Wooden Barrel Hotel in the Netherlands

From Fun Fever:

"The De Vrouwe van Stavoren Hotel in the Netherlands salvaged four wine casks from Switzerland and converted them into rooms. Formerly filled with 14,500 liters of Beaujolais wine from the French chateau, each now holds a modest two-person room with standard amenities and even an attached bathroom and a sitting room.

The one thing that might bother you, if you’re not a wine enthusiast, is the smell of wine that the barrels still maintain. All in all the Barrel Hotel, in Stavoren, northern Netherlands, makes for a very pleasurable experience. General rates for a cask room are from 74-119 Euros a night with discounts of up to 75% off depending on season. If you go in the wintertime, a wine cask room can be as low as 18 Euros a night, cheaper than most hostels."

Reminds me of the park in Germany where you could spend the night in a luxury sewer hotel. Weird. But fun. Could be a great way of developing a tourist angle at our distilleries.

Is it a plane? No, it's a restaurant.

Back in August 2000, The Mauel Antonia Hotel in Costa Rica bought this 1954 Model US cargo plane, Fairchild C-123, for a bargain of $3,000. The plane has a fascinating history, having played a part in the Reagan administration's arms scandal of the 1980s [detailed on costaverde].

It is now a popular attraction in its new home, where it has been converted into a restaurant, bar and coffee shop - suitably named El Avion.

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Jura Island Lodge

Expanding on the idea of booze tourism... the Jura Island Lodge is a great example.

From the Isle of Jura:

"In the not so distant past we welcomed distillery guests in the distillery itself. With the opening of the Lodge we are delighted to be able to do so again.

For the many people that help us make Jura whisky successful around the world, the lodge will be an ideal place to come and discover more about the distillery and the island with which it shares its name.

For the true whisky enthusiasts we are delighted to announce the foundation of The Jura Fellowship, a four day residential programme where guests will be immersed in distillery and island life.

The lodge will also be available for private rental at certain times of the year. Shooting, hunting, fishing, fell walking, lobster eating, sailing and whisky drinking can all be organised upon request. Alternatively you can do very little, relax in the land of no mobile phone coverage and enjoy the pace of island life.

For further details please contact info@isleofjura.com

Hoping to see you soon."

Connouisseur Tourism

From Luxist:

"An obsession with fine whiskies or fine wines inevitably leads to a journey. At some point, the local shop around the corner just won't do it for you anymore. Forbes has a pair of stories, one for whisky lovers and one for wine lovers that list ideal locations to indulge your passion.

Wineries can be found in nearly every corner of the world these days and Napa or Tuscany may the most obvious places but there are plenty more spots to hit. Suggestions on the Forbes list include South Africa's Stellenbosch wine region, Marlborough, New Zealand, which is famous for its Sauvignon Blancs and the the Maipo wine region near Santiago, Chile. If you must hit Italy or California, they recommend the Piedmont area of Italy and the less touristy but still booming Paso Robles region in California.

For the rarer whiskies you'll need to check your bank balance first, a two-ounce pour of the Ladyburn 1973 sells for $210. To experience the ultimate in whisky nirvana head to the Skibo Castle in the Scottish Highlands with your $75,000 bottle of 1926 The Macallan."

We should develop our distilleries in conjunction with local communities to be set up to give people interested in how our drinks are made an amazing experience. This is also great for the communities around the distilleries who would see a benefit from tourism.