Why Distilleries Need 200ml Bottles

 Why Distilleries Need 200ml Bottles

Distillery trips rarely disappoint, especially when it comes to the Kentucky Bourbon trail. Whether or not you’ve made the trek all the way to Kentucky, or you’re visiting a local distillery, you have lots of decisions to make. If you have a great experience at a distillery, usually you want to buy something to commemorate the trip. This can be in the form of apparel, glassware, barware, or your favorite spirit. In some cases, it may be a combination of all of the above, but one of the hardest choices can be, “which spirit should I buy?” Sometimes it’s easier than others, but often times, especially in today’s market, there are so many choices… it can be hard to decide. I may have a possible solution for this problem.

I will admit, this is not an original idea. I’ve heard this talked about a few times with friends, as well as some influencers on the internet, but I felt like I could add some fuel to the fire. This solution is smaller format bottles, specifically 200ml. Although there are small bottles out there like the more common 375ml bottle, which is half of a full size bottle, a standardized smaller bottle could be helpful for a few reasons. One, the smaller format allows more opportunity for more people to try something. If you have more bottles of a particular offering, it can be bought by more people, and enjoyed. Two, the smaller format can be sold for a cheaper price. Three, the cheaper price point encourages the likelihood that someone would buy them. Four, if a distillery has many variations of spirits, it allows a consumer to have a little bit of everything, rather than buying a full 750ml bottle of each, which can be very expensive. Five, they lend themselves to a convenience factor that does not exist with the standard 750ml bottle as they are large and not always easy to carry around. I mean, come on, the smaller format bottle is cute. If you’ve ever seen a mini bottle of Jack Daniels, or Maker’s Mark, it is undeniably kind of tempting to buy. Especially if a bottle has an iconic shape. Some others that come to mind are Woodford Double Oak, and Willett Pot Still. Both of those bottles in the 375ml format are half the size of the original bottle we are used to seeing, and it’s kind of fun to see them in a smaller size. They are undeniably tempting to buy for no other reason than it’s fun. Kind of similar to those larger size candy bars. I’m talking the ones that are half the size of a person. It’s not practical at all, but again, undeniably tempting to buy.

First off, one of the main allures to having smaller format bottles, is the opportunity for more of that product to be bought and tasted by customers. Often times, if you are unsure whether or not you will like a certain variation of a spirit, or a finished whiskey, or rye, etc, it is very nice to have a smaller option. Sometimes, you can try something at the bar, and most of the time, this is the best way to make your decision. If a distillery has lots of different offerings, odds are, you don’t want to drink everything or pay for a pour of every offering, so the 200ml is just more convenient. I understand there are various scenarios to consider here, but the smaller format bottle, does add a nice convenience incentive (more on that later). Really, the opportunity to try multiple things is such a nice incentive. I’ve been in many scenarios myself where the distillery is known for a certain product, but they have other alluring products. I would rather buy the product I like the most, in the biggest format, and then have a few side options. That way if I try the product in the smaller bottle, and I like it, in the future, if I see the bottle in a store, or come back to the distillery, I might buy that one. I think what happens a lot of times is people are scared (myself included) to buy something they won’t like at all. And if you do make that mistake, then you are stuck with a full size bottle you don’t know what to do with. 

Another great feature of the 200ml bottle is the lower price. These bottles are much smaller than the full bottle, so obviously you can sell it for cheaper. This cheaper price point from the customer side, just feels like an easier choice to be made. Literally everyone can relate to not wanting to buy an $80 product, but if you can try that product in a smaller bottle for $25… now were talking! I don’t want to discount the extra work that goes into the smaller format from the distillery side, and from what I can tell, it seems like that is one of the big factors as to why they are not a more common occurrence. Think about it, you have to buy more glass in the form of a different bottle, figure out how your labels can fit on a smaller bottle, or if you want to change the label to fit the smaller bottle. Not to mention, the distillery has to get each label approved by the TTB (Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau) every time they make a new label. Then you also have more bottles to fill, and possibly more labor, or more time to fill bottles. So across the board, there is more work involved, and more cost involved. I’m not in finance, but on the surface, I recognize that smaller bottles may not seem like the most cost effective. Plus, from what I hear, craft distilleries are making pretty thin margins of profit anyway, so why increase cost? All that being said, I really believe the smaller format creates more opportunity for money to be made. In the case of buying one full size bottle or no product at all, the smaller format may be an easier sell, and fell like less of a risk for the consumer. If anything, the sale of a smaller bottle is a foot in the door for the distillery, and a product tried for the consumer… win, win! Cheaper is the better option!

