We choose quality. When it comes to our supplier/partner relationships, the product we sell and the customer service we provide, we opt for quality over quantity. Our passion for craft beer helps fuel our commitment to this philosophy.

This is not to say that growth is a bad thing. We all want success and any industry member whose sales out grow their current situation – be it their brewing capacity or wholesaler relationship – should be celebrated. However, in short: the larger the distributor, the more products/inventory they juggle, the more personnel they’re forced to manage, the more difficult it is to maintain the necessary quality control standards. We simply believe that craft beer by its nature is not suited for a mass, statewide distributor.

Craft beer is fresh beer. To say that it is different from ‘big’ beer is not enough. What separates craft from macro is so much more than ownership and production volume but, to us, freshness is paramount. Package rotation in retail and on-premise accounts, item-specific inventory management while warehousing, draft line cleaning/maintenance and customer education are flat out necessary. At this stage of beer’s evolution, consumers expect it.

This industry has clearly moved onto the next phase. Consumer demand for a higher quality product exists. Brewers are filling that need with said product. We feel that it’s well past time for third-party distribution to begin pulling its weight.