Distillery Still Finance

Spread the cost of a distillery still from £5,000 to £150,000 with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance

Can you finance a distillery still?

Yes, distillery stills are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £5,000 to £150,000, and most deals are written over 24–84 months with a deposit of around 15–25%. Decisions typically take 24–72 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

Typical Cost

£5k – £150k

Approval Speed

24–72 hours

3–5 days for > £50k

Rates From

7.0% APR

What would a distillery still cost per month?

Distillery Still price (ex VAT) £45,000

Deposit 10%

Agreement term 60 months

Annual interest rate 9%

Balloon payment £0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical distillery still price. Indicative only, not a quote.

Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate: From 7.5% APR
Term: 24–84 months
Deposit: 15–25%
Ownership: Yours at the end
Best for: Distillers wanting to own the still outright

Finance Lease

Rate: From 7.0% APR
Term: 24–84 months
Deposit: None required
Ownership: Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for: New distilleries keeping cash for spirit duty and stock maturation

Operating Lease

Rate: From 8.0% APR
Term: 36–60 months
Deposit: None required
Ownership: Return at end
Best for: Producers planning to scale batch size within a few years

Representative example

On a purchase price of £45,000: a 10% deposit of £4,500, then 48 monthly payments of £949 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £50,052, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification	Guide price	Type
iStill Mini recipe development still	From around £2,800 (converted from a published €3,250 base price)	Recipe Development Still
iStill 100 automated production still (100L)	From around £26,000 (converted from a published €30,000 base price)	Automated Production Still
Kaspar Schulz copper pot still (250–1000L, price not independently verified)	£60,000 – £150,000	Traditional Copper Pot Still
Small copper alembic still (specification class)	£5,000 – £15,000	Small Alembic Still

Tax benefits

A distillery still is a moveable item of plant and normally qualifies for the Annual Investment Allowance, letting you set the full cost against taxable profits in the year of purchase up to the prevailing AIA limit, which your accountant can confirm. Where a still is plumbed into fixed process pipework, tanks and a bonded warehouse fit-out, the installation work can be treated differently from the still itself for capital allowances purposes, so it's worth getting your accountant to confirm the split before finalising the finance. Hire purchase preserves the allowance for the buyer from day one; finance lease and operating lease payments are instead deducted as a revenue expense as they're paid.

Market context

Distillery stills are bought by craft gin, whisky and other spirits producers, ranging from a small-batch gin business starting on a modest still to an established distillery scaling up to a larger production still as sales grow. Because setting up as a distiller involves HMRC excise approval, bonded storage and significant working capital tied up in maturing stock or bottling runs, most producers finance the still itself to avoid adding equipment cost on top of those other cash demands. Upgrading is typically driven by outgrowing batch capacity, moving from a small alembic or recipe-development still to a larger automated production still, rather than the equipment wearing out, and an established brand such as Kaspar Schulz or iStill supports a workable resale market for asset-backed finance.

Frequently asked questions

Does distillery finance need to account for HMRC approval and duty?

The still itself is financed like any other piece of production equipment, but excise approval, bonded warehouse status and duty payments are separate regulatory and cash flow considerations that sit outside the finance agreement. It's worth having your excise approval in hand, or well progressed, before ordering equipment, since a lender will want to see the business is set up to trade legally as a distiller.

Can I finance a still before I have full trading accounts?

Yes, many new distilleries are financed before their first full year of trading, but expect a personal guarantee as standard and a larger deposit than an established producer would need. A clear business plan, confirmed premises, and evidence of progress on excise approval all help support an application from a pre-trading distillery.

What deposit is typical for a distillery still?

Hire purchase deposits typically run 15% to 25%, reflecting how many buyers in this sector are new or early-stage businesses. A larger deposit reduces the monthly payment, which matters given how much other working capital a new distillery needs for stock, packaging and duty.

Can I finance a used still?

Yes, well-known makers such as Kaspar Schulz hold their value and are commonly financed second-hand, particularly traditional copper pot stills which can remain in service for decades. Lenders will usually want to know the still's age, material condition and whether it's been re-coppered or serviced recently before approving finance on an older unit.

Can ancillary equipment like a condenser or spirit safe be included?

Yes, most lenders will include condensers, spirit safes, cooling systems and installation costs in the finance amount if they're itemised on the supplier's invoice alongside the still itself, which is a common way to fund the whole production setup on one agreement.