Happy Holidays: Five New Beverage Distributor Opportunity Products

I would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and pass on a few beverage distributor opportunity products. These companies are actively pursuing distributors and would make a welcome addition to a beer distributors bottom line:

1. Viso Beverages...Vitamin, mineral, and electrolyte enhanced beverages packaged in very sharp blue bottles designed to protect their precious contents.


2. Primer Energy Spray...Primer is a caffeinated breath spray that is sweeping the nation. The distributor margins are 33% plus and it has an eighteen month shelf life.


3. Hango...Get the minerals, vitamins and energy you need while fighting off alcohol's deadly byproducts. In addition, Hango makes a great mixer with an extra kick. What are you waiting for? Got a hangover? Grab a Hango.


4. Google Gulp...Think a DNA scanner embedded in the lip of your bottle reading all 3 gigabytes of your base pair genetic data in a fraction of a second, fine-tuning your individual hormonal cocktail in real time using our patented Auto-Drink™ technology, and slamming a truckload of electrolytic neurotransmitter smart-drug stimulants past the blood-brain barrier to achieve maximum optimization of your soon-to-be-grateful cerebral cortex. You can pick up your own supply of this "limited release" product simply by turning in a used Gulp Cap at your local grocery store. How to get a Gulp Cap? Well, if you know someone who's already been "gulped," they can give you one. And if you don't know anyone who can give you one, don't worry – that just means you aren't cool. But very, very soon, you will be. I have 50 Google Gulp caps to give away to the first 50 people leaving a comment below!


5. Suck and Blow...The Suck and Blow concept is solely based on the popularity of alcohol shot sales worldwide. Suck and Blow offers this new and exciting concept in ready-made packaging to consume and play.

Thanks and enjoy! Hopefully, your company will benefit, profitably of course, from these brands.

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How to Develop Your Own Energy Drink or Start a New Age Beverage Company.

The energy drink and new age beverage category is delivering phenonemal growth year in, year out. Especially the growth of New Age Beverages like Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar, Vitaminwater, Fuze, Sobe and others. As a beverage distributor, I constantly look for new opportunities that compete across the entire beverage spectrum. I need to constantly update my portfolio with new high margin beverages in order to drive consistent, profitable growth to sustain my investment in manpower, infrastructure, inventory, and technology. I keep detailed files of new beverages, beverage distributors, pricing, marketplace trends, development, merchandising, marketing, positioning, and promotion. I get calls and emails daily on how to start a beverage company or who to contact with a new beverage idea. Learn the secrets to starting your very own beverage company today.

The Total Beverage Package includes the following and more:

• 38 Pages of Articles and Case Studies about Energy Drinks and New Age Beverages.



• How To Get Started in the Beverage Business and Distributor Business Plans.



• Beverage Production and Bottling Costs.



• How to Sell to Beverage Distributors.



• Bonus - Free 15 minute Beverage Company Consultation.

Now you can benefit from experience and sales to learn about the New Age Beverage business. Get the advice you need about how to go into the business, get more market share, more sales, more distributors and lower production costs. This package will save you money and months of research on the internet and calling distributors and bottling plants.

Click here to get all the information you need to start your own Energy Drink Company or New Age Beverage Business.

Now you can begin the rewarding challenge of starting your own beverage business. Let a beverage industry veteran give you the advice and intellect you need in starting a beverage company.

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Miller Brewing Company’s new Anti – Man Laws

Let’s face it Miller Brewing Company has a problem with identity in its message to consumers. The underlying core of advertising is to find the distinctive traits of a product and promote its unique characteristics. That’s simple for most, not for Miller. Let me explain:

The wrong people are making the decisions for the direction of the company. Career longevity is not a word that can be used to describe Miller’s corporate sales force or advertising department. We even have a name to distinguish our Miller reps…Fast Larry. Some examples, “Why didn’t Fast Larry go out in the market today?” or “What did Fast Larry want on the phone?” We see a revolving door of Larry’s and I forget their names nowadays. Miller reps have become telemarketers with an in and out attitude. A quick call or a drive by the warehouse is what I get. This attitude will not sell more product, period. To increase sales and build product awareness you must learn the intricacies of the distributor’s business, understand market or territorial differences and habits, and build relationships with customers. I guess a short stint at Miller looks good on a resume. Let me clarify that I am not talking about the people that actually make the beer and work in the breweries. The brewery employees that work in Miller’s numerous plants are the backbone of the company. The longtime, career brewery employees should make the decisions or have a say in initiatives that comprise or affect the brewery’s core values and beliefs in regard to the message of the product in advertising. Finally, the Miller Distributors who have a long term, vested interest in Miller and the message that Miller delivers to the consumer should be allowed to voice their opinions about the advertising. I mean, what distributor in his right mind would have shelved "Taste great, Less filling" for "It's it and that's that" or the "Dick" fiasco.

