How to Use Distilled Promo Content in Your Games

Quick answer

Treat each Distilled promo product as a separate optional module, not a single pile of cards. Open the pack, sort cards by module, read the module rules, then add one module at a time to a normal game. The Distilled Year One Promo Pack adds two mix-and-match modules, while the Distilled Promo Pack adds new distillers, bottles, and flavor cards. Add the Distilled Africa & Middle East Expansion only after the base game feels familiar.

Promo content for Distilled is easy to use once you stop thinking of it as one big expansion. Each product is a small, self-contained set of cards and modules that you can add or remove between games. That flexibility is the point, but it also means you need a short setup routine so nothing gets mixed into the wrong deck.

This guide walks through a practical order of operations: open and sort, read the module rules, test one module, then scale up. It uses the real promo products available from Paverson Games, including the Distilled Year One Promo Pack, the Distilled Promo Pack, and the Distilled Africa & Middle East Expansion.

Start by sorting promo cards away from the base game

Before you play, separate every promo card from your base Distilled decks. The Distilled Year One Promo Pack is a 22-card mini expansion, and the Distilled Promo Pack is a 14-card set. If those cards get shuffled into the main recipe or distiller decks, you lose the ability to choose when they enter play. Keep them in their original packaging or a small labeled bag between sessions.

A common mistake is opening a promo pack at the table and sliding cards directly into the nearest deck. Instead, lay the cards out by type and check the included rules sheet. The Year One pack contains two modules, and the Promo Pack introduces new distillers, premium bottles, and customizable flavor cards. Sorting first makes the next steps much faster.

• Keep each promo product in its own bag or tuckbox so you can add or remove it in seconds.
• If you sleeve your base game, sleeve promos in the same size and finish to avoid marked cards.

Read the module rules before your first game

Promo content often changes setup, not just card counts. The Year One module is an optional way to fast track your distillery production by letting you simulate and skip the first round of the game. That is a real rules change, so read it before you deal starting resources. The Prestigious Distillery Upgrades module works differently: those upgrades cost a lot of money but reward you in ways the base upgrades do not.

The Distilled Promo Pack is more straightforward. It adds new distillers from around the world, premium bottles, and customizable flavor cards. Even so, check whether any new card references a keyword or icon you have not seen. If a promo card refers to a module you are not using, set it aside for that game rather than guessing.

• Photograph or bookmark the promo rules page so you can find it mid-game without flipping through the whole rulebook.
• If a promo card references a module, keep that module in play or remove the card for that session.

Add one promo module at a time

The fastest way to make promo content feel broken is to add everything at once. Pick one module for your first game with promos. If you are using the Distilled Year One Promo Pack, choose either Year One or Prestigious Distillery Upgrades, not both. Play a full game, then decide whether to keep it, swap it, or add the second module next time.

This one-at-a-time approach also helps you judge the Distilled Africa & Middle East Expansion. That box adds over 100 cards and tokens, including new recipes, spirits, identities, and upgrades. It is a larger change than a promo pack, so introduce it after you already know how the base game and one small promo module behave together.

• Track which module you used in a notes app or on a score sheet so your group remembers what changed.
• If a game feels too long or too swingy, remove the newest module first before changing anything else.

Integrate promo cards into the right decks

Once you have chosen a module, shuffle its cards into the matching base decks. New distillers go with distillers, new bottles with bottles, and flavor cards with flavor cards. The Distilled Promo Pack is built for this kind of integration, which is why it works well as a first promo purchase. Keep the module-specific cards separate if they only apply when that module is active.

For the Distilled Africa & Middle East Expansion, take the time to sort the new recipes, spirits, identities, and upgrades into their proper piles. Because the box adds over 100 cards and tokens, a quick pre-sort before game night prevents a long setup delay. Label any tokens that do not match your base game storage.

• Do a dry run of setup once before teaching the promo to anyone else.
• If a card does not clearly belong to a deck, leave it out until you confirm its place in the rules.

