Brewbound Podcast: The Middle Tier, It’s Shrinking

The wholesaler landscape has been shaken up in several states, as industry giants Reyes and Anheuser-Busch continue to merge, acquire and swap wholesaler businesses and distribution rights in major markets such as Chicago, California, and Indiana.

This week’s edition of the Brewbound Podcast brings together industry experts to share their perspectives on what it means for smaller craft breweries and if there’s an end in sight to the disruptions.

Joining this week’s panel are:

• Marc Sorini, general counsel for national trade group the Brewers Association
• Kimberly Clements, co-founder and managing partner of Pints LLC, a beverage advisory firm based in Tucson, Arizona;
• And Donn Bichsel, the founder of 3 Tier Beverages, a consulting firm based in Chicago.

The panel weighs in on the ramifications of Reyes’ acquisition of 16.1 million cases from Monarch Beverages, merger of Windy City and Chicago Beverage Systems and other moves in California. Additionally, they weigh in on think tank pieces calling for the end of the three-tier distribution system, the role of independent wholesalers, and ways the distribution system could be evolved to better meet market demand.

Listen to the episode above, or find it on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify.

New episodes of the Brewbound Podcast are published every other Thursday.

Email [email protected] with questions, comments or suggestions for future shows and guests.

This week’s edition of the Brewbound Podcast brings together industry experts to share their perspectives on what wholesaler consolidation means for smaller craft breweries and if there’s an end in sight to the disruptions.