As far as the direction of the new advertising of Miller Lite, I think we’ve missed badly with the More Taste League. Though I personally like his acting, John C. McGinley can’t stand up to manly men George Clooney's Bud voiceover commercials and Sam Elliot’s Coors voiceovers. When I think of McGinley, I think of his roles in Platoon, Office Space, and Wild Hogs. These were great character roles, but not ones that should be associated with Miller Lite, especially after Man Laws. Also, watch for A/B to start gaining share again. The new Bud Light creative "Dude" is hilarious and delivers its message simply, with one word that resonates perfectly in the lifestyle of our faithful, beercentric consumers.

Look for another downward spiral in Miller sales while the marketing and adverising geniuses search for a "new" identity and hit and miss philosphy of provoking Anheuser-Busch. Why not use the time-tested justification of the virtues of the product....Miller Lite has less calories than regular beer and it tastes wonderful. The distributors and brewers will make sure the product is in the hands of the consumer and the quality is exceptional.

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New Product Opportunities for Beverage Distributors

This is a hot list of new brands that will add value and revenue to your beverage distributorship business. Who knows, the next Red Bull or Vitaminwater could be one of them. These companies are actively pursuing distributors and the territories may be available in your area. Hopefully, this list will give you some ideas to help grow your business.

1. Ayala Herbal Water -- No artificial sweeteners, no preservatives, and no additives of any kind. Ayala is infused culinary herbs in pure water.


2. Cocio -- My favorite chocolate milk. Two year shelf life is wonderful.


3. Mix 1 -- A balance of complete nutrition, great flavor, and convenience. Nine month shelf life and gluten-free.


4. Syzmo -- Organic energy drink with vitamins and antioxidants.


5. Pumped Fitness Water -- Pumped Fitness Water is an all-natural fitness beverage, packaged in unique 15 and 30 oz bottles shaped like a dumbbells.


6. Crayons -- Less sugar than other fruit drinks and no high fructose corn syrup.

These are viable brands with nice margins, good luck on the streets.

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Distributor Opportunities with Cott Beverages

As a beverage distributor, I constantly look for opportunities to partner with established suppliers that bring extensive knowledge and expertise to my market, as well as terrific products. Many new beverages are from start-up companies that, either, don't have incremental dollars to invest in my market or don't have the manpower to help drive the business. Many of these companies have trouble getting chain authorizations in national accounts and suffer out of stocks due to the contract production of their beverages. To my surprise I have recently found that Cott Beverages is agressively pursuing independent distributors to partner with and carry their exisitng lines, as well as new product introductions.

To those who may not know, Cott Beverages is the fourth largest soft drink beverage company in the world and the world’s largest private label soft drink producer. Cott has 17 manufacturing facilities and one concentrate house in North America. Cott Beverages manufactures private label product for the world’s largest retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Loblaws, SuperValu, and Safeway. Cott has recently launched Throwdown Energy and Emerge Water, and is diversifying their portfolio as we speak.

For more information you can visit Cott.com or send an email to Cott. Type WHOLESALE BEVERAGE DISTRIBUTOR as the subject.

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New Products That Enhance Your Beer Portfolio

Have you seen this scenario before? A new product bursts onto the beverage scene. Wholesalers rush to get the distribution rights. Everyone makes obscene amounts of money. This happens everyday...except the getting rich overnight part, of course. It takes time, hard work, patience, and a little luck to grow rich. Nowadays, we beer wholesalers are looking for different products to enhance or profitably grow our large and ever-changing portfolios. And you know what? We love products that will help increase our drop size in all accounts. A constant increase in drop size is how you maximize profits in the wholesale business.

