diff --git a/include/fs.hpp b/include/fs.hpp
index fdb618e..097312b 100644
--- a/include/fs.hpp
+++ b/include/fs.hpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ using namespace std;
 namespace cellar {
 	namespace fs {
 		extern vector<string> listdir(string path);
+        extern bool recursive_copy(string, string);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/bottles/commands.txt b/src/bottles/commands.txt
index 6a6b55f..0379110 100644
--- a/src/bottles/commands.txt
+++ b/src/bottles/commands.txt
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@ list print_bottles List all available WINE bottles.
 active print_active_bottle Get the currently active WINE bottle.
 activate switch_active_bottle Switch the active WINE bottle.
 config config_command Change configuration options.
+create create_bottle
diff --git a/src/bottles/create.cpp b/src/bottles/create.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d652802
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/bottles/create.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include <boost/filesystem/operations.hpp>
+#include <boost/filesystem/path.hpp>
+#include <tclap/CmdLine.h>
+
+#include "bottles.hpp"
+#include "internal/bottles.hpp"
+#include "internal/launch.hpp"
+#include "fs.hpp"
+#include "output.hpp"
+
+using namespace std;
+using namespace cellar;
+
+void cellar::bottles::create_bottle(int argc, vector<string> argv) {
+    TCLAP::CmdLine cmdparse("create a new WINE bottle", ' ', "", false);
+
+    TCLAP::ValueArg<string> namearg("n", "name", "Friendly name for the bottle.", false, "", "name");
+    cmdparse.add(namearg);
+
+    TCLAP::ValueArg<string> descarg("d", "desc", "Short (or longer) description for the bottle.", false, "", "desc");
+    cmdparse.add(descarg);
+
+    TCLAP::UnlabeledValueArg<string> bottlearg("bottle", "Bottle name. Follows the rules of -b.", true, "", "bottle");
+    cmdparse.add(bottlearg);
+
+    cmdparse.parse(argv);
+
+
+    string homepath = getenv("HOME");
+    string bottlechoice = bottlearg.getValue();
+    string fullbottlepath;
+    if (bottlechoice.substr(0,1) == "/" || bottlechoice.substr(0,1) == ".") { // absolute or relative path
+        fullbottlepath = bottlechoice;
+    } else if (bottlechoice.substr(0,1) == "~") { // "absolute" path in home directory, not expanded by the shell for some reason (i've seen some shit)
+        // this is a naive replacement and will fail if the user tries something like ~nick/.wine
+        // i'm figuring at that point if you're doing that, you'll also recognize if your shell
+        // isn't actually expanding your path...
+        bottlechoice.replace(0,1,getenv("HOME"));
+        // or at least you'll think to use verbose mode to make sure it's loading the right directory
+        output::warning("your shell didn't expand your given path properly, doing a naive replacement", true);
+        fullbottlepath = bottlechoice;
+    } else {
+        if (bottlechoice.substr(0,6) == ".wine.") {
+            output::statement("tip: cellar can add the \".wine.\" prefix automatically");
+            bottlechoice.replace(0,6,"");
+        }
+       
+        fullbottlepath = homepath + "/.wine." + bottlechoice;
+    }
+
+    if (boost::filesystem::exists(fullbottlepath)) {
+        output::error(bottlechoice + " already exists");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (fullbottlepath != homepath + "/.wine.template") {
+        // all this gets skipped if we're creating the template bottle
+        if (boost::filesystem::exists(homepath + "/.wine.template")) {
+            fs::recursive_copy(homepath + "/.wine.template", fullbottlepath);
+            return;
+        } else {
+            output::error("no template bottle");
+            return;
+        }
+    } else {
+        if (boost::filesystem::exists(homepath + "/.wine")) {
+            output::statement("using existing bottle at ~/.wine as template bottle");
+            fs::recursive_copy(homepath + "/.wine", fullbottlepath);
+        } else {
+            output::statement("creating template bottle from scratch");
+            setenv("WINEPREFIX", fullbottlepath.c_str(), 1);
+            launch::popen("wineboot -u");
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/fs.cpp b/src/fs.cpp
index cff1148..9004938 100644
--- a/src/fs.cpp
+++ b/src/fs.cpp
@@ -9,23 +9,40 @@
 #include "output.hpp"
 
 using namespace std;
+using namespace boost;
 
 vector<string> cellar::fs::listdir(string path) {
 	vector<string> result;
-    boost::filesystem::path cwd(path);
-    boost::filesystem::directory_iterator iter_end;
+    filesystem::path cwd(path);
+    filesystem::directory_iterator iter_end;
 
-    for (boost::filesystem::directory_iterator iter_cwd(cwd); iter_cwd != iter_end; ++iter_cwd) {
-        try {
-            string item = iter_cwd->path().filename().native();
-			
-			result.push_back(item);
-        }
-        catch (const exception& exc) {
-            // TODO: better error handling
-            cellar::output::error("fuck");
-        }
+    for (filesystem::directory_iterator iter_cwd(cwd); iter_cwd != iter_end; ++iter_cwd) {
+        string item = iter_cwd->path().filename().native();
+		
+		result.push_back(item);
     }
 	return result;
 }
 
+bool cellar::fs::recursive_copy(string src, string dst) {
+    if (!filesystem::exists(dst)) {
+        bool success = filesystem::create_directory(dst);
+        if (!success) { return false; }
+    }
+
+    for (string itemrel : cellar::fs::listdir(src)) {
+        string itemabs = src + "/" + itemrel;
+        string targetabs = dst + "/" + itemrel;
+
+        auto itemstat = filesystem::symlink_status(itemabs);
+
+        if (filesystem::is_directory(itemstat)) { recursive_copy(itemabs, targetabs); }
+        else if (filesystem::is_symlink(itemstat)) { 
+            auto symlinkpath = filesystem::read_symlink(itemabs);
+            filesystem::create_symlink(symlinkpath, targetabs);
+        }
+        else { filesystem::copy(itemabs, targetabs); }
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}