Overview

Distilled is a thematic strategy game where players run up-and-coming distilleries, crafting spirits to earn the title of Master Distiller. Over seven rounds, players acquire ingredients, recipes, items, and upgrades, then distill spirits by shuffling ingredient cards and removing the top and bottom (simulating the “cut” of heads and tails). Spirits can be aged in warehouses to gain flavor, then sold for money and spirit points. The player with the most spirit points wins.

Components

• 5 dual-layered recipe clipboards with 20 double-sided recipe tasting flights
• 5 distillery boards (player boards)
• 1 shelf board (SP track and round tracker)
• 1 basic market board + 1 truck board
• 88 basic market ingredient/item cards
• 36 premium market ingredient cards
• 33 premium market item cards
• 30 distillery upgrade cards
• 18 distiller identity cards + 18 signature ingredient cards + 18 signature recipe label tokens
• 60 alcohol cards + 40 flavor cards
• 85 spirit label tokens + 23 spirit award tokens
• 20 distillery goal cards
• 10 starting item cards (5 metal barrels + 5 glass bottles)
• 37 wooden bronze/silver/gold recipe cubes
• 59 money tokens (values 1, 5, 10)
• 5 player scoring tokens + 5 score modifier tokens
• 5 player reference cards
• 1 first player token + 1 round marker barrel

Setup

1. Place the shelf board centrally; place scoring tokens for each player and the round marker on space 1.
2. Set up the basic market board with 7 face-up card piles (yeast, water, grains, fruits, plants, metal barrels, glass bottles).
3. Shuffle premium ingredient, premium item, and distillery upgrade decks separately. Lay out 4 face-up cards from each deck to form the premium market. Place the truck board beside it.
4. Choose a tasting flight (A recommended for first game); give each player a copy.
5. Set out spirit labels matching the tasting flight plus Moonshine and Vodka (2 per player for Moonshine/Vodka, 1 per player for others).
6. Shuffle flavor cards face-down; place alcohol cards face-up nearby.
7. Place recipe cubes (bronze, silver, gold) within reach.
8. Randomly select (players + 1) spirit awards; place face-up.
9. Place money tokens as general supply.
10. Each player takes: distillery board, score modifier token, recipe clipboard with tasting flight, 1 starting Metal Barrel, 1 starting Glass Bottle (in storeroom).
11. Shuffle and deal 3 distillery goal cards to each player (private; discard 1 after round 3).
12. Deal 2 random distiller identities to each player (from those paired with the tasting flight). Each player selects one, takes starting ingredients and money from its reverse side, takes their signature recipe label and signature ingredient, and places the identity card on their office space.
13. Choose first player randomly.

Turn Structure

Each of the 7 rounds has 4 phases, preceded by resolving any start-of-round powers:

1. Market Phase

Starting with first player, clockwise, players take turns purchasing one card or cube at a time. Options:

• Recipe cube (bronze/silver/gold) – pays the tier cost, places on clipboard to unlock a recipe.
• Basic market card (max 2 per round) – ingredients or items at printed cost.
• Premium market card – ingredient, item, or distillery upgrade at printed cost. Refill by sliding right and drawing from deck.
• Pass – once you pass, you cannot buy more this round.

After all pass, discard the rightmost card from each premium row to the truck (2 rightmost in 2-player). Slide remaining right and refill.

2. Distill Phase

All players simultaneously. First, you may trade exactly 1 ingredient/item card for a basic ingredient of equal or lesser cost.

Then arrange ingredients in your washback slots (yeast, sugar, water). Each slot needs at least 1 card to distill. Alcohol cards from previous distillations can go in yeast or water slots.

Distillation process:

1. Add 1 alcohol card per card in the sugar slot.
2. Shuffle all washback cards into a face-down spirit stack.
3. Remove and reveal the top and bottom cards (return to pantry).
4. Reveal remaining cards – check against known recipes.
5. Add an appropriate barrel and claim a matching spirit label.

If the remaining stack matches multiple recipes, choose one. If it matches none specifically, it defaults to Vodka (if any sugar remains) or Moonshine (no sugars).

3. Sell Phase

In turn order, sell one spirit per turn (multiple turns possible). For each spirit sold:

1. Lay out the spirit stack + barrel + add a bottle from storeroom.
2. Collect money equal to total sell value on all cards.
3. Score SP from cards + recipe + aged spirit flavor bonus (if aged).
4. Place the spirit label on an empty label bonus space on your distillery board; gain that bonus immediately.
5. Return starting items to storeroom; display premium bottles for collection.