Check the table for rules friction after the first game

After one full game with a promo module, ask two questions: did anyone have to stop and look up a rule more than once, and did the module change the game length in a way your group disliked? The Year One module intentionally skips the first round, which speeds up the opening but also removes some early decisions. Prestigious Distillery Upgrades add expensive options that can reward players who plan ahead.

If the group enjoyed the change, keep the module in for the next session and consider adding the second module from the same pack. If not, remove it and try the other module. This is normal for promo content. The Distilled Promo Pack is the easiest to leave in permanently because it mostly adds variety rather than new systems.

• Ask each player for one sentence on what the promo changed for them.
• Write down any house rule you needed so you do not relitigate it next time.

Store promos so they stay playable

Promo cards are small and easy to lose, so give them a dedicated home. Keep the Distilled Year One Promo Pack and the Distilled Promo Pack in separate bags or tuckboxes labeled with their module names. If you own the Distilled Africa & Middle East Expansion, store its cards and tokens apart from the base game so you can choose whether to bring the whole box to the table.

If you use upgraded components, the same sorting logic applies. The Luthier Realistic Resources set replaces basic cubes with 84 realistic-looking resources, and the Luthier Enamel Inspiration set replaces cardboard chits with 24 double-sided enameled metal pieces. Neither changes promo rules, but both make setup and teardown more pleasant when everything has a labeled place.

• Use small silica packets in storage boxes if you live in a humid climate.
• Keep promo rules sheets with the cards, not in the main rulebook, so they travel together.

Promo integration steps

1. Sort promo cards by module: Open the promo pack and separate cards into the modules or card types listed on the rules sheet. For the Distilled Year One Promo Pack, that means splitting Year One from Prestigious Distillery Upgrades. Checkpoint: every card should belong to a named group before you shuffle anything.
2. Read the module rules aloud: Read the promo rules to the table before setup. Confirm whether the module changes the first round, setup resources, or available upgrades. Checkpoint: if anyone is unsure what the module changes, pause and reread before dealing.
3. Choose one module for the first game: Pick either Year One or Prestigious Distillery Upgrades, or choose the Distilled Promo Pack for a lower-impact addition. Do not stack every promo option in the same session. Checkpoint: one new module per game makes it clear what caused any balance change.
4. Shuffle promo cards into matching decks: Add new distillers to the distiller deck, new bottles to the bottle deck, and flavor cards to the flavor deck. Keep module-only cards separate if the module is not active. Checkpoint: no promo card should sit in a deck it does not match.
5. Play a full game and review: After the game, ask whether the module slowed play, sped it up, or changed who won. Use that feedback to decide whether to keep it, swap modules, or add the Distilled Africa & Middle East Expansion next. Next step: if the group liked it, try the second module from the same pack in your next session.

Promo products at a glance

• Distilled Year One Promo Pack: This is a 22-card mini expansion that can be played with any version of Distilled and features two mix-and-match modules: Year One and Prestigious Distillery Upgrades. You can choose one module or both, which makes it a flexible first promo purchase for groups that want to change setup or add late-game goals.
• Distilled Promo Pack: This 14-card promo pack introduces new distillers from around the world, as well as premium bottles and customizable flavor cards. It adds variety without new systems, so it is the easiest promo to leave in every game once shuffled into the correct decks.
• Distilled Africa & Middle East Expansion: The expansion adds over 100 cards and tokens, including new recipes, spirits, identities, and upgrades. It is a larger content addition than a promo pack, so introduce it after you are comfortable with the base game and one small module.
• Luthier Realistic Resources: This set replaces basic cubes with 84 realistic-looking resources, such as pre-shaded animal parts, painted wooden stumps, and brass ingots made of real metal. It does not change promo rules, but it makes the table easier to read and the components more satisfying to handle during longer promo games.

Using Distilled promo content well is mostly about order: sort, read, add one module, then review. Start with the Distilled Promo Pack or one module from the Distilled Year One Promo Pack, and save the Distilled Africa & Middle East Expansion for when your group already knows the base game cold. That way every promo card earns its place at the table.