Beer wholesalers have sold non-beverage items for years. Matches, napkins, equipment, straws, beverage cups, etc. In fact, during the sixties when Falstaff was having major declines, our salesmen became the "cup man" instead of the "Falstaff man". There was the Bud man, the Schlitz man, and the cup man. We sold a lot of beverage cups and survived a difficult time in our company's history. So, beverage cups have a special place in my heart. I think cups are overlooked by beverage distributors. I don't think they will be overlooked anymore:

Etch-It Cups.....Have you seen them?

Etch-It has been praised by "The Big Idea" on CNBC and Rachel Ray from Food Network. Etch-It is currently offering distributors a margin of up to 30% and retailers a margin of up to 42%. The product is unique and offers consumers many benefits. Freight is included in FOB and the minimum drop is only 84 cases. The tubes of cups are also packaged in a nice shelf display piece for easy merchandising. The cups are already a top ranked item in many Liquor Store chain accounts. But, this scenario is what sold me:

On premise accounts go through many, many cups in a single night, why not switch to an Etch-It and cut down on waste. Also, there is another added benefit in the on premise...Etch-It Cups will aid shy men and women everywhere: I can here it now, "I was checking out your Etch-It cup and......". Just think, Etch-It will change the course of human history.

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My Takeaways from the 2007 NBWA Convention

This is the beer business in a nutshell:

Anheuser-Busch knows what to do, Miller talks about what to do, Coors does what everyone else is doing, and Pabst wonders what happened.

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The Pros and Cons of being a Red Bull Energy Drink Distributor

Many people recognize Red Bull Energy Drink as a phenomenon in the beverage industry. Retailers are in awe of the power of Red Bull Energy Drink. I find that these same retailers that will not budge an inch during beer cooler resets, will give Red Bull two to three shelves and a display piece for nothing (usually the Red Bull Full Bull contracts are for one case, one shelf per quarter, like I said, nothing).

Red Bull is defined by its mystique, its originality, and its significance as the de facto creator of a category. This carries over from the ranks of the supplier, Red Bull North America, and spills over into the retailer side. It kind of skips the hard working people that really built the brand into the powerhouse it is today…the distributors. I see Red Bull NA terminating beer distributors very frequently these days. Red Bull is fortifying its ranks with Red Bull only wholesalers that sell Red Bull Energy Drinks exclusive. These terminated distributors are left with nothing to show of the brand because of the biased distributor agreements from Red Bull NA. That being said, Red Bull is still a cash cow for the remaining wholesalers. Now, a look at the good and the bad of being a Red Bull Energy Drink wholesale distributor:

The Pros of being a Red Bull Energy Drink Distributor

1. Exceptional product awareness and quality.

2. Two-year shelf stability.

3. Ordering process. Freight is included in the price and the turnaround time from ordering to delivery is always less than two weeks.

4. Excellent margin.

5. POS designed for any retail establishment.

6. CMA programs for retailers.

7. Huge allowances for sponsorship opportunities.

The Cons of being a Red Bull Energy Drink Distributor

1. Red Bull Distributors are buried in a glut of paperwork. Full Bull on and off premise programs, daily sales number requests from Red Bull chain departments, and incentive programs for distributors sales forces.

2. The contract between Red Bull NA and the distributor is worthless, unless the distributor was given some sort of special, perpetual rights of the brand.

3. Red Bull Distributors received a general price increase in January and were advised not to raise the price to retailers.

4. Red Bull chain department sells different programs to different chains and retailers. Some retailers get more than others. It’s hard to keep up with who is getting what and retailers get extremely angry when they find a competitor is getting a better deal.

5. Red Bull NA wants Red Bull only van teams. In other words, separate sales forces that sell Red Bull only.

6. Coolers and display racks that were once free to the distributors now have to be paid for by distributors.

7. We used to have one representative from Red Bull NA, now we have seven different people to deal with.

We have found that our profit margin from Red Bull has been cut nearly in half by these cons, but the huge volume increases have more than made up for it in dollars. I’ll take the bad with the good any day because when its all said and done, Red Bull Energy Drink is a proven winner on the shelf.

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Online Beer Distributor Locator and Contact Information

Trying to find a beer or beverage that is sold near you? I have compiled a list of distributor locators for a few popular breweries. If there is not a distributor for a certain brand in your area, you can request the distribution rights for that brand in your area. I will include a contact form for each brand also.