Non-aged spirits (Moonshine, Vodka) must be sold immediately. Aged spirits must age at least 1 round before selling.

4. Age Phase

In turn order, age spirits. For newly distilled aged spirits: place spirit stack face-down in a warehouse space, barrel on top, label on top, then draw 1 face-down flavor card to the bottom of the stack. For spirits already aging: draw 1 additional face-down flavor card to the bottom.

End of Round: Check spirit awards (divide SP if tied, rounding up). If you did not sell a spirit this round, you may offer a tasting (spend up to 4 SP to gain that much money). After round 3, discard 1 of your 3 distillery goals. Advance round marker; pass first player clockwise.

Actions

Purchasing in Market Phase

| Item | Cost | Notes | |——|——|——-| | Bronze recipe cube | Varies | Unlocks bronze-tier spirits | | Silver recipe cube | Varies | Unlocks silver-tier spirits | | Gold recipe cube | Varies | Unlocks gold-tier spirits | | Basic ingredient/item | 1-3 money | Max 2 basic purchases per round | | Premium card | Varies | Refill market after each purchase | | Distillery upgrade | Varies | Max 3 on your board; may discard old ones |

Basic Card Bonuses (on purchase only)

• Yeast: Immediately gain 1 money.
• Water: Reveal top card of any market deck; may purchase it this turn or return to bottom.

Spirit Label Bonuses (one-time, when sold)

• Take 5 money
• Claim signature ingredient
• Free card from premium market
• Free card from either market
• Free recipe cube of any tier
• Discard to respective piles, take any card from truck
• Free card from premium market

Scoring / Victory Conditions

SP are earned throughout the game by:

• Selling spirits: SP from recipe + ingredient cards + barrel + bottle + aged flavor bonus.
• Spirit awards: Bonus SP for meeting objectives (first to fulfill scores full; ties split, rounding up).

Endgame scoring (after round 7):

• SP from unsold spirits aging in warehouse (all card SP + recipe SP + 1 SP per flavor card).
• Bottle collection: SP for displaying bottles from multiple regions (1 region = 0; 2 = 2 SP; 3 = 5 SP).
• Distillery upgrade SP values.
• Distillery goal SP (if achieved; cannot be achieved by scoring zero).
• Money: 1 SP per 5 money remaining (rounded down).

Highest SP wins. Tiebreaker: most money remaining. Further tie: shared victory.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Aged spirit flavor bonus: When selling an aged spirit, gain bonus SP based on number of flavor cards: 1 flavor = 1 SP, 2 = 3 SP, 3 = 6 SP, 4 = 10 SP. Non-aged spirits never receive this bonus.
• Warehouse capacity: Maximum 2 spirits aging at once. If full and you must age a new spirit, sell one from warehouse first.
• Signature recipes: Can only be distilled once per game. Require the signature ingredient or a premium ingredient of the same sugar type.
• Signature ingredient power: If removed during distillation (top/bottom cut), it returns to the spirit stack instead of your pantry.
• Final round aging: If you distill an aged spirit in round 7, you must age it (cannot sell). Score it from warehouse at endgame.
• Recipe matching: After removing top and bottom cards, the remaining stack must meet the recipe’s sugar type and minimum quantity. Forbidden sugar types invalidate the recipe.
• Running out of cards: Basic ingredients and alcohol cards are considered unlimited; use stand-ins if necessary.
• Tastings: Only available if you did not sell a spirit this round. Spend up to 4 SP to gain that much money.
• Distillery goals: Compared relative to other players. Cannot be achieved by scoring zero. Labels in warehouse count.

Player Reference

Round Structure	Market > Distill > Sell > Age
Total Rounds	7
Starting Money	Varies by distiller identity
Starting Hand	Metal Barrel + Glass Bottle + identity ingredients
Starting Recipes Known	Moonshine, Vodka, Signature
Max Basic Purchases/Round	2
Max Distillery Upgrades	3
Max Warehouse Spirits	2
Discard Goal	After round 3 (keep 2 of 3)

Aged Flavor Bonus	1 flavor: 1 SP, 2: 3 SP, 3: 6 SP, 4: 10 SP
Bottle Collection	2 regions: 2 SP, 3 regions: 5 SP
Endgame Money	1 SP per 5 money
Tasting (no sell round)	Spend up to 4 SP, gain that much money