They certainly weren't shy about promoting their own agenda.
With that said I found it kind of boring.
Edit: After reading through some of the posts I did find it kind of whiny. They also seemed to discourage the idea (rightfully so, I'm sure) of anyone trying to open their own craft brewery, which kind of spits in the face of the spirit of craft breweries anyways.
So. Does anyone the actual reason it's difficult to sell beer? I'll give you a hint: It doesn't have anything to do with Anheuser Busch or Miller.
I'm gonna do a little research with my local grocery stores. I'd like to find out what percentage of the beer sales AB has and compare it to how much shelf space they take up.
I agree, but the first part of what you said made no sense. Also, there's a difference between aggressively fighting infringement and peppering someone with completely frivolous lawsuits in order to bog them down with legal fees and time wasted in court.
I'm not sure how this makes no sense. Dogfish Head (DFH) has the legal right to be the one and only company to use the names Chicory Stout and Punkin' Ale. These names are property because DFH owns them. AB claimed the names are too generic and everyone (not just AB) should have the right to use those names. Lo and behold, DFH won and continues to own the property rights on those names. Just because you think it was a waste of time doesn't mean this was a frivolous lawsuit. A judge could have easily thrown the case out if this were indeed true.
I'd like to point out my "the" example again. What if someone had the rights to "the?" Wouldn't you expect someone to say, "Wait a minute, you can't be the only one to use that word."
On a side note, "The" Ohio State University sued Ohio University (another state school) over the word "the." OSU won and OU is unable to put "the" in front of their school name. That is why you hear football players emphasize "The" Ohio State University. It may have actually been the other way around. OU may have sued OSU in the same way AB sued DFH. That's really just 6 of one or half dozen of the other though.
They're lobbying aggressively to maintain the three tier system that reduces the amount of choices available to consumers at retail by crowding out competitors. They're using their clout in the market to extort retailers into preserving and expanding their ridiculous shelf space.
I hate bumping threads like this but this is a misconception that always bothers me.
The three-tier system does NOT reduce the amount of choices available. It expands it. If a brewery is in a state that allows self-distribution of beer then that brewery can deliver beer to it's local market. If, however, that brewery wanted to expand to an area in another state, or even further in to their own state, they would need to rely on another distributor to get that beer to the retailer. See where I'm going with this?
As for using their clout in the market to "extort" retailers? Last time I checked business were around to make money. Whether we