In the past few years, the rise of craft beer has been startling — in fact, the total number of breweries in the States rose by almost 20% from 2013 to 2014; signaling the growing popularity of the many types of flavor profiles. The market has been trying to meet the demand, and so marketing your craft brew has been easier if you do it by season. Continue reading…
A lot of people depend on their morning fix of caffeine to get the day started. For most, this comes in the form of a cup of coffee. In fact, many people may drink coffee throughout the day or even at night as a way to maintain their energy levels so that they can stay productive while at work.
However, coffee isn’t your only option. You can get the energy boost you need by enjoying wellness drinks or energy drinks, many of which also contain caffeine, the essential ingredient to an energy boost. The following are a few examples of wellness drinks and energy drinks that will have the same effect as coffee: Continue reading…
We all know that an ice cold beer is one of the best ways to cool down on a hot summer day (or night). However, sometimes you might be in the mood for a delicious ice cream treat as well. If this is the case, why not combine the two and enjoy an alcoholic ice cream treat?
Alcoholic ice cream treats have become all the rage in recent years, especially following the sudden burst of interest in craft beer and artisanal ice creams over the past decade. The following are just a few of the alcoholic ice cream treats that are available all over the country that you should try out this summer if given the chance: Continue reading…
Different types of beers are better suited to different times of the year. For example, a thick stout beer is much better suited to the winter than it is to the summer. So what should you drink to stay cool now that the summer is here? Summer ales, of course!
The fact that a summer ale is perfect for the summer weather is kind of a no-brainer. It’s all in the name, after all. But what exactly makes a summer ale a “summer” ale? The main characteristic of a summer ale is a light and crisp taste. Breweries will get this taste by combining wheat and barley together. Every year, some of the best breweries in the world prepare new summer ales for the summer season. Continue reading…
Iced teas are, perhaps surprisingly, a relatively new thing in the American consciousness. It’s only been a bit over a hundred years, after all, since the World’s Fair in St. Louis when Englishman Richard Blechynden served it up cold to the public. Today, the overwhelming majority of tea consumed by Americans is served iced. Here is a selection of some of the better options for iced tea on the market.
You might have heard about this by now – especially if you frequent the gym or watch fitness programs. Kombucha is a type of tea-inspired beverage that has quite a few superstar qualities. Composed of probiotics, fungi, fermented tea and natural sugars, it is advertised as being able to stave off certain cancers, supply your body with loads of natural energy without the impending crash, weight loss, and immune system fortification. It’s a non-alcoholic beverage for the most part, although the fermentation process can give it a slight alcoholic kick.
A true success story, Snapple was once a much smaller brand that found tremendous favor with the public; it is one of the most well-received cold ice teas on the market – ever. After just nine years of being out in the open, they were bought out and now form an essential part of the Dr. Pepper soft drink empire. A cool, refreshing sweet tea that comes in many delicious flavors such as Mango tea, Diet Peach, Snapple Apple, Green Tea and Orange Carrot.
Another brand that started small and flourished explosively in the past decade, Numi Organic Tea comes from all the regions of the world. The herbs that comprise this delectable beverage are grown in India, Africa, China, South America and other places. The brother and sister team are also very artistic, and design the packaging on the brand. You can find green teas, bottled teas, herbal teas, chocolate teas, turmeric teas and more – all carried by Columbia Distributing. An ice tea made of orange spice or white rose makes for an amazing summer day.
Although marketed as sparkling water, Yerbae is enhanced with white tea extract; you can just catch the fleeting scent of the water that’s also mixed with guarana seed and a bit of natural caffeine from the tea. It is a calorie-less drink that has all the qualities of spring water. Try the Lemon, Pomegranate Berry and Strawberry Kiwi flavors to avoid missing out. For best results, make sure they’re chilled.
For more than eight decades, the people at Columbia Distributing have believed that when it comes to beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic represent the best of both worlds. Our humble roots in the Pacific Northwest stretch back to the mid 1930s, which proves our long-time commitment to providing our cherished customers throughout Northern California, Oregon and Washington with their choice of successful brands of ice tea and other drinks.
The summer months these past few years have seemingly been hotter than usual, and the current one is shaping up to be the same. As connoisseurs of iced tea and cold draft beer, the people at Columbia Distributing know a thing or two about hydration in summer. With that said, we’ve compiled a list that should help you stay cool as the mercury rises.
Help us congratulate our first two recipients of the Stronger, Better, Faster, Together 2017 Scholarship – Haley Palmer and Taylor Hartt!
