STARLIGHT, Ind. — Starlight Distillery is giving companies a new way to put their name on a barrel of whiskey — and turn the selection process into a private experience for employees, clients or business partners.
The family-owned distillery has introduced the Starlight Corporate Barrel Experience, a private single-barrel selection program that combines a behind-the-scenes distillery and farm tour, barrel tasting, farm-to-table lunch and the opportunity for a company to select its own Starlight barrel.
The experience accommodates groups of up to 20 guests, with larger groups available by special arrangement.
Located at Huber’s Orchard, Winery & Vineyards in Starlight, Indiana, the Huber family traces its agricultural roots on the property to 1843. That farming heritage has become an integral part of Starlight Distillery and its approach to whiskey production.
During the corporate experience, the grounds are reserved for the participating group. Guests receive a behind-the-scenes tour of the distillery, farm and rickhouse before tasting whiskey directly from barrels with members of the Starlight team.
The centerpiece comes when participants nose and taste through a curated group of barrels before choosing the single cask that will become their company’s private selection.
Once selected, the whiskey is bottled with the company’s brand prominently featured on the tax strip of each bottle.
Because the whiskey comes from an individual barrel, yields vary considerably. Starlight estimates a selected barrel will produce approximately 120 to 250 bottles, depending on the barrel.
Pricing also varies according to the whiskey selected and final bottle yield, with the average investment starting at approximately $6,500.
The program adds an experiential component to the increasingly popular private barrel selection process. Rather than having only a few representatives select a barrel, companies can use the experience as a corporate outing, client event or employee gathering while participating in the whiskey selection.
Guests also receive a private farm-to-table lunch featuring food prepared through Huber’s Starlight Café and ingredients from the family farm.
Private barrel experiences are available Tuesday through Friday with starting times at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. The complete experience can last up to four hours.
Starlight says availability is limited and recommends making reservations well in advance, particularly for companies planning larger groups.
The program gives participating businesses something that lasts beyond the day itself: potentially hundreds of bottles from a single barrel selected by the group and carrying the company’s name.
For bourbon and whiskey-focused companies — or businesses looking for something beyond a traditional corporate retreat — it also provides an opportunity to experience the private-barrel process from the rickhouse to the finished bottle.