Abita Brewing - Turbodog, Amber, Purple Haze
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Anchor Brewing - Anchor Steam
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Anheuser-Busch - Budweiser
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

August Schell - Schell Original, FireBrick
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Boston Beer - Sam Adams
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Breckenridge Brewing - Proper, Avalanche
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Brewery Ommegang - Hennepin, Rare Vos
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Deschutes Brewery - Black Butte, Obsidian Stout
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Flying Dog Brewery - Tire Bite
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

High Falls Brewing - J.W. Dundees Honey Brown
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Lazy Magnolia Brewing - Southern Pecan
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Matt Brewing - Saranac
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

New Belgium Brewing - Fat Tire
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Pittsburg Brewing - Iron City
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Pyramid Brewing - Hefeweizen
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Sierra Nevada Brewing - Pale Ale
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Spoetzl Brewery - Shiner Bock
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Stoudts Brewing - Stoudts American Ale
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

The Lion Brewery - Stegmaier
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

Yuengling Brewery - Yuengling Traditional
Online Distributor Locator
Contact for Distribution Rights

I will keep adding to this list in the future. Also, I will add links to soft drinks, teas, juices, and energy drinks.

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The Beer Distributor is the Vehicle of Choice for New Beverages

After a long summer, I like to start looking for new, exciting brands to add to my portfolio. Usually, I take two to three months to decide which new beverage brand I’m going to add. The decision process starts in early fall and lasts to the end of the year. I make my mind up in December and make contact with the different companies. At the first of the year, we start setting goals and objectives, training our sales team, and adding infrastructure around these brands. Once Spring gets here, we can concentrate on sales leading into the Summer months. Then we start all over again. This process has been very successful for our company in the past with brands like Snapple, Sobe, Red Bull, Fuze, and Vitaminwater. In fact, our non-alcohol division was on track to pass our beer division in gross profits by mid-2008. Now the bomb has dropped, everyday Red Bull wants me to spend, spend, spend. Fuze and Vitaminwater will be going to Coke by the middle of next year. Snapple is giving away the ship. What in the world am I going to do? The first thing is not worry too much. I understand that this is the beverage business and these things happen everyday. Brands come and go. One thing I’ve learned is that you have to remember where you came from. I think many companies forget that and get to big to fast. The brands I mentioned above were built by hard working distributors case by case, not by corporate sales executives. When I lose a brand I always know there will be another company that is hungry. There are literally hundreds of beverage companies that will offer my beer distributorship a nice margin, a good beverage brand, and an incentive to sell their brand. After all, my company is just a vehicle to get their brand on the shelf. Some brands I am looking to add are as follows:

·Irn-Bru - A mixed fruit flavored soda made with 32 flavors. Can be used as a mixer.
·Metromint - Purified water flavored with natural mint.
·Hint - Pure water, nature's original refreshment, accented with a hint of natural flavor.
·Essn - One hundred percent natural sparkling juice beverage.
·Luvli Juice - All natural, low sodium juices.
·Function - Make your drink work for you.
·Bawls - Guarana-based soft drink has been out for a while, but the new cherry flavor is terrific.

I will keep you informed of my decisions on these beverages and how they are doing in my market.

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I'm Taking My Suitcase on Vacation

I have been in the beer business for a long time. As you may or may not know, a beer distributor will not take a vacation. He is forced to take a vacation by the wife and kids. Sometimes this happens amicably. Sometimes it is done at gunpoint. The whole time we are gone, we think about the trucks going out, or someone not showing up for work, or the route deposits getting to the bank, or the warehouse catching on fire. When I was growing up, the only vacations we took were to beer conventions or meetings. That was the only vacation I ever knew, and they were wonderful. Nowadays my kids want to go to the beach. I can't stand the beach. I want to go on a beer distributor vacation that is chock full of beer drinking experiences and nostalgia. I love history, travel by car, beer, sports, and taverns (read “any hole in the wall tavern”). Please be aware that I am not a beer connoisseur, I really don't care about beer styles or flavors or trying to talk about beer as one talks about wine. I love the imagery of brands, the historical significance of the beers, breweries, and beer distributors, and the emotions that I have during beer drinking occasions. My memories of different beers started when the truckloads arrived at the warehouse and with the beer came the differing strategies of the sales call for each brand. Thoughts of the white-collar brewery representative with his new ideas, in and out attitude, and worthless business plans don’t enter my mind. I only think about what I would be doing and where I would be if I could enjoy the brand in any setting.

