Emerging retail trends are changing the customer experience, and the food and beverage landscape is no different. Today’s consumers are faced with an ever-growing amount of options when it comes to beverages, and as a result, they expect complex offerings and categories wherever they go. Continue on to learn more about the current U.S. distributorship environment in regard to the beverage industry. Continue reading…
How would you react if you walked into a liquor store and there were only a handful of different options to choose from, instead of hundreds? And what if you knew none of it was regulated? Would you still want to make a purchase? Maybe not.
Fortunately, that scenario is only hypothetical thanks to something called the three-tier system. The three-tier system governs the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages in a way that benefits customers, retailers and the local economy all at once. Continue reading…
Well, summer is officially here and that means it’s time to bust out the tank tops and enjoy an ice cold beer on the patio! It wasn’t easy but we combed through our portfolio of awesome pilsners, wheat beers, pale ales and more to give you our list of 10 refreshing beers you can enjoy on those hot summer days.
Availability: April 1 – August 31
ABV: 5.2%
This simple craft, summer ale tastes like endless summer days and tangerine flowers in a glass.
Availability: April 1 – August 31
ABV: 5%
Floral and citrus hop notes meet smooth caramel maltiness in this refreshingly balanced golden ale. This year’s batch includes Lemondrop Hops!
Availability: Not listed
ABV: 5.2%
The Blood Orange Wheat offers a medium malt body with a crisp wheat finish and subtle orange flavor.
Availability: Not listed
ABV: 6.2%
Big citrus hop flavors meet up grapefruit juice for a complex and fun to drink citrus sipper.
Availability: Year Round
ABV: 4.3%
Blonde Bombshell combines subtle malt and wheat flavors with a delicate Liberty hop aroma to create a sensational beer. Originally brewed as a seasonal, this beer was so popular, they pushed it into their regular line-up.
Availability: Year Round
ABV: 5.1%
A Czech Pilsner brewed the exact way they do it in Prague. Made with a Czech Saaz hop, this beer has a spicy floral aroma with grassy notes and a clean crisp finish.
Availability: April – December
ABV: 4.9%
The release of SeaQuench Ale kicked off a new partnership between Dogfish Head and the National Aquarium that will focus on inspiring conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures. This session sour quencher is brewed with lime peel, black limes & sea salt.
Availability: Year Round
ABV: 6%
This Czech pilsner is brewed with loads of imported Saaz hops and a bottom-fermenting yeast strain that leaves it Light and Crisp, yet full of real flavor and all the things you yearn for.
Availability: Year Round
ABV: 6.2%
Consider this the next generation IPA. It’s slightly sweet with lower ABV. It’s complex aromatic layers, suggest mango, melon, pine, and berries, are driven by whole-leaf Mosaic and Citra hops which are then balanced by an acidulated and pilsner malt bill. It’s silky smooth mouthfeel will leave you asking for “mo!”
Availability: Year Round
ABV: 7%
The Pineapple Sculpin IPA came from one of many small-batch cask experiments to enhance the flavor of Ballast Point’s signature IPA. The combination of fruity flavors and hop intensity definitely packs a punch.
Don’t see your favorite summer beer on the list? Let us know at Social@coldist.com.
Nothing goes better with a slice of pizza than a cold beer. Before making the usual purchase from the local beer distributor, discover the ideal brew to pair with pepperoni and other favorite toppings.
Those who like to keep it simple with sweet tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and savory basil should opt to wash their pizza down with a pale ale like Sierra Nevada. The light taste will balance the acidity and brightness of the sauce without overshadowing the delicate flavor of the cheese.
Since pepperoni is a spicier meat, it needs a strong beer to stand up to the taste. The dark, bitter roast of an IPA pairs perfectly, cleansing the palate for the big flavors of the slice without overwhelming the senses.
While this pineapple and ham-topped pie might be a more exotic choice, this pairing can make it anyone’s favorite. Choosing a beer or cider with a fruity flavor, such as Redd’s Apple Ale, contrasts the salty meat while providing a harmonious note with the sweet, juicy fruit profiles.
Pair this pizza with an earthy, hoppy beer. English ales are an excellent choice since their earthiness is tinged with a sweetness that helps brighten up the mushroom flavor. Similarly, the rich sweetness of a milk or chocolate stout is another good pairing choice to grab from the beer distributor, as it is both bold and delicate like the mushrooms themselves.
An indulgent pizza deserves an indulgent beer. The caramel in this powerful beer plays well with the natural sweetness of smoked meats like sausage. Meanwhile, the herbal flavors from the pizza bring out the peaty notes in the beer, offering a nice balance.
Some may think that any beer matches well with the classic cheese pizza. However, a wheat beer like Blue Moon is light enough to not overshadow the flavors of the pizza, allowing this favorite meal to shine.
Stock the fridge with one of these selections from a local beer distributor next time Friday night rolls around. These pairings are ideal for a date or a night out with friends.
The MillerCoors Company is the consummation of two immigrants who never met, but who grew up working in European breweries. In 1855, Frederick Miller, from Germany, bought an abandoned brewery in a Wisconsin valley near clear waters and the raw materials of neighboring farms. In 1873, Adolph Kohrs, a former stowaway from Prussia, bought a ramshackle brewery in Colorado. By the 1950s, each company’s beer distributors were selling more than a million barrels a year. By 2008, Miller and Coors were partners in a global brewing conglomerate. In 2015, it sold for $107 billion.
Since their inception, Miller and Coors have been leaders in experimentation. Miller was one of the first breweries to pasteurize beer, and both were pioneers in mechanical refrigeration. Miller made the first American ice-brewed beer, while Coors was first to sell wide-mouth cans. Coors and its beer distributors launched a national recycling revolution by offering a penny for every can returned, and Miller ignited the low-calorie beer wars with its infamous Miller Lite product.
The thought of America’s first light beer occurred in the early 1970s in Munich, Germany, where Miller’s president, John Murphy, was dining with a friend who was trying to lose weight. When the waiter recommended a “diät-pilsener” (a low-sugar, pale lager for diabetics), Murphy ordered for himself. After a few sips, he said, “There’s room for something like this in America.” Before long, Miller Brewing had discovered a recipe that broke down higher-calorie starches. After tweaking it to produce, in the brewery’s words, “A low-calorie brew that tastes like beer,” the birth of Miller Lite spawned a new generation of beer drinkers, beer distributors, and a “light” revolution in American drink and food.
Amid the burgeoning popularity of craft beers worldwide, all the major breweries scrambled to contend with the competition while chasing demand. After joining forces, Miller and Coors poured more marketing dollars into online and social media and even created new brands like Blue Moon. Next came a new corporate division, Tenth and Blake Beer Co., which orchestrated such operations as Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., the Blue Moon beers, others created by Coors, and imported brands like Pilsner Urquell.
In 1969, Philip Morris bought Miller for $130 million from Frederick Miller’s heirs. In 2002, Philip Morris sold Miller to South African Breweries (SAB) for $3.6 billion in stock and $2 billion in debt to form SABMiller. In 2005, Coors merged with Molson to form Molson Coors Company. In 2007, SABMiller and Molson Coors formed a joint venture called MillerCoors. And finally, in 2015, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced its acquisition of competitor SABMiller for $107 billion.