The Hollywood Private Barrel Club is our members-only program for people who want to go deeper on our whiskey program than the tasting-room and retail experience allows. Members get access to reserved production capacity, private barrel selections, invite-only tasting events, and an annual allocation of whiskeys that never hit our retail shelf. This is what membership actually looks like.
What members get
The core benefits, in the order most members care about:
- Annual allocation of members-only releases. Two to four bottles per year of whiskey we don't sell publicly — barrel-strength releases, experimental mash bills, single-barrel selections aged past our standard release window. These are the bottles that would sell out in a week if they went to retail.
- First right of refusal on private barrels. When a full 53-gallon barrel becomes available for private purchase, members get first access before the general private-events queue.
- Invite-only tastings. Four to six member events per year at the distillery — barrel samples pulled straight from the rick house, guided tastings with our head distiller, dinner events with visiting chefs and other California distilleries.
- Standing tour reservation. Any Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, up to twelve guests. No booking window; just show up.
- Member-exclusive merchandise. A small annual capsule — hat, glassware, a book — that's not sold in the retail shop.
Why the club exists
Craft distilleries have two kinds of production: the whiskey that goes to bottles and retail, and the whiskey that gets set aside for private allocation, experiments, and gifts. The club formalizes access to the second category. It's how our most-serious whiskey customers stay close to our production over years and vintages, rather than only through what's on the shelf that month.
Membership levels
Two levels currently:
- Founding Member ($1,200/year): The core program. Two annual allocation bottles, invitations to all member events, standing tour reservation, exclusive merchandise capsule.
- Barrel Reserve Member ($5,000/year): Everything above, plus four annual bottles instead of two, plus a private-barrel selection every three years (a full 53-gallon barrel, customized to your preferences, bottled and delivered).
Who joins
Membership skews toward serious whiskey collectors, restaurant and bar owners looking for house-labeled whiskey programs, and Los Angeles-based executives and professionals who use the tasting room as a client-entertainment venue. Most members live in Southern California, but we have several out-of-state members who visit regularly.
How to apply
Membership is capped at 150 total members and typically has a short waitlist. To apply:
- Book a tour first — we don't accept members who haven't been to the distillery.
- After the tour, mention the club to the guide or tasting-room staff. We'll pass along the current member packet.
- Complete the application. Existing members review new applications; final decisions come from our team.
- If accepted, we send an onboarding packet and schedule your welcome tasting.
Other private-client options
If full membership doesn't fit but you want a piece of what we do, private single-barrel purchases are available directly through our private events team. See our private barrel program article for the full picture.