It’s pretty exciting to see the response! We already sold out of the [barrel-aged] amaretto.”
To contribute to Sons of Vancouver’s crowdfunding campaign, visit their Indiegogo page here.
