You can wax poetic about esters and farmhouse funk, Citra hops and toffee notes…but you’re not really fooling anyone. Yes, we love the delirious variety of flavors and aromas in craft beer. But mostly, we like the booze.

Beer blogs are just a way to hide that fact behind a shallow pretense of a “hobby”. It’s really the greatest trick in the book…convincing others that your drinking problem is a worthy intellectual pursuit.

Now, it happens that I respect the opinions of these two gentlemen greatly when it comes to the distribution business (and in other matters). As Tommy notes, it’s hard to fully grasp an industry that you’re not a part of and there’s some truth to the statement that to be an “expert” in the world of beverage wholesaling, you probably need to work or have worked in said industry. On the flipside, when the ONLY people championing the three-tier system are those who make money from that system, it’s hard not to immediately point out the obvious conflict of interest. I would very much like to hear a rebuttal from those with direct knowledge of the industry.

My take, for what it’s worth (with the caveat that I am clearly NOT a distribution expert):

I believe Conlin and Tommy are probably correct that the current “golden age” of craft beer probably HAS benefitted in a measurable way from the three-tier system. The “tied house” system would have greatly hampered innovation and growth in the world of beer during the current corporate era if the three-tier system hadn’t developed. HOWEVER, I believe the system, as it currently exists, is a relic. It may have allowed the seeds of craft beer to be sown, but now that they are fully blossomed, it’s time to shake things up.

Craft beer isn’t going anywhere. It’s not a fragile, nascent industry anymore…it’s a juggernaut. During those early years, if the three-tier system had been demolished, it’s possible (perhaps even likely) that the macros would simply have done what Conlin suggests and snapped up bars and package stores and created a new version of the “tied” system that wouldn’t have allowed craft to survive. But this is a different era. Craft has reached a tipping point where such aggression would not stand, man. Imagine AB buying up beer bars in your town and only selling their products? Those bars would be out of business in a matter of weeks (and AB corporate would be out millions upon millions of dollars if they pursued such a foolhardy strategy in the era of craft). The fact is, consumers have developed a taste for high-quality beer…and that means that we have entered an era in which a “free market” distribution system would benefit everyone. Craft would continue to grow, because that’s what consumers want. And while a less restrictive system might give the Big Boys some advantages they don’t currently have, I simply don’t believe consumers would allow those advantages to really be pressed anymore.

Distributors add a ton of value to the beer market and I personally believe that most brewers probably WOULD continue to use wholesalers for the logistics and transportation expertise they bring (not to mention the relationships they’ve developed with retailers over the decades). But how could it hurt to give breweries the opportunity to distribute their own goods? If you’re a nano-brewery making 1,000 BBLs a year, shouldn’t you be able to deliver your kegs out of the back of your own truck? Your product will still be regulated, of course. But shouldn’t you be allowed to try to acquire tap handles on your own? In a perfect world, the best beers would win out. Obviously that’s not the world we live in, but creating a more open, less restrictive market brings us one step closer.

Again, I’m hardly an expert in these matters. But I simply don’t buy the argument that because the three-tier environment allowed craft to flourish, we must continue to keep the status quo. I have faith that craft can survive in a more “wild” distribution system. Let the brewers self-distribute!

Just a couple of quick examples.. be careful what you wish for or TRIPLE HOPPED MILLER LITE OR BLUE MOON WILL BE YOUR OPTIONS.

Like Wal-Mart? They have run more “middlemen” companies out than all others combined. They can do that, they are not regulated. Dont think they like to see the 3 tier go? Check their selection on any item.

I dont expect an industry outsider to undertand, but the 21st Amend is there for some really good reasons.