Feeling happy :)

[banter_king]

BoHunk, can i ask what it would take to spread out a bit. I know going out and spreading the word. The reason i ask is that i have some close buds in the liquor business and feel like i could get them to ask specifically for your stuff. Would help you out plus i would get to try some. I usually spend more than that on Vodka anyway.

[LWTCS]

Nuther question that I asked in another Micro related thread......
Were you obligated to have an independent testing entity qualify your still?

[MuleKicker]

Yeah like Ducks ostrige........

Oh god.....

As far as a catchy label/bottle. I have to wonder what kind of price you are paying just for the grey goose bottle. Gotta be a bit, that is a flashy bottle.

[LWTCS]

As far as a catchy label/bottle. I have to wonder what kind of price you are paying just for the grey goose bottle. Gotta be a bit, that is a flashy bottle.

Recon the marketing is part of attracting more market share but glass and the printer has got to cut into the bottom line......

I choose product over image (if I know better) every time....

[HungoverHog]

I'm going to try to get the local liquor store to look at getting a line on some. Way too cheap by the way. Charge more! $25 retail isn't asking too much if the product is quality. Best of luck!!

[Bohunk]

LWTC, to answer your question about tasting, I don’t do tasting in my facility, but rather setup dates with the manager of a store, and do the tasting in his store. They furnish me with a small table, and I furnish every thing else. They usually don’t want me to pour more than a half an ounce because of liability laws, so I have one ounce plastic cups, and I fill them about half full. I also have cranberry juice, for the folks who can’t handle a straight taste of vodka. My wife and I hit a store every weekend, and some times we pour samples at big events, like a fair. There are no quality checks or labs that we need to send our product to, the feds don’t care if you sell urine in a bottle as long as they get there tax money, they really don’t care about much, as long as you follow the rule book, no chemicals, no sugar, just all grain. To Banter King, YES, I would love to spread out, if you have a distributor in your area, have them look at my web site – cooperschase.com. The first year I sold one thousand cases, I’m on target this year to sell about one and a half thousand, so you can see it’s a small operation. PRICE, I have a friend who is the manager of a large liquor store, so I spent a lot of time watching what people buy, the expensive products just don’t sell, what they buy are those 1.75 liter bottles that sell for $8.99. Maybe one high priced bottle a week, so I priced my product aimed at Smirnoff, it is a medium priced vodka that sells pretty well, I do plan on raising the price a little this year. By the way, drinking my vodka and Smirnoff side by side that stuff smells and tastes a lot like turpentine. The only thing special about my vodka is that I’m one of you, I spent many years in the garage, and basement cooking up hooch, and reading the posts on this site every morning. BOTTLE PRICE, I pay sixty four cents for my bottle, a competitor near here pays $6.34 for his bottle, and I don’t think he has sold 100 case in two years, so I don’t know if a fancy bottle helps, I put my fancy IN the bottle.

The Bohunk

[rubber duck]

Bushman, I got my learnin in the shed, and reading home distiller. It took me a while to get good at it but the end results are worth it. I have no online sales rubber duck, I did send a bottle to mule kicker once. Took it down to UPS, had it pack real good so that you couldn’t hear the liquid, when they asked what was in the box I said “clothing”. Next day I got a call from UPS “there is liquor in that box”, damm how did that get in there?? Anyway it was real embarrassing to go down there and pick up the box. I finally went to another town and got it sent from there, but I don’t want to send any more.

The Bohunk

And that's why you ship fedX and tell them that it's wine.

It's not really a lie, it is wine condensed so as it will fit in the bottle.

I can auction off a post tax bottle, proceeds going to the site, if there is enough interest. I have no problems mailing liquor. Once tax is paid on it, the govt does not care either (as long as it is not going to some 15 yr old)

For another review: http://www.thefiftybest.com/spirits/domestic_vodka/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I'm game.

[Husker]

Just elbowed my way into another tasting table. Bohunk never leaves your cup empty, lol. I got a warm feeling again, time to go drown some worms, and catch some tasty dinner.

I will see about setting up a site auction. It will probably be done this way.

1. locked post, that I control. The 'prize' is a 750 of Coopers Chase vodka. ALL entrants have to swear they are legal drinking age, lol.

2. starting bid $10 US.

3. Bid inc will be $1. Once over 20, inc is $2.

4. PM me with a max bid.

5. I will do like flee bay, and only bump your bid up the bid inc above some other bid. So if you bid $40, to start, then it will only be $10 'shown'. If someone else bids $20, then I will show the leading bid (and you as the bidder), at $21. If someone else bids $25, then I will still show you as the max bidder with a bid of $27. If someone else bids $50, then I will PM you listing you are not the leading bidder, and they will take over the lead, with a shown $42 bid. If anyone has played the fleebay game, this type of auction will be very familiar.

NOTE, since I am doing this (if we do this) by hand, then it may take a short while for bids to be 'accepted'. I will PM people when they bid, telling them if they are in the lead, if the bid was not enough to 'cover' the current high bidders max bid. Also, if someone is in the lead, and is outbid, I will PM in that case also. Once the auction ends, then all bids/times will be shown, so that people will know it was a fair auction (it will be).

HOWEVER, I will only do this, if there are at least 3 'wanting' bidders.

