When I addressed the industry at the Shanken IMPACT Seminar nearly two years ago, I called on us to celebrate the three-tier system. That message is even more relevant today.
We’re all navigating a challenging marketplace marked by inflation, shifting consumer behavior, and evolving industry partnerships. Now more than ever, we need to recognize what’s working—and that’s our uniquely American three-tier system.
For over 90 years, this structure has delivered consumer safety, fair competition, and reliable market access. It’s not just a regulatory framework—it’s the foundation of how we responsibly distribute an adult product while offering choice, efficiency, and service across the country.
Distributors do more than move boxes—they build brands. Every day, their boots-on-the-ground sales teams support restaurants, bars, and retailers with education, local marketing, and real-time feedback. From big cities to small towns, they ensure every shelf is stocked with a diverse portfolio of products that meet regulatory standards and reach consumers safely and legally.
In a market where margins are tight and expectations high, suppliers don’t need to worry about creating their own logistics networks or navigating 50 different state laws. Wholesalers take on that responsibility, enabling compliant, cost-effective routes to market and protecting brand integrity at every step.
In a time when counterfeits, copycats, and black-market products are rampant in other countries often causing sickness and even death, our consumers don’t face those problems here. Our system guarantees that the product that leaves a distillery is the same one that reaches the consumer’s hand—unadulterated, regulated, and taxed.
In a digital age, there’s a lot of talk about data, AI and e-commerce platforms. But relationships still move product! Every day, wholesalers send out dedicated sales teams to support restaurants, bars and retailers. They educate account managers on new products, support seasonal displays, promote local events and build custom wine lists. They’re not just delivering boxes—they’re building brands, one bottle at a time, one relationship at a time.
While technology is transforming our industry, we must also safeguard against unregulated e-commerce that threatens underage access and undercuts consumer trust. We must hold all players to the same standards to protect the progress we’ve made.
The strength of our industry lies in its unity. It always has. Distributors, retailers, and producers are stronger when we work together. The three-tier system is not a burden—it’s our advantage – and the global standard. Let’s keep building on its success.
Cheers to our shared future!