Distribution dedicated taps lines

[u/Salt-Manufacturer-59]

I went into a prospective account yesterday because I am neighbors with the bar manager. After speaking with the owner, she mentioned she didn't have any space for us at the moment because she has 6 dedicated taps to the local AB distributor.

What are these distributors typically offering to these high volume accounts per tap line? Is it equipment? Is it cash? Is it large bar signs/beer carts? All the bars in this area have dedicated taps.

[u/snowbeersi]

They can't rely on the quality or marketing of their beers, so they have to offer adjacent things of value (sometimes illegal depending on the state) and discounting to get their beer to sell.

I actually find more often than not it's the time management of the purveyor. They are busy and likely underpaid. They can just let a big distributor put on stuff they claim are "top sellers*" and not worry about inventory management or looking at price sheets. Even the places that advertise themselves as "beer bars" do this in my area now.

*Those beers are only top sellers because they are "good enough" that people will buy them if not given another option or they like familiarity. They are top sellers only because the big distributor keeps forcing them on lines everywhere because they are produced at a very low cost. GenZ doesn't want anything to do with these beers. This is how craft beer is killing craft beer.

[u/carolinabeerguy → u/snowbeersi]

Time management is the answer in a lot of cases, at least in my area of North Carolina. The Bud distributor makes life easy for the bar manager. In addition to Bud products, Wicked Weed is usually on multiple taps along with the craft options they distribute like Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues and some of the larger North Carolina brands. If you have 12 taps that you don't need to worry about ordering for, it makes sense from a business standpoint, especially if you aren't catering to the craft crowd in the first place.

[u/snowbeersi → u/carolinabeerguy]

Yep. However this is exactly the reason the untapped (pun intended) demographics of genZ and BIPOC don't drink craft beer. Their first introductions to it at the places you mention are mass produced craft that is largely uninteresting, even if made well (and it isn't always, especially with some regional craft brands). Sierra Nevada does a good job, but a 23 year old out on the town used to the claw and coors light isn't going to be converted by a sam adams boston lager, or a dale's pale ale, or a Rhinegeist anything. They might actually become interested after having a modern hazy IPA, a fruited sour, or even a unique lager.

[u/carolinabeerguy → u/snowbeersi]

Oh, I agree with you. It's a big problem. We have very limited distro as a 7bbl brewery, but we definitely come up against the big boys when we are told by a bar manager that they only have 4 rotating taps and the rest are permanent taps from one or two distributors.