"You need to have a plan. This isn't one of those things that you can start with a couple of dollars and just jump into.

"Alcohol is a heavily regulated industry, so there's a ton of licensing. Every state is governed individually, so you need licenses in every state. Take a look at ttb.gov, the government's page associated with alcohol, and try to gauge your understanding of the regulations. Try to accomplish as much as possible on your own because a lawyer requires money-something you usually don't have as a start-up.

"You need to be prepared to sell your idea to the distiller and your financers, then distributors, then to retail, and finally to consumers. If you're thin-skinned and ‘no' bothers you, you're not built for doing this. You're gonna get shot down. No one wants to part with their money, so you have to have an impressive presentation.

"Research and figure out what space to play in. We looked at vodka, gin, rum, and tequila, and we came away thinking liqueur and rum had a lot of potential because there were no high-end rums in '01 and liqueurs don't generally compete against each other.

"Finally, you need to make sure there's an audience out there. Talk to your friends who are drinking, talk to their friends. You can launch a great product but if no one likes it, what's the point?"Home // STYLE // HOW TO // Making a Boutique Liquor