The home of distillery crowdfunding

At Crowdfunder, we’re proud to call ourselves the home of distillery crowdfunding.

Over the years we’ve seen countless successful distilleries raise money from the crowd to start or expand their businesses. Though it’s not just about the money as crowdfunding is a great way to drive brand awareness and customer engagement!

In fact, the average distillery on Crowdfunder raises £30,000! 

In this blog, you’ll find a breakdown of the crowdfunding experience, important links to our Knowledge Hub, and inspiring examples of past successful projects! 

So whether you’re looking to start, expand, or adapt your distillery, Crowdfunder is the place for you. 

The crowdfunding journey 

We know that launching your first Crowdfunder project is an exciting and unique experience.   But don’t forget that lots of work goes into building a great campaign. To help you on your way, we’ve broken your journey into four main phases. 

Planning

Make a plan, find your crowd, and build a strong foundation for your campaign.

Creating

Tell your story, define the rewards, and make your project stand out.

Running

People who like your idea can either make a donation or pledge money in return for a reward  that they’ll receive once your project succeeds. 

Delivering

Once your project has closed successfully, it’s time to deliver your rewards and get to work making your idea a reality!

Sound daunting? Don’t worry, our Knowledge Hub is filled with advice and guidance to help you make your project a success no matter what stage you’re at.

Check out the Knowledge Hub

Types of crowdfunding

We offer two types of crowdfunding options and it’s up to you to decide which one is right for your distillery! 

All or nothing

By using ‘all or nothing’ you will only receive the funds you raise if you hit your target. This funding option is best suited to distillery projects that need to raise a set amount of money in order to carry out the project’s stated aims. 

All or nothing projects tend to raise more money and attract bigger pledges. However, if you do not meet your target, your supporters will be refunded and your project will close as unsuccessfully.

Keep what you raise (also known as flexible funding)

With this method, you will keep all funds you raise, even if you don’t hit your target. This funding option is best suited to projects that can make good use of any amount of money they raise. Flexible Funding projects tend to attract smaller pledges. 

Please note that even if you don’t hit your target, you’ll still have to fulfil all rewards that supporters have pledged on. 

Get inspired by distilleries that have already crowdfunded 

Isle of Cumbrae Craft Gin Distillery

In 2020, five enterprising women from Millport, Scotland, set up a crowdfunding campaign to help them launch a gin distillery. In the end, they raised 22,560 from 283 supporters to buy their still and fund student internships. 

Here are some of their amazing rewards…

• For a pledge of £80, you would have your name displayed on a wall of fame.
• For a pledge of £75, you would receive a bottle of their very first batch of gin, signed and numbered. 

Puddingstone Distillery — Campfire Gin

In 2015, Puddingstone Distillery raised £23,026 from 231 supporters to expand their team and purchase more efficient bottling and labeling equipment.

Check out a couple of their incredible rewards…

• For £150, you would receive two bottles of their very first batch of gin, signed and numbered, along with four branded tumblers.
• For a pledge of £2,000, you could visit the distillery, co-develop your very own batch of gin, and receive 24 custom labelled bottles. The recipe would be kept on record in case you wanted to reorder.

Other resources 

Help centre 

Got a question? Our 24/7 Help Centre is full of answers and support from the Crowdfunder Team.

Live online sessions

Our team regularly host live and interactive sessions to share all the tips and know-how you need to be successful on Crowdfunder.

+Extra funding 

We also have a pot of over £10million in match funding available to help support your business or project!

What are you waiting for? Start crowdfunding for your distillery today! You won’t regret it.