Whiskey Thief: Every barrel has a story.

The distillery saw an opportunity to do more with every visit. The platform needed to:

• Inform visitors about the distillery's offerings in an engaging way
• Raise the educational value of tours and tastings
• Streamline food and beverage ordering
• Build stronger connections between visitors and the brand
• Increase on-site sales of both whiskey and food

The tasting room set the constraints. Designing for it meant accounting for:

• Lighting that varies widely, which calls for high-contrast interfaces
• Guests browsing in groups, so text has to read at a glance from different angles
• Staff pointing guests to specific items without taking their phones
• Tasting notes and heritage stories that guests genuinely want to explore

I mapped the visit as a five-step journey, from scanning a QR code at the table to completing a purchase, each step aimed at a visitor outcome: informed, engaged, educated, satisfied, and converted.

The visual language borrows from Kentucky bourbon culture: barrel-wood textures, rust and amber tones, and bold slab lettering that echoes distillery signage and bottle labels, while staying modern and readable on a phone.

• Quick access to flights for newcomers exploring the selection
• Detailed tasting profiles for connoisseurs
• Cocktail menu with ingredient breakdowns and pairings
• Food menu organized around bourbon pairings
• A self-guided tour with a map of the grounds

Every decision was tuned for in-venue use: a dark interface to cut glare in the dim tasting room, large touch targets for guests holding a glass, and lightweight pages that load quickly on a weak connection. The result is a menu that tells the distillery's story without getting in the way of the people pouring it.