The Export Planning Workbook for Spirits Brands
Export is a journey. If you want to succeed, you can’t simply take your domestic plan, and paste it abroad. Each new market brings fresh dynamics, from tax bands and flavour expectations to cultural rituals, trade networks, channel idiosyncrasies and pricing logic.
This workbook is built to help spirits producers navigate that complexity with clarity and confidence.
It’s a strategic guide and a hands-on planning tool rolled into one, designed to help you work through whether export is right for you, where to focus, and how to structure your brand for long-term success in foreign markets.
Inside, you’ll tackle hard questions, build clear frameworks, and avoid the mistakes that stall so many brands.
From testing if your story travels, to building a route to market, to managing cash flow under long lead times, this toolkit is about getting rigorous before you ever ship a pallet.
Everything you need to turn strategy into structure
Who this export workbook is built for?
This workbook is built for ambitious spirits producers of all sizes. Whether you’re a small independent gin distillery, a start-up whisky project, a growing rum house, or a seasoned brand exploring new territories. It’s spirits specific, based on first hand experience of working in wholesale, export strategy and attending (and exhibiting) at trade shows – not a top level “food and drink” export guide.
It’s especially relevant if you’re:
- Considering export for the first time and want a clear-eyed view of the work ahead.
- Fielding inbound interest from distributors or international retailers and need a plan before you leap.
- Already selling abroad, but looking to tighten your strategy, pricing or partner management.
If you’re serious about building a brand that travels well — one that earns its place on menus and shelves overseas, not just ships out cases with no repeats — this toolkit is for you.
“I’ve seen too many brands chase exciting export opportunities without first asking the hard questions. This workbook exists to stop that. It is intended to help you build solid foundations, sharpen your plan, and avoid wasting years in markets that drain more than they deliver.
Olivier Ward, Founder of Everglow Spirits
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand with more discipline, take the time to get this right. It’ll pay you back tenfold.”
Your Export plan, step by step
This workbook is built around eight essential pillars that guide you from insight to execution. Each one builds on the last shaping your thinking, sharpening your focus, and helping you move from planning into action.
This isn’t a one-size-fits-all checklist. It’s a way to think about the journey ahead, to understand the “why’s” in the process and a step-by-step way to build a tailored export strategy that actually works for your brand.
01
Mindset, motivation & readiness
Get brutally clear on why you’re exporting in the first place, whether your brand is genuinely ready, and how to frame the long timelines ahead.
02
Strategic market fit
Test whether your story, flavour and price stack up outside your home turf. Prioritise markets where your brand has the best shot – before you spend time and money proving it the hard way.
03
Route to market & channel planning
Map how your product physically gets to shelf or back bar, who takes what margin, and what that means for your pricing and channel mix. Choose the right model — DTC, importer, hybrid — with your eyes open.
04
Finding the right partners
Identify the kinds of distributors or agents that fit your ambitions, spot red flags early, and work out what it takes to stay top of mind.
05
Pricing, margin & budget planning
Build your pricing from the shelf backwards, accounting for duties, taxes, promo and brand support. Protect your positioning so you don’t undercut your story – or end up subsidising it.
06
Toolkit, assets & positioning
Develop the sales tools, brand codes and serve strategies that make your product easy to list, easy to sell, and easy to love. Ensure your story doesn’t just translate – it resonates.
07
In-market execution & trade engagement
Plan trade visits, activations, advocacy and support calendars that turn listings into movement. Export success isn’t about just getting on a shelf, it’s about staying there.
08
Measuring success & managing growth
Set realistic goals, monitor cash flow, and build in review rhythms so you keep momentum, protect mindshare and know when it’s time to pivot or double down.
good brands don’t grow by accident, and neither should yours
Why this workbook?
Export can look like the logical next step . There is an obvious validation when seeing your bottles on foreign shelves, the thrill of telling people you’re in 12 countries. But without a clear plan, it’s just as likely to drain cash, tie up production, strain your team and leave you fighting to recover momentum in your home market.
This workbook helps you cut through that. It forces you to get rigorous: to prove to yourself (and future partners) why your brand deserves a spot abroad, how your story travels, and what it will take to build demand, not just listings.
Because when you take the time to get this right — to pick the right markets, build the right support, price correctly and choose partners carefully — export becomes a strategic, sustainable lever for long-term brand growth.
Download it. Work through it. Build momentum with intent.
“Whether you’re a distiller at heart or a marketer by trade, export can trip you up. Production-led teams underestimate the grind of sales, marketing and relationship building abroad. Brand-led teams overestimate how well local tactics translate and how quickly traction comes.
Olivier Ward, Founder of Everglow Spirits
This workbook breaks export into something practical and pragmatic, so wherever you come from — still room, marketing studio, or hospitality — you can build your strategy with confidence and get your foundations right.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s included in the workbook?
It’s a 100-page downloadable PDF, beautifully designed and easy to work through on screen or in print.
It’s filled with step-by-step planning prompts, brand strategy frameworks, market analysis tools, pricing models, action checklists and real-world “tales from the road” – all tailored for spirits brands looking to export.
What’s actually included inside?
It covers everything from defining why you want to export, to picking the right markets, choosing partners, protecting margins, planning brand support, and managing long-term growth.
It’s structured across eight sections, each with its own strategy pages, prompts, and action checkpoints so you can build your export plan as you go.
Is this relevant for all markets and all scales of distilleries?
Yes. Whether you’re looking to expand from the UK into Europe, launch your Australian gin into the US, or grow your rum brand across Asia, this toolkit helps you frame your thinking. It’s just as useful for a small start-up looking to test their first new country as it is for a mid-sized producer tightening strategy across multiple territories.
Does it include contact lists for distributors, agents or retailers?
No. This isn’t a directory – it’s a strategic toolkit to help you build a brand and commercial plan that makes you attractive to the right partners. It arms you with the tools, numbers and positioning you’ll need so when you start those conversations, you’re not winging it.
Is this only for brands who haven’t exported yet?
Not at all. Many brands already in export markets use this toolkit to stress-test their next moves — to make sure they’re not just chasing growth for growth’s sake, or stretching too thin. It’s designed to recalibrate your thinking whether you’re new to export or trying to expand with more discipline.
Do I need to have a marketing background to use it?
No. It’s built for everyone in the craft spirits world – founders, distillers, ops managers, marketers. If you’re production-led, it’ll help you navigate pricing, sales channels and brand support. If you’re a brand person, it’ll keep your feet on the commercial ground.
How soon will I get it?
Immediately. Once you’ve purchased, you’ll get an instant PDF download link so you can start building your export strategy straight away.