Insuranks

Distillery Insurance: Cost, Companies & Quotes From $5

Your distillery faces many dangers. 

Explosions can happen and result in fires and employee injuries. Mills, fermenters, mash turns, and other equipment can get damaged or break down. Of course, we can’t rule out the possibility that an independent contractor, visitor, or customer can experience accidents while in your distillery’s premises. 

Get distillery insurance and protect yourself. Read this guide to:

  • Know the cost of distillery insurance

  • Compare the quotes of insurance policies you’ll need

  • Review and read the pros and cons of the best companies

How Much Does Distillery Insurance Cost?


Cost per MonthCost per YearDeductible
General liability insurance$45$540$0-$500
Professional liability insurance$52$624$500-$1,000
Commercial property insurance$65$780$1,000
Business owner’s policy$49$588$1,000
Commercial auto insurance$50$600$1,000
Workers compensation insurance$70$840$2,000-$5,000


Expect to pay $45 per month or $540 per year for a $1 million general liability insurance. This distillery insurance cost estimate assumes that you have 5 employees and make $500,000-$750,000 revenue per year.  In connection, here’s another table showing the cost of the best distillery insurance companies:


Cost per MonthCost per YearBest for
NEXT$30$360Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for distilleries
Tivly$30$360Comparing distillery insurance quotes over the phone
CoverWallet$33.25$399

Distillery insurance quotes comparison online
Hiscox$35$420General liability insurance with worldwide coverage for distilleries
Whalen$45$540Start-up distillery businesses
Peterson$50$600Established distillery businesses


Factors That Affect The Cost Of Distillery Insurance

Type Of Insurance

Like insurance for liquor stores, breweries, and wineries, distillery insurance has different types of policies. The type of policy you choose affects the total cost. If you want comprehensive distillery insurance, you will have to spend more. This is because comprehensive insurance covers a wide range of claims. On the other hand, standard insurance - those that comprise one or two policies only- don’t cost a lot of money.


Size Of Distillery

The size of your distillery also influences the cost of insurance. If you run an established distillery business with several branches, you need comprehensive insurance cover as risks are numerous.

However, if you operate a small distillery business, you don't have to spend much on insurance. The risks that come with a small distillery business are lower than those of an established one.

You must provide accurate information when applying for distillery business insurance. Be very truthful about the size of your business. Giving false information can save money but it will not help the moment you file a claim for insurance coverage.


Number Of Employees

The number of employees of your distillery business also plays a vital role in determining the cost of insurance. More employees means more people to cover, and therefore heftier costs for insurance. On the other hand, if you have fewer employees, the cost of insurance could be cheaper.

Working in a distillery poses a great risk to the employees’ welfare. Apart from workplace accidents, employees are also exposed to other health hazards. In case an employee sustains severe injuries or gets sick while working, you have to cover their medical expenses.

A comprehensive insurance policy will help cover such instances. Ideally, you should get coverage that accounts for workplace-related injuries.


Revenues

The amount of money your distillery business makes also influences the cost of insurance. The higher the income, the more you spend on insurance. A distillery business that makes thousands of dollars is established and highly valuable. When it’s highly valuable, it’s big. Therefore, there’s more risk and with more risk, comes expensive premiums.

It will help if you get a comprehensive insurance cover that matches the value of your business. This is why having a solid idea of your gross income plays a vital role in determining the cost of insurance.

Compare Distillery Insurance Quotes Online

Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!

General Liability Insurance For Distilleries 


CoverWalletNEXT(Best)Hiscox
Per occurrence limit $1,000,000$1,000,000$2,000,000
Aggregate limit $2,000,000$2,000,000$2,000,000
Products and completed operations aggregate limit $2,000,000

$1,000,000$1,000,000
Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit $1,000,000$1,000,000$1,000,000
Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit 
$300,000/$1,000,000
$300,000$100,000
Waiver of subrogation included?YesNoCan be included
Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included?YesNoCan be included
Equipment breakdown floater included?No YesCan be included
Can you get a certificate of insurance online?YesYesYes
Name additional insureds?YesYes
Yes
Deductible$0$0$0


Your distillery is liable for any property damage or bodily injury that results from its operations. 

For example, an inspector might slip and fall. A shipping contractor might experience an accident while loading your finished whiskey, vodka, or rum.  General liability insurance grants the shield you need in such instances.

About 100% of distilleries need this. Use the table above to compare the quotes of general liability insurance from companies we recommend. 

The coverage of general liability insurance applies when a third party, say a customer, or independent contractor, files a claim for bodily injury or property damage to get compensation for pain, suffering, and financial losses. 