So, I am going to drink twenty four beers on my beer distributor vacation, my so-called “Suitcase Vacation Special”, one beer for each lovely memory I have of special brands and the locations that my mind correlates with these brands. If an itinerary for a beer distributor vacation existed, I think it would look somewhat like this:

Number 1. I pop the first one at the oldest brewery in the United States, the rathskellar at the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Of course I would have a Traditional Lager in a longneck bottle.

Number 2. Then I’ll head over to Clairton, Pennsylvania and find John Welch’s bar from “The Deer Hunter”. Did you know that was me shooting pool, singing Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, and drinking Rolling Rock twelve ounce cans. I was there.

Number 3. Why not give me a Narragansett longneck on the dunes at Horseneck Beach, Massachusetts, just seconds across the Rhode Island state line.

Number 4. When I was young I thought of Mr. Boh as other kids think of Mickey Mouse. I never understood why he only had one eye, my grandfather told me it was from a barfight! Give me a twelve ounce can of National Bohemian at the O’s game in Baltimore, Maryland.

Number 5. I guess I’ll never know what it feels like to have a Rupperts Beer at Yankee Stadium in New York. Gives me an empty feeling inside.

Number 6. I want a Haffereffer Private Stock at Fenway Park. I sold those stubby sixteen ounce bottles for years. I sure did love that brand.

Number 7. Easing over to Rochester, New York I find myself enjoying a Genny Cream at the old Genesee Brewing facility while relaxing by the High Falls Gorge of the Genesee River.

Number 8. Why not have a fire brewed Stroh’s and play fetch with Alex in Detroit, Michigan.

Number 9. 10. and 11. Oh, beautiful Milwaukee, Wisconsin! I’ll have a Pabst, Schlitz, and a Blatz longneck at any corner pub in town. The smaller, darker, and smokier the place, the better.

Number 12. Give me a High Life Pony on any lake in America with a cane fishing pole and some crickets. Talk about Miller Time.

Number 13. No one remembers Harry Caray hawking Old Style at Cubs games. How about Harry singing “Take me out to the Ballgame” in the seventh and me enjoying an ice cold Old Style draft at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois.

Number 14. Why don’t we take a quick trip out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and I can have stubby Olympia while bar hopping with Clint and Clyde.

Number 15. Did you know that Busch Beer at Busch Stadium is terrific? Try drinking a Bartles and Jaymes Wine Cooler there. I did.

Number 16. I would love to sip on an ice cold Goldcrest 51 longneck while “jukeing” down Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee.

Number 17. The fountain of youth is in New Orleans, Louisiana. Just the thought of a Dixie Beer Longneck and the French Quarter stirs up feelings I left behind when I was eighteen years old.

Number 18. Drink a Pearl Longneck at the Corral again. I was fourteen the first time I did.

Number 19. Out from San Antonio not quite to Luckenbach, on a ranch full of Mesquite trees and rabbits the size of, well, Texas, there are a bunch of guys that sit around and drink Lone Star twelve ounce cans all day long. I would like to partake with them one more time. Also, do you know who was driving the old Lone Star delivery truck in “Midnight Cowboy”? It was me!

Number 20. I could drink an eight ounce can of Country Club Malt Liquor and crush it just like the guy from the commercials. Bring them back Pabst. I know I could sell them.

Number 21. The best creative imagery in the beer business, Colorado and Coors Banquet Beer. Sitting by a Rocky Mountain stream in Golden and drinking a gooseneck Coors.

Number 22. My first finished beer was a Pabst at five years old at a beer convention. My second was a Golden Champale twelve ounce green classic bottle with an Apple Jolly Rancher at nine. I will get around to trying that again, just to see if it tastes as good as I remember.

Number 23. When the movie “Boyz n the Hood” came out in 1991 Olde English 800 was a dying brand in our house. Overnight we were selling it by the truckload. A quick trip to Compton, California and an Eight Ball forty to pay my respects to Ice Cube and Big Worm.

Number 24. St. Louis, Missouri gave the world Falstaff Beer and I know for a fact Falstaff Beer is responsible for bringing me into it. Just one more chance to drink a Falstaff longneck on the grounds of old Plant #1.

There you have it, we have gone through the best case of beer our country could ever produce. Don't worry my “Beer Distributor Vacation Suitcase Special” will be coming to a travel agent near you. I will set up the itinerary and no hangovers will be allowed.