One thing they say in the industry is “liquid to lips” is the best way to get people to decide if they like a product or not. Sometimes, the bottle is intriguing, or the story is captivating. In other cases, the big selling point of the product may be something else unique, and in order for a consumer to figure out if they like a product or not, is to try it… “liquid to lips.” So I think the smaller format provides a great opportunity for that. Cheaper is better! The likelihood of someone buying that smaller bottle because it is cheaper is so much higher. To the consumer, it just feels much easier to let a smaller amount go now. The small format makes the purchasing decision just that much easier. And the great thing about that is, if the consumer leaves with more variation of products, the more likely they are to try, and buy more in the future (this has been the case for me on multiple occasions). I think a lot of times, the logical decision in most purchasing moments, when there are too many options, and you have to choose between just one or two, it makes sense to go with the ‘safest’ option. By that I mean, “well I know I like this one thing”, or “this is the best”, or “this is the most recommended”. So we are likely to just go with what is familiar rather than try something new, unless you are the adventurous type. But the advantage to having smaller bottles is the opportunity to be adventurous and try new things, and get what you like. The best of both worlds, and honestly I think that leads to more possibility for a second purchase. If I try something in the smaller bottle that I wasn’t sure I would like, but wanted to try, and like it a lot, I’m probably going to go back and buy a full bottle. I think it really does create more opportunity for a follow-up purchase.

I’ve mentioned this already, but the opportunity to buy a variation of products is appealing. Some distilleries offer a wide range of high quality products, and as a distillery, I would want to capitalize on that (pun intended). More incentive to try more things, again, leads to more opportunity to purchase from the distillery in the future. On top of that, some people have a certain product they tend to gravitate towards when they go to a distillery. For some, it’s whiskey, for some it’s gin, vodka, brandy, flavored spirits and so on. But one of the most fun experiences at a distillery is to enjoy products you already love, and try new ones as well. So to my point, the 200ml provides the customer a chance to get what they love, AND try something new. 

Finally, the convenience factor, is a great incentive for a distillery to sell the smaller bottle. Across the board, convenience is something people are willing to pay extra for. There are many examples of this, but we can see across markets, products with added convenience have more opportunity for usage, and purchase. Outside of getting to try different things, smaller bottles allow for a grab-and-go experience, if you don’t want to lug around a full size bottle. If there is a scenario where you want to take a product to a party, or on the go to the golf-course or *insert scenario*, the convenience of being able to take a smaller bottle is very appealing. 

Although there are a few convincing reasons as to why I think these smaller format 200ml bottles are extremely practical and useful, the main point I want to drive home is that it makes products more accessible. Like I mentioned above, if you want consumers to be able to try more of your products with ease, I think there is nothing easier than being able to try a bottle, with low buy-in, and decide for yourself if continuing to purchase a larger format is better in the future. As someone who wants to try the ever growing amount of bourbons/American whiskeys on the market, I find myself desiring more distilleries to have the smaller format. A good experience I had when in Kentucky was getting to take home a bottle of Peerless Bourbon in a 200ml bottle for about $20. Having never tried it before, I realized after tasting it, I like it, and will buy a bottle in the future whenever I see it. My hope is that more distilleries decide to make the 200ml more common, which hopefully, will make their products feel more accessible to consumers.

Friday, June 13, 2025

Article by: Drew Martin