This year Columbia Distributing came together to create a new in-house academic scholarship to help financially assist families with loved ones in college. Haley and Taylor, along with 9 others completed an online application process with our partner Scholarship America, for the opportunity to receive $10,000 to put toward their educational goals. The finalists were selected based off academic performance, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and 
community activities, work experience, a statement of career and educational goals and objectives, unusual personal or family circumstances and an outside appraisal.
Ultimately, Haley Palmer, daughter of Lance Palmer – Operations Manager in Medford, OR and Taylor Hart, stepdaughter of Aaron Patrick – C- Store Sales Rep in Everett, WA were selected as this year’s winners.
Haley is currently enrolled at University of Hawaii and Taylor attends the University of Washington. Congratulations again to you both!
Are you a Columbia Distributing employee and have a child/dependent who is interested in applying for the 2017-2018 scholarship? The application process begins again in October and can be bookmarked here!
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.
Anyone who has ever marveled at the dizzying number of mainstream and specialty brands a favorite watering hole keeps on tap has probably wondered just how that big truck with the roll-up sides gets stocked with so many different kinds of drinks. The answer is quite interesting.
In the US, beverage distribution differs from foodstuff distribution in one rather big, corporate way. Transnational food supply corporations, by and large, nationally distribute food. Those mega-corporate names often aren’t as familiar as the brands they supply to local grocers or restaurants.
In contrast, beverages are predominantly delivered by independent distributors that warehouse and distribute products for manufacturers over territories usually no larger than a few states. This is especially true for alcoholic beverages. The majority of those trucks are, in fact, from small- to mid-sized, local operations. They distinguish themselves from franchise distributors—those who work for a specific brand—by general or regional business names that don’t incorporate brand references or logos.
Oddly enough, America’s thirst for the best craft brew, no matter where it’s made, actually contributes to the nation’s economic recovery in two ways. Because it is not nationally controlled by a small number of corporate interests, beverage distribution is an area of the economy that fosters and favors the development of American enterprise, creating jobs at the local level in several sectors. This benefit then multiplies nationally as distributors deliver more domestically crafted microbrews and specialty beverages because the delicious cargo is itself produced by a growing number of small- and mid-sized companies all across the country.
The three-tier beverage distribution system (i.e. producer to wholesaler/distributor to retailer) was designed post-Prohibition in the United States. It aims in part to guarantee regional wholesale price parity, and in part to ensure operational transparency across the alcoholic beverage industry regarding sales, taxes, and consumption. That means that even the most hyper-local microbrewery will go through a beverage distributor to get on draft at the local watering hole. Therefore, even though wholesalers and distributors are largely local, abiding by the federally mandated three-tier system guarantees safe beverage distribution to everyone nationwide.
Exploring the many craft beers available through a beverage distributor will help ensure a memorable Valentine’s Day celebration. Craft beers can make for a delicious pairing with a special dinner and sweet desserts. Here are some top craft breweries with romantic brews worth trying.
Rogue’s Chocolate Stout exudes a rich, earthy flavor with prominent notes of oats and hops. The dark ebony color of the Chocolate Stout makes this beer an ideal dessert beverage. Rogue is famous for brewing its beers without any chemicals, preservatives, or additives, and these beverages are part of a hand-made revolution. With just 11 ingredients including chocolate, this American stout beer promises to be part of a memorable evening.
New Holland’s barrel-aged stout, Dragon’s Milk Reserve, offers several different varieties to suit virtually every taste. Try the Dragon’s Milk Reserve with oak, raspberry, and lemon or a variety with coconut rum, which is sure to be a big hit. Additionally, an oak option with coffee and chocolate is a creamy mixture of vanilla and roast coffee. Or, ask the local beverage distributor about the Dragon’s Milk Reserve with vanilla and chai spices, as a perfect nightcap paired with a decadent dessert.
Samuel Adams offers a distinct Chocolate Bock with an easy-to-drink malty flavor, and, as expected, a strong chocolate flavor paired with hints of caramel and roasted marshmallow. These flavors make it the perfect pairing with a nostalgic s’mores treat by the fire.
Romantic Chemistry, brewed by Dogfish Head, is an India Pale Ale with the essence of ginger, mango, and apricots. The ale includes three kinds of hops, which combine delightfully with the tropical fruits. With a fruity and hop-forward aroma, pair this medium-to-light ale with cheese, Mexican entrées, seafood, and more. Try Dogfish Head’s Flesh and Blood IPA for an India Pale Ale with a citrusy aroma and flavor. Deep orange in color, this medium-bodied ale is ideal with both entrées and desserts.
With a wide array of craft beers available through a beverage distributor, you can create an unforgettable Valentine’s Day with distinctive food, drink, and company.