For some very entertaining reading please visit John Smallshaw’s History of Falstaff Brewing Corporation, A History of Malt Liquor by Kihm Winship, and BreweryGems.com’s Illustrated History of Olympia Brewing Company.

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Beer Distributor Valuations

There are always conflicting accounts about valuations of our beer and beverage businesses. The $5 per case "rule of thumb" is just not the norm any longer. But before we go jumping to any sky high conclusions, I find reading Valuing Beer Distributors written by Lamont Seckman for Modern Brewery Age in 2004 to be the most helpful.

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Hey Mr. Beer Distributor, do you know where I can find Champale Malt Liquor? Or Schlitz? Or Falstaff?

Beer distributors are a very observant bunch, especially in our home markets. We know if a beer brand is going to sell, we know if it's profitable, we know all details about fire-selling overage beer, we know which beer brands take up space on supermarket shelves, and we know when beer brands are "dead". I am asked this question a hundred times a week...."Where can I find ________ beer? You can fill in the blank with Champale, Old Style, Pabst, Schlitz, Meister Brau, Red White and Blue, Pearl, Lone Star, Genuine Draft Light, Hamms, Country Club, Olympia, Ranier, Dixie Beer, Jax, Schmidts, Falstaff, Iron City, Weidemans, Genesee, Grain Belt, Malt Duck, Schaefer, National Bohemian, Black Label, Milwaukee 1851, and Blatz. The list goes on and on and on. Today I am writing, not only, to help my readers, but also to give me clarity on this subject. Following is a list of a few brewers, their old regional beer brands, and how you can find the beers that dotted America's beer landscape of yesteryear. If you have questions about other brands, don't hesitate to leave a comment and I'll get back to you soon.

1.Pabst Brewing Company

For Beer and Distributor Information:
Phone Number...1-800-935-BEER
Email Pabst
Email Pabst Quality Assurance

List of Brands brewed by Pabst:

• Pabst Blue Ribbon


• Old Style


• Schlitz


• Lone Star

Also Pabst Brewing Company brews Champale, Country Club, Blatz, Schaefer, Schmidts, Falstaff (discontinued), Jax (discontinued), Old Milwaukee, Piels, and Pearl and you can find these brands and others at Pabst.com.

2.Miller Brewing Company

For Beer and Distributor Information:
Phone Number...1-800-MILLER-6
Online Distributor Lookup

List of Brands brewed by Miller:

• Hamm's Beer Locator


• Mickey's Malt

Miller Brewing Company also brews Olde English 800, Meister Brau, Henry Weinhard's, and Magnum Malt Liquor.

3.Anheuser-Busch

For Beer and Distributor Information:
Phone Number...1-800-DIAL BUD
Contact Anheuser-Busch
A/B Wholesaler Locator

List of Brands brewed by Anheuser-Busch:

• Natural Light


• Michelob


• Rolling Rock

Anheuser-Busch also brews Hurricane Malt Liquor, King Cobra Malt Liquor, and Tequiza.

Hope that qwenches your thirst a little, you can Email Me for further inquiries of other beer brands. I will add to this list often.

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Around the USA with Beer Distributors....

I've found some interesting articles from around the USA written about the most popular people in town, local employees of beer distributors....

Salesman from a Minnesota Budweiser Distributor

Alabama Miller Distributor

Montana Budweiser Distributor


I hope you enjoy these interesting articles about beer distributors around the USA. I will bring you more later.

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Budweiser Almost Certain to go with Kasey Kahne...

Sources close to Anheuser Busch and Evernham Motorsports are saying the deal is almost done. Kahne would be a great fit with Bud, he's no Earnhardt, Jr., but he would be a great choice for the beer maker. Kahne is young, he is a proven driver, and he appeals to female fans. Heck, he is even being linked romantically to Paris Hilton. Considering how bad it hurts losing Junior, I still believe A/B has made the best of a tough situation and will see no backlash from the fans.

I wonder how many fans and distributors Miller Brewing has turned off by sponsoring Kurt Busch. Why didn't Miller Brewing just find a guy with the last name of Budweiser and hire him?

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Adios Norman Adami, Thanks for the Cigarette...

