E-Malt.com News article: 2490

USA: Association of Brewers announced that independent craft beer wholesalers meet at Association of Brewers’ Craft Brewers Conference. Forty-two representatives of America’s independent distributors of craft beer met here for the first time for two days of talks about the details of their emerging business.

Unlike many US beer distributors who depend largely on sales of mass market brands, these distributors focus on beers made by small independently owned breweries—members of the steadily growing craft brewing segment that accounts for approximately three percent of the overall beer industry. In addition to their focus on craft beer brands, many of the distributors were founded by owners of craft breweries to distribute their own brands.

The meeting was chaired by Greg Koch, co-founder and CEO of Stone Brewing Co. Like several of the companies represented at the meeting, Stone Brewing Co. not only brews and distributes their own beer but also distributes beers made by other craft brewers from around the country. Most of the distributors also carry specialty imported beers as well.

Conducted in a roundtable format, the meeting followed an agenda of topics including sales staff, suppliers, retailers, logistics and warehousing. “It was a tremendous opportunity for sharing of ideas and insights, said Koch. “The specialty beer wholesalers in this country are an extremely diverse and innovative group. This conference showed that the face of specialty beer wholesaling is evolving in ways that are beneficial for the craft brewing industry.”

During the meeting, the representatives voted overwhelmingly to meet again in conjunction with next year’s Association of Brewers’ Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia.

As the craft brewing industry has matured and the structure of the beer distribution industry has changed in recent years, distribution has become an increasingly important issue for small brewers. As the industry group which represents the greatest number of small brewers, the Association of Brewers has become increasingly involved in the distribution issue. In addition to hosting this ground breaking meeting, AOB representatives will attend the National Association of Beer Wholesalers Legislative Conference in Washington DC in late April.


16 April, 2004