All proceeds will go to HD, so the winning bidder will need to make a PayPal contrib for the winning amount.


If ppl are interested (I have heard one who was), then speak up. I figure a week long auction will be more than enough.


Side note, this 'should' be 100% legal. All taxes on the booze have been paid. It is a legal retail purchase, that I am simply gifting out a bottle to the winning bidder (that is, IF this auction happens).

H.

[Just4funguy30]

Me, me. I'll bid & get a contribution in at the same time. now I just have to figure out how to set up paypal.

[Husker]

The auction is now officially 'started'.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =7&t=24041


This post (the post you are reading now), is the official commentary. The auction post will be locked, with only the bidding page being updated by me, as bids come in. To bid, simply PM, me. I will give you a bidder number, and perform 'ebay' styled bidding.

H.

[Mud Mechanik]

I'm going to try to get the local liquor store to look at getting a line on some. Best of luck!!

+1, I will do the same here.

[Husker]

The closing date on the auction has been bumped up exactly 1 week. Taking this all the way out to Oct 9, was just way toooo far out. I originally set the date a little further out, to allow members who are only here occasionally to have a chance to show up, prior to close. However, closing on the 2nd, still gives the auction a week of time, and it appears that by the activity, a week will be more than enough.

If there are infrequent users that want a shot, I can always have an auction at a later date.

H.

[rad14701]

Wise move, Husker... With the bid price soaring as high as it has as fast as it has I have a feeling that bidding would stagnate over that last week... The bid price is already well beyond what we mere mortals can afford, even if this is a donation... Just sayin...

[Husker]

That stagnation issue was what I was worrying about. The bidding is already over where I expected it to be, and seems to be pretty active. having it max out early on, then sit there for a week and a half just did not seem appropriate. I would rather let it wind down, while people were still interested.

H.

[Husker]

Auction has closed. It was a pretty spirited auction. There were more bids than I expected. The winning bidder was the first bidder, who in the end bid high enough to keep the high bid.

H.

[LWTCS]

Congrats Wolfie.

Drink it in good health.

[WalkingWolf]

Auction has closed. The winning bidder was Bidder #1 WalkingWolf.

Thanks to all for playing.

H.

Got my bottle in today. Not sure how high-end vodka is supposed to taste. I've tasted plenty of low-end vodka (most of it many years ago). I can tell you this is the best vodka I have ever tasted. You can literally drink the stuff like water (or I'm getting dangerously tolerant of liquor ). Nice looking bottle/labels. Identified as genuine Nebraska. The aroma is pleasant and mild. Taste is awesome. Didn't even squint my eyes when I took a swig straight from the bottle . Had a nice cocktail with raspberry/strawberry mixer. I'd like to thank Husker for making this available and taking the time and effort to ship this thing half-way across the country to me.

cheers

[Bohunk]

WalkingWolf,
Thanks for the kind words, they really make this old man feel good, but most of all thanks to you for being the highest bidder, the money raised is for the maintenance of the site, and for the good of us all. I spent lots of years lurking on this site, and still don’t participate like I should, but this site is too important for any of us to neglect. Thanks to Husker for taking time to do the auction, and for his unending support of our craft, he is truly an awesome dude.
The Bohunk

[Husker]

I am glad that things went over so well. I never had any dream of an almost $100 auction for a bottle, but was nicely surprised. As a side note, another of the bidders also stepped up and donated to the site, matching (even slightly more than) the original winning bid.

I am glad WW likes it also. I enjoy crashing in on BH's sampling events, but do try to keep out of the way, when he has prospective new consumers walk by. He always keeps my glass filled, and it is rare that I turn down free 'samples'

So in total, this auction should help defray some cost, as we will likely need to upgrade the amount of disk soon on the site (we have 18gb, and are hovering around 14-15gb used), and some yearly payments are coming up.

[WalkingWolf]

I would like to make on final post on this thread. I'm having the last of this vodka tonight. Every bit as good as the day I received it. Still has that hint of grain aroma when you open the cap. As clean a liquor as you'll find. If any of you out there have an opportunity to pick up a bottle or three of this genuine, artisan produced liquor I'd strongly recommend you not pass it up. May I one day find a way for another bottle to make its way down the long, winding waterways to the marshlands of southern Louisiana. Thanks again Husker and BoHunk.

[Bohunk]

Wolf Man, thanks for the kind words, you were the big guy who stepped up in this auction, and helped the site out with your donation. A word to all those who want to start a distillery--. I’ve been at this going on three years, and still to make a cent, I have how ever, paid off all my equipment, but if I had to pay rent or pay wages I would be broke by now. I still think about how fun it was to make Uncle Jesse’s in the garage, and how I smiled when that first drop came out the spout. Now it’s a lot of work, and there is no way us small folks can compete with those million dollar advertising campaigns. My advise to all, have fun, get better at it, and keep quite about what you do. Thanks again Wolf.

[MuleKicker]

I still think about how fun it was to make Uncle Jesse’s in the garage, and how I smiled when that first drop came out the spout. .

Bohunk, I still maintain the fact that you have the finest UJSm around. Hands down. No Bullshit.
If I could produce a drink half as good, I would be an alcoholic.