Let's face it. Norman Adami was good for Miller Brewing Company. Accessable and full of energy his tenure marked a complete turnaround for the brewery. When he got there in 2003, Miller was a joke. Miller was a revolving door of white collar MBA's, purveyors of wholesale changes in a world that is dominated by blue collar beliefs. Many men before him tried to turn the company's fortunes around and all of them failed. Now they didn't fail as miserably as Jack McDonough did, but none really garnished much success. I remember having to abruptly go to Milwaukee in the late 90's to sign a new distributor agreement (under duress, of course) and overhearing some older distributors talk about his new Miller Red and where he could put it. That was too funny. I also remember hearing accusations about McDonough receiving two paychecks...one from Milwaukee and another from St. Louis. Oh, the good ole' days.

Anyway, thanks Norman. You have been the only decent CEO at Miller since Lenny Goldstein was running the show. The best I can say is that you did what you said you were going to do and your distributor network followed your lead.

Now for the next guys in line for the CEO at Miller or anyone that is in management at Miller and conducts business with Distributors, here is the secret for success....the business is built by RELATIONSHIPS.

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Tony Stewart and Schlitz Beer

Did that come out of left field or what? It has taken me a few weeks since the Chicagoland race to come down to earth since that bombshell was dropped. I'm with you Tony, give me a little gusto every once in awhile. Just not everyday. Can you believe that in the seventies Schlitz had a marketshare of nearly 25%. Upwards of 70% in their strongest markets. I was so bored running my route that I would actually help the Schlitz driver roll in his cases when we were at the same stops, just to have someone to hang out with. Boy those days have changed. Schlitz is in our distributorship, but rarely makes it in any planograms to get set in the stores. The only volume is all specially requested by certain customers now. Schlitz is now "virtual owned" by Pabst Brewing Company and brewed by Miller Brewing Company.

Hey Tony, maybe one day they will brew Schlitz back in Milwaukee in beautiful long neck bottles. They might listen to you if you ask them, they sure as heck won't listen to me.

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So You Lost Vitaminwater to Coke...

Add Vitaminwater to a long list of brands that are built from the ground up by hard working distributors only to be taken away once the brand gets its legs. Clearly Canadian, Snapple, SoBe, Fuze, Corona, and now Vitaminwater. These brands offered distributors added margins and helped fill drop size. Hopefully, the former distributors will receive a nice buyout package once they sell the brand and I am hearing many distributors with "so called" perpetual rights agreements, will. Anyway, you've lost another important brand to your portfolio, what do you do?

It's time to look for the next new thing. Try searching for products in new beverage categories. Get agreements with companies that offer different brands competing in different segments. The best segments an independent wholesaler can compete in today are as follows:

1. Energy Drinks---They keep coming and they keep selling.
2. Enhanced Water---You won't find the next Vitaminwater, but you may be able to hold space with another brand.
3. Infused Teas---Get new teas loaded with antioxidants.
4. Enhanced Juices---The next big one will come from this category.

That is my two cents.

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Beverage Company Philosophy with Respect to Sports

Beverage Company Philosophy with Respect to Sports

Let’s face it we love sports. We love our favorite teams, heroes, and legends of different sporting events. Our devotion to these pastimes transcends into every facet of the beverage business world. Consideration of the intricacies of different sports will help you discover how your company compares to the rest of the field. The following ten key elements will help you discover how your organization stacks up, not only against the competition, against the business community itself. Remember, there is no right way or wrong way, winning comes to you in the form of your bank statement. Let’s take a look:

1. Do you have team players or individuals in your organization?

• Team players will work together for the common good of the company. The whole team strives to make sure all tasks are completed, from the most menial to the most demanding. Success is attained by the achievement of goals as a company.
• Individuals, on the other hand, keep score by their own success or failure. By setting individual goals, an employer can give the individual his own opportunity to climb up or down the company ladder. The employer will know the strong, goal-oriented workers and he will know the weak links of his organization.
• A winning organization has a bunch of dedicated individuals working as a team to achieve goals, no matter how big or small.

2. Is your company offensive minded or do you play defense?

• I have always thought playing offense was more fun. Following are some examples of playing offense in the beverage business: a beverage company getting the distribution rights and trying to sell any product in the market before the competition, using a proactive marketing style with pricing and merchandising, borrowing money to buy new territories and equipment, and trying new technologies to save time and money. The favorite quote of an offensive minded beverage company, “It costs money to make money.” These guys are the dreamers. Beverage companies love for you to play offense. They would much rather you spend money than make it.
• Even though offense is more fun, defense has its proponents. Playing defense wins championships, or as far as they’re concerned, makes money. The defender concentrates on taking care of the products and the business relationships that he already has, the defender has little to no debt, the defender doesn’t try to change something that has stood the test of time, the defender builds his respective marketplace and doesn’t chase new territories. The defenders are guardians of an era in the beverage business of days gone by. I love the nostalgia that comes with conversations with these people. Their favorite quote, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

3. How do you express yourself?

• Do you love attention, crave the drama, or quietly go about your day-to-day responsibilities. We have to understand and appreciate that we are all local personalities. Retailers, consumers, community leaders, politicians, all love (and hate) to see us. The way that you present yourself to the public has a far-reaching effect on your customers, who just so happen to be your neighbors. As a beer distributor, I have struggled all my life on where people draw the line in social situations. I have felt out of place in church, but I love and cherish God. I have had to contend with ill-timed comments and complaints at school, my kid’s activities, in a restaurant having dinner with family, in bed at eleven o’clock at night. The list could go on forever. I also am expected to be a certain party animal (this has gotten me into trouble on numerous occasions, though not with the law). In all of my social engagements, I have always taken the aw-shucks attitude and gone about my business. This has worked well for me in the past as a beer distributor and a good neighbor. The way that you present yourself to the public helps your business by more ways than you think. If someone doesn’t like you, they will not buy from you.

4. Do you play it safe or do you take chances?

• There comes a time when all companies choose the safe route or “go all out.” I equate taking chances to spending money. Maintaining a balance of safety and risk is the only way the insure a healthy growth of your business. The choices you make everyday determine if you are winning or losing.

5. Do you train, practice, and prepare?

• Training gives a sense of knowledge and know how to your employees. Practice instills a predisposition in their attitudes on how to win. Preparedness gives them the tools to succeed.

6. Is there a fierce, competitive rival?

• The number one way to understand ones business is to understand ones competition. A fierce, competitive spirit is the major underlying component that drives our capitalist society. A good competitive environment makes for stronger businesses in our markets. No competition will lead to lethargy.

7. Is success rewarded?

• Successful players are always paid well. In the beverage business we have to reward successful and productive employees in order to keep them. Employees must be given goals, must be communicated with on where they stand, must be given the tools to succeed, and must be compensated accordingly. I use the survival of the fittest technique: give the employee every reason to excel in his environment and if he can’t, cut your loses and move on. So, you can say that success should be rewarded and failure won’t be tolerated.

8. Are there to many rules and regulations?

• This is the hardest part of the beverage business for me. As a beer distributor, there are many restrictions on us as businesspeople. As the three-tier system affords some protection, it also takes away creativity. Brewers can’t be distributors, distributors can’t be brewers, and retailers can’t be brewers or distributors. Vertically integrated the beer business will probably never be. This is why we must constantly examine the ways that our businesses are conducted. The ever-evolving wholesaler that legally, and I do mean legally, manipulates the system will grow stronger. I would compare it to NASCAR. Coming up with ingenious slotting fees and CMA programs that aren’t too costly will benefit. Providing a cheaper type of good service to the retailer would be nice. Simplifying all the reporting the beverage companies require on a daily basis would be magnificent, we are all suffocating under the load of paper. Contracts written to give brand ownership, kind of like brand real estate, in our territories. I will keep adding to this list.

9. Are the boundaries getting cloudy?

• Everyday I get communication from other wholesalers about who is buying who, beverage companies and wholesalers squabbling about this and that, deals being made behind other’s backs. It’s just beverage politics. I compare this to two little old ladies out by the picket fence in the backyard talking about everyone in the neighborhood. We are all gossip mongers, we love to get all information good or bad. The only way to stay on top is to be approachable and attentive with all suppliers and customers.

10. Do you keep score?

• Do you keep score? I mean really keep score. It starts with the balance sheet and ends with a salesman’s distribution on one certain package in the smallest account. It takes into effect the average dollar sale for every case of product you carry. Are you weighed down with expenses, salaries, and fixed costs. Do you know your profitability broken down by route? Do you build goals for the sales force that are tracked and the results are communicated to them effectively? Have you explored efficiencies in routing and warehouse labor. There are many ways to keep score in the business world and keeping score will definitely give you a good idea of how your company is doing. I will guarantee that you will learn some valuable information about the business and your employees.

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