Objective:

• To earn the most victory points by producing and selling spirits, upgrading your distillery, and fulfilling contracts.
  

Setup:

1. Players: 1-5 players.

2. Player Setup:

   • Each player selects a Distiller character board, which represents their unique starting abilities, bonuses, and personal goals.

   • Players receive starting resources, which typically include basic ingredients (grains, fruits, water, yeast), money (coins), and a starting recipe.

   • Players set up their personal Distillery Board, which includes sections for storing ingredients, aging spirits, upgrading the distillery, and tracking their resources.

3. Main Board Setup:

   • Place the Main Board in the center of the table. This board includes the Market, Recipe Book, Contracts, and Round Tracker.

   • Shuffle and place the Ingredient cards, Upgrade cards, Recipe cards, and Contract cards in their respective spaces on the Main Board.

   • Draw a set number of cards from the Ingredient and Upgrade decks to populate the Market.

   • Set the Round Marker to the first round.
     

Gameplay:

1. Game Rounds:

   • The game is played over a set number of rounds, usually 7, each consisting of the following phases:

2. Phase 1: Market Phase:

   • Players take turns purchasing Ingredients, Upgrades, and Recipes from the Market using their coins.

   • Ingredients include base materials like grains, fruits, yeast, and water. Upgrades include items like additional storage, improved equipment, or marketing tools.

   • Players can also purchase new Recipes, which allow them to produce more valuable and complex spirits.

3. Phase 2: Distillation Phase:

   • Players choose a Recipe and select the required Ingredients to craft a spirit.

   • Players then mix the chosen Ingredients in their Distillery and shuffle the cards.

   • Heads and Tails: Players must remove the top and bottom cards from the mixed stack (representing the heads and tails of the distillation process), leaving the middle portion as the final spirit.

4. Phase 3: Aging Phase (Optional):

   • Some spirits require aging (e.g., whiskey, rum). If a player chooses to age a spirit, they place it in their Warehouse.

   • During the Aging Phase, an Aging Card is added to the spirit, potentially enhancing its quality, adding flavors, or increasing its value.

5. Phase 4: Selling Phase:

   • Players may choose to sell their spirits for profit. Selling a spirit provides coins and victory points.

   • Fulfilling Contracts: Players can fulfill contracts by delivering specific types of spirits, which grants additional bonuses and points.

   • Spirits that have been aged generally sell for more than those sold immediately after distillation.

6. Phase 5: End of Round:

   • After all players have completed their actions, the round ends.

   • The Market is refreshed with new Ingredients and Upgrades, and the Round Marker is advanced.

   • Players prepare for the next round.

7. End of Game:

   • The game ends after the final round.

   • Players total their victory points based on their spirits sold, contracts fulfilled, upgrades purchased, and any other end-game bonuses.

   • The player with the most points wins.
     

Winning:

• The player with the highest total score at the end of the game wins.
  

Tips for Playing:

• Strategic Purchases: Balance your spending on Ingredients, Upgrades, and Recipes to maximize your distillery's efficiency.

• Aging vs. Selling: Decide whether to sell spirits immediately for quick money or age them for more points and profit.

• Contract Fulfillment: Aim to fulfill contracts that align with your production strategy for extra points.

• Upgrade Optimization: Use Upgrades to streamline your production process and gain advantages over your competitors.