Planning and Launching Your Successful Distilling Business

The Distillers Institute has the only dedicated distillery set up courses for Australian and New Zealand distilleries. Our courses have been specifically deigned to help you plan, start and grow your distilling  business. 

The courses guide you through the steps needed to successfully open your distilling business and take your product to market. They are delivered online and supported through a network of distilling professionals.

The courses will help you de-risk the choice to start a distilling business. They guide you through the costs involved; equipment needed; set up and compliance requirements; marketing and distribution; as well as connecting you with the distilling industry. At the end, you will be ready to gain your licence from the ATO in Australia or Customs NZ in New Zealand.

The courses have been created by industry experts with over 50 years combined experience in the industry, in Australia and New Zealand.

Planning Your Successful Australian Distilling Business
Launching Your Successful Australian Distillery Business
Planning Your Successful New Zealand Distilling Business

Start by Planning your future distillery


Our courses are the perfect roadmap to navigate opening your own distillery in the next 12 months,  confidently covering all the elements to you need to think about before you embark.

You can choose to do one or both courses.

Start with Planning Your Successful Distilling Business.

Our Planning course covers everything you need to know to plan your distillery. From thinking through ideas, planning finances and costs, marketing, help with the ATO forms (in Australia) or Customs NZ forms (in New Zealand) and working out all the things needed to plan or purchase along the way.

Launching your Successful Distilling Business, the next step in the journey, is ideal for new distilleries that have plans to grow from the outset, or existing distilleries that want to expand, put on staff, to systematise or step into a bigger or integrated business.

The courses are practical, easy-to-use and apply to your model, and provide tips, tricks, templates and a solid guide to reaching your goal.

Included in your membership:

  • The course content to help you plan, set up and execute your distilling business
  • Expert information and insights on setting up your distilling business
  • Business planning templates and tools
  • Business models and costing templates
  • Suppliers list
  • Access to the distilling student network
  • Private Facebook group for sharing ideas and insights
  • Monthly Masterclass webinars with distillers and suppliers
  • A support network of fellow students

If instead you want to start a craft brewery in Australia, check out The Brewers Institute - our sister-business we launched in mid 2024.

Meet some of our Distiller Students via the Distillers Gallery

620+ Members undertaking our courses!

Finding the right course starts with the right journey.
O
ur Planning course is for those starting their journey to be a distillery owner and our Launching course for distillery owners hoping to take it to the next level.

Course 1 - Planning Your Successful Distilling Business Course Map

Course 2 - Launching Your Successful Distilling Business Course Map

In Australia?

Download our FREE eBook

6 Industry Secrets You Must Know Before You Consider Starting Your Distilling Business… Even With Zero Experience!

Get My FREE Australian eBook

In New Zealand?

Find out more in our FREE eBook

The Secrets of Preparing for your Successful New Zealand Distillery and what the journey ahead holds.

Get My New Zealand eBook

Your Instructors


With over 50 years combined experience on the distilling industry in Australia, New Zealand and the UK the Directors of The Distillers Institute offer you insight into their varied skills and experience.

TDI Directors Marcel, Anne, Troy and Ian.

100% Money Back Guarantee Within 30 Days


If you're unhappy for any reason, we'll give you your money back - 100%, no questions asked (well, actually, there will be one - we’d love any feedback on where you think we can improve!).

Natasha Riddoch

Plan B Distillery. Tasmania (June 2020)

“Excellent news, today I got confirmation of my licence being approved by the ATO, utilising the learnings and templates from this course definitely supported achievement of this in a seamless way. Lot of hard work still to be done but one less hurdle. Thanks so much, this course has really helped.”


Jonathan Harris

Dead Finish Distillery | Vic, Australia (April 2020)

"There’s something in this course for everyone wanting to get started or who have already started the journey in distilling. This course definitely gets me both excited and amazed but provides some clear direction and motivations of where your aspirations can fit into distilling."


Bodie Heit

Aspiring Distillery Owner | QLD, Australia (April 2020)

"I got interested in distilling a couple of years ago and the interest has grown into a bit of a passion (my wife would say obsession). I'm dreaming of building a beautiful little distillery from nothing into something that will eventually support my family and maybe one day be passed on to our boys and their families. Until now it has just been a dream but signing up for this course feels like it might be the first steps to make it reality. It certainly seems to be the kind of resource that has been missing here in Australia and I'm looking forward to diving in."


David Robertson

Founder | Walrus Distillery | Brisbane, Australia (March 2020)

"Troy and his team were brilliant in developing a business strategy and financial structure to support our new distillery. Troy was able to provide comprehensive information but in a language we could understand. We now feel very well equipped to evolve our distillery into a successful business. Troy’s knowledge about the industry, his advice and support are second to none. We couldn’t have got here without him."