how do craft bars secure their beers?

laws vary state-to-state.

In florida, we use several different distributors. Certainly availability is an issue, many of the one-off selections get allocated either by the distributor, or increasingly in recent years, by the brewery (Bells, for instance, gives priority access to their specialty kegs by the support you show them year round, as an account).

in Florida, everything must go through the 3-tier system, no exceptions. Other states, Texas as an example, can buy beer directly from the breweries. However, i believe this is based on barrel production; perhaps someone from Texas can confirm this.

 

We work with multiple distributors, relationship building with both distributors and breweries is key. You can't never sell a Founders beer and then expect to get a KBS keg.

In NYC, self distribution is allowed for smaller breweries, and we do work with a few local ones to offer their beers.

Overall, I find it fun dealing with most people in the industry. You have your occasional marketing/business grad who doesn't have much of a passion for beer, but most people are intelligent, passionate and personable, at least on the level that I deal with.

 

Work for a Texas distributor.

Posts earlier hit all the important points I think. 3 tier system laws apply for 99% of the product you will be purchasing. Small breweries have been able to self-distribute here in Texas but in general that model doesn't work very long. I think I've only seen 1 brewery (512) do itwith any real success for any extended period of time.

As for the allocations, we are first at the mercy of the brewery as to who gets what. After all of those commitments are taken care of we base further allocations on sales and relationships. Salesmen generally know if they have a craft beer bar or not, and those accounts will be asking for the whales early and often. We generally won't hook up a dive bar that sales BMC primarily with BCBS just because they do a lot of business with us.

 

Ah...I thought you were asking about theft-prevention methods. Never mind, then.

 

I worked for a bar, and currently a retailer;

We always use multiple distributors, and some of the small guys are self distributing. Difficulties can include allocated beers. That is all done at the brewer level so sometimes you don't know if/when something is coming. Also maintaining keg inventory can be a hassle. Every week it seems there is "one of ____ left" and you don't want to miss out on it, but also need to make sure keg inventory doesn't go out of control.

 

duct tape

 

But would you sell BCBS to a bar that doesn't do any Bud products?

 

Here In WV, it's broken up into territories with different distributors carrying different beers in different territories. For example, I know of 2 distributors that carry flying dog, yet I can only order from one of them that has the rights to distribute in that territory. Small breweries can self distribute. But it can get kind of confusing as regular stella is distributed thru one and the cidre is done thru another. To be honest, WV kinda sucks for craft beer, but is slowly getting better.

 

I work for a distributor in California. From what I know, there are two options when it comes to distribution, do it yourself or have someone do it for you. As far as allocated beer, Russian River requires a contract with some pretty strict conditions, information from stores that carry Russian River, and other hard to get beers such as FW BA beers are allocated. The accounts that get allocated beer receive one to two cases.
When we distributed Bourbon County, it wasn't even put on trucks, our sales representatives put a few cases in their vehicles and made the deliveries.
As far as distributors, I see about 5 different distributors delivering the beer in my area and a few independent brewers do it themselves.