Worst Distribution Regions

How about at breweries or bars? They can't serve them?

 

NE PA. we get the Philadelphia left overs. Distributors take care of Philly first and quite often the beers you want will be gone. I love going to Philly thou

 

Yep, lived in Memphis for two years and it blew for beer distro, plus the highest beer tax in the country plus the ABV thing. To the post below, the CVS in West Memphis, Arkansas was the best beer store in the area, that is a sad statement...

 

BrettHead ,
Yes I knew the 4X as much national release so we just went to the source. I like to buy enough to last the year.
I need to to find a cheaper hobby

 

I lived in Memphis for a few years, and moved to Chattanooga a couple years back. Last time I visited Memphis, their scene seemed to be growing at a faster rate than when I lived there. They're on the right track, and hell...they got BCBS, and quite a bit too--so that's saying something.

 

Kansas is not that bad surprisingly. Founders is coming...Oskar Blues not here, but it's definitely not the best.

 

Kansas is not that bad surprisingly. Founders is coming... Breweries of note that I am glad we have: Hoppin' Frog, Green Flash, Left Hand, Stone, Evil Twin, BOULEVARD (KC), Free State (Lawrence, KS), Tallgrass (Manhattan, KS), Sierra Nevada, Odell, Goose Island (BCBS is hard to acquire), Ommegang, North Coast, Brasserie Rochefort, Great Divide, New Belgium, Deschutes, Het Anker, Chimay, Van Steenberge, St. Bernadus Brouwerij...I know I'm forgetting some that I carry.

I REALLY WISH WE HAD:
Cigar City
Bells
Cigar City
Lagunitas

So, yeah...I guess it's bad for truly elite craft.

 

I don't want to hear any bitching from people in the northeast or anywhere else for that matter, because the vast majority of you get Founders, Hill Farmstead, Lagunitas, Cigar City, DFH, etc., etc. Oklahoma by far has the worst distribution of any state across the country that I've visited. We don't get any distribution from the breweries I already listed and add on: New Belgium, New Holland, Bell's, Sweetwater, Jester King and probably another 20 well known craft breweries on top of that.

 

At least in Chattanooga you are minutes from Fort Oglethorp & BevWo. In Knoxville It's a couple hours north, east, or south to just find Founders. However, TN doesnt have the 14% ABV cap that GA has so I'm thankful for that. When I recently talked to someone in KY they were quick to point out the fact that Kentucky doesn't get Terrapin, Sweetwater, or Lagunitas but I'd give them up for Founders, Bells, Against The Grain, Three Floyds, Boulevard, Ballast Point, Evil Twin, etc.

 

I cant really complain but living directly between LA and SF really hurts with distribution here. Too far north for socal beers and too far south for norcal beers.

I too trade a ton of Firestone across the country being that I live in paso. Anything they put in a box is gold in my eyes. Was at the taproom last night for dinner as was Adam Firestone. I also agree Figueroa Mountain makes a few great beers, I would disagree with you about tap it however. The question however was about distribution not what we can get because of where we live. My main point was Russian River distributes to southern cal and skips right over San luis obispo, santa barbara and ventura counties..Lagunitas rolled sucks out what maybe a month ago, the rest of the country has had it for awhile and paso robles just got it Tuesday. There are also examples of socal stuff that we never see on the central coast but i will leave that alone for now. My point..Either my location or my distribution sucks and i believe its bad distribution.

 

The bottom line is that every brewery can't distribute everywhere so we REALLY just need a serious overhaul of the laws that prevent breweries or retailers from shipping to individual consumers in most states. That way it wouldn't matter if a particular brewery had distro in any given area because the consumer would always have access to the beers they want without those beers taking up precious shelf space from bud light limarita.

 

As a former Rhode Islander now living in LA, don't even think to complain. I came back over Thanksgiving and Christmas and brought back tons of stuff. We don't get stuff like Lagunitas, Dogfish, Boulevard, etc down here. God forbid Jack's Abby, Allagash, or MBC

 

Well, it's really political when all is said and done. North Carolina had a cap on abv at 6% for years, and a smart group helped develop a groundswell of support for upping the abv allowed so that a myriad of beers of the world could be marketed here. It's a nice piece of history and it can be replicated in those remaining locales that have old prohibition laws on the books. Appeal to the revenue side of things, genuinely added commerce, and make it understood that business lost never returns.

 

My friend was stationed there & I could get better Cali beer in Colorado than him most of the time

 

Despite stupid laws, we're doing alright. Could be doing better. No reason New Belgium, Odell & Deschutes don't ship to us other than the dumb laws. We did get Avery back!

 

wah!!

 

Speaking as a former resident 4th grader ( Clements & Lexington Park ), I probably have it better here in Delaware County, OK. 50 miles from Missouri's great selection. We still don't get near the good stuff ( used to get Bourbon County, Backwood Bastard & many others with out problem. The internet & marketing & messed that up for me. If had to live off of local selection, I would be depressed...

 

I thought NC's selection blew away what I saw in VA last summer, granted small sample size...

 

I've never even tried to look up near Pittsburgh or anywhere near by, since Mizzou is hitting it outta the park!

 

I got better beer in Hawaii in 096-01 than I saw in most of the south for years after. Not at a ton, but Deschutes, Sierra Nevada, several in-state brewers & Red Hook & Pyramid, back before they sucked...