The Uncomfortable Reality

Distribution is where the romance of craft brewing crashes headfirst into commercial reality. The pub industry is shrinking. The pubs that remain are increasingly locked into supply agreements you can't break into. The wholesalers who could get your beer to market take a chunk of your margin or use exclusive contracts to shut you out. Self-distribution is exhausting. Supermarkets will bleed you dry. And getting through the door of any serious buyer requires accreditation that costs time and money you'd rather spend brewing.

The beer itself is almost irrelevant to this equation. You could be making the best beer in the country and still struggle to get it into anyone's glass, because distribution isn't about quality — it's about relationships, contracts, margins, and market power. And as a small independent brewery, you have very little of any of those.