With general liability insurance, you can cover these expenses without using the finances of your business:

  • Medical treatment of the claimant

  • Reimbursement for the damaged property of the claimant

  • Settlements

  • Attorney fees, court filing fees, and other expenses for legal defense

  • Court judgments


General liability insurance for distilleries doesn’t only cover bodily injuries or property damage. It’s language can also include other common commercial risks such as:

  • Product liability claims

  • Liquor liability claims

  • Landlord property damage claims

  • Slander, libel, and copyright infringement claims 


Product Liability Insurance For Distilleries 


CoverWallet (Best)NEXTHiscox
Per occurrence limit $1,000,000/$2,000,000$1,000,000$1,000,000
Aggregate limit $1,000,000/$2,000,000$1,000,000$1,000,000
Offered as part of general liability insurance?YesYesYes
Can you get a certificate of insurance online?YesYesYes

Distributors and resellers can hold your business liable if they discover that the alcoholic drinks from your distillery are substandard and can harm customers. 

Because of this, product liability insurance is an essential part of a comprehensive distillery insurance bundle. Use the table above to compare the product liability insurance from carriers we recommend. 

Oftentimes sold as part of general liability insurance, product liability insurance covers the compensation and legal costs if a claim is filed because your distillery’s product has:

  • Misleading labels

  • Wrong labels

  • Contaminants

  • Incorrect bottling or packaging


The primary function of this insurance is to cover settlements, defense costs, and court judgments. Its additional functions, depending on which insurance company you decide to work with, are:

  • Take care of PR costs

  • Cover product recalls

  • Cover extra labor when you recall products



Distillery Professional Liability Insurance


CoverWallet (Best)NEXTHiscox
Per occurrence limit $1,000,000$1,000,000$250,000/$2,000,000
Aggregate limit $2,000,000$1,000,000/$2,000,000$250,000/$2,000,000
Name additional insureds?YesYesYes
Waiver of subrogation included?YesNoNo
Deductible $500$500$500

You need to add a professional liability policy to your distillery insurance bundle if your business owns a bar where freshly manufactured whiskeys, vodkas, and other alcoholic drinks are sold. 

Professional liability insurance grants protection in case a bartender of your distillery’s bar messes up during work. For example, if a patron displays a severe reaction to a combination of alcohol wrongfully mixed by the bartender, then this insurance can help. 

Use the table above to compare the quotes of professional liability insurance for distilleries. 

Professional liability insurance covers settlements, defense costs, and court judgments  if a third party holds your business or an employee liable for:

  • Negligence

  • Violation of good faith

  • Violation of fair dealing

  • Misrepresentation 

  • Breach of contract

  • Breach of confidentiality


Commercial Property Insurance For Distilleries 


CoverWalletNEXT (Best)Hiscox
Building coverage limit (minimum)$50,000$500,000$15,000
Contents coverage limit (minimum)$50,000$35,000$15,000
Outdoor signsExcluded$2,500Excluded
Accounts receivable ExcludedExcludedIncluded
Money and securitiesExcluded$2,500Included
Lock and keys Excluded$2,500Excluded
Business interruption floaterExcludedIncludedIncluded
Equipment breakdown floaterExcludedIncludedExcluded
Inland marine insurance floaterExcludedExcludedExcluded
Employee dishonesty floaterExcluded$5,000Included


You need a physical space to run a distillery. That physical space might be your own home (if you’re a home-based business), a dedicated building, or an entire establishment (if you’re running a large distillery company). 

Ensure that your business survives if something happens by getting commercial property insurance. Use the table above to compare the quotes of this insurance from companies worth trying out. 

So how does commercial property insurance work?  Commercial property insurance reimburses losses if the office, facilities, and other buildings of your distillery business gets damaged or destroyed because of:

  • Fire

  • Theft

  • Vandalism

  • Civil commotion

  • Riot

  • Volcanic action

  • Lightning

  • Sinkhole collapse

  • Falling objects

  • Aircraft

  • Vehicle 

  • Impact

  • Winds

  • Snow 

  • Hail


You can also use commercial property insurance in case the mash turns, fermenters, and other equipment of your business get damaged or destroyed because of fire, theft, vandalism, and other perils we mentioned above. 


Business Owner’s Policy For Distilleries


CoverWalletNEXT (Best)Hiscox
General liability aggregate limit $2,000,000$2,000,000$2,000,000
Commercial property insurance aggregate limit $50,000$500,000$100,000
Optional policies can be added?YesYesYes
Name additional insureds for free?YesYesYes
BOP discount?YesYesYes


You can bundle your general liability insurance and commercial property insurance into a business owner’s policy. By doing this, you enjoy cheaper premiums and simpler policy management. Use the table above to compare the quotes of the business owner’s policy from carriers we recommend. 

So what is a business owner’s policy? A business owner’s policy fuses the functions of general liability insurance and commercial property insurance. That said, it’s an insurance product that grants protection against commercial loss and liability claims. 

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Workers Compensation Insurance For Distilleries

Your distillery will eventually grow if you do things right. Workers' compensation is an essential distillery business insurance when it’s time for you to hire one or more people 

Workers' compensation insurance will take care of costs when an employee sustains an occupational disease or injury. Here are some situations where this insurance can help:

  • An employee gets injured while repairing pipes because of an explosion

  • An employee gets involved in a car accident while delivering your products to distributors

  • An employee gets sick due to exposure to harmful chemicals


Each state has its own laws which mandate the particular expenses that workers' compensation insurance can cover. Nonetheless, no matter where you’re operating, expect the policy to account for:

  • Medical treatments

  • Hospitalization

  • Medication

  • Rehabilitation and retraining

  • Lost wages

  • Funeral expenses and allowance to dependents in case of death


Commercial Auto Insurance For Distilleries

Commercial auto insurance is essential coverage if your distillery owns a commercial vehicle that employees use to deliver manufactured drinks to liquor stores

This insurance does many things for your business. Here’s a quick summary of how commercial auto insurance works:

  • Cover the medical treatment of persons who got injured because of an accident your distillery’s commercial vehicle caused

  • Reimburse the losses of persons who sustained property damage because of your distillery’s vehicle

  • Pay for parts repair or replacement if your distillery’s commercial vehicle sustained damage because of fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils 

  • Cover the medical treatment of the driver and passengers of your commercial vehicle that got involved in an accident caused by an uninsured/underinsured driver


Compare Distillery Insurance Quotes Online

Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!

Best Distillery Insurance Companies

These are the best distillery insurance companies. Read to know their pros, cons, and rate for a $1 million general liability insurance.


NEXT Distillery Insurance

Pros

  • Best overall

  • Get an online proof of insurance and send as a text message, email, or social media post

  • Fastest general liability insurance for distilleries

  • Great customer service and reputation

  • Issues an online proof of insurance instantly

  • Outstanding value for money

  • Bundle two or more insurance policies and get a 10% discount

Cons

  • Couldn’t find any 

NEXT offers distillery insurance in partnership with CommercialInsurance.NET. Policies you can get are general liability, workers compensation, commercial property, and commercial auto insurance. You can choose to get covered immediately online or talk with an agent first to know the nook and crannies of your coverage. 

Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for distilleries

Average cost: $30 per month 

Our rating: 10/10


CoverWallet Distillery Insurance

Pros

  • Compare distillery insurance quotes over the phone

  • Easy policy management and payment of premiums

  • Call and cancel your policy anytime

Cons

  • Not an insurance company but an insurance broker 

CoverWallet’s distillery insurance program offers general liability, commercial property, workers compensation, and many other policies. This company is only a seller and not the underwriter of the quotes it sells. The insurance you get from CoverWallet are underwritten by Chubb, CNA, Liberty Mutual, and other partners. 

Use CoverWallet’s quotes comparison tool to compare distillery insurance quotes online. 

Best for: Distillery insurance quotes comparison online

Average cost: $33.25 per month

Our rating: 10/10


Tivly Distillery Insurance

Pros

  • Responsive customer service

  • A partner of many reputable insurance companies

  • Compare quotes over the phone

Cons

  • You need to call to get a quote 

Tivly (formerly CommercialInsurance.NET) provides coverage for distilleries with poor business profiles. Many reputable insurance companies will refer you to this company if they can’t provide coverage. Call Tivly now and compare distillery insurance quotes over the phone. 

Best for: Comparing distillery insurance quotes over the phone

Average cost: $30 per month

Our rating: 10/10


Hiscox Distillery Insurance

Pros

  • 14-day money-back guarantee

  • Worldwide coverage

  • Choose policy limits and deductibles

Cons

  • Distillery insurance might not be available depending on your location 

Hiscox offers coverage for distilleries through its insurance program for beverage stores and wine businesses. You can get general liability, professional liability, and cyber liability insurance online. Call a Hiscox representative if you need other business insurance products. 

Best for: General liability insurance with worldwide coverage for distilleries

Average cost: $35 per month

Our rating: 9/10


Whalen Distillery Insurance

Pros

  • Diverse experience

  • Dedicated service

  • Tailored insurance cover

Cons

  • Not available in some states

Since the 1980s, Whalen Insurance has been a trusted company for distilleries and breweries alike. This company continues to provide comprehensive insurance coverage that your business needs.

Apart from tailored insurance offerings, Whalen Insurance has recently partnered with a leading company to provide even better services. Its broad experience in the industry also makes it a worthy candidate to consider.

Whalen offers comprehensive insurance coverage that includes liquor liability, property damage, worker's compensation, equipment, and many more. By the way, if you're running a wine business aside from a distillery, try contacting Whalen customer support if there's coverage available.

Best for: Start-up distillery businesses

Average cost: $45 per month

Our rating: 8/10


Peterson Distillery Insurance 

Pros

  • Affordable

  • Tailored insurance cover

  • Fast claim responsiveness

Cons

  • Limited to a few countries

Peterson Insurance understands the unique risks you face in your distillery business. It offers coverage specifically for wineries, distilleries, liquor shops, bars, restaurants, and breweries. This company is also prepared to help you with hands-on claims service and risk control.

With Peterson Insurance, you will enjoy comprehensive insurance cover. It has tailored policies that protect your distillery business from various claims.

Best for: Established distillery businesses

Average cost: $50 per month

Our rating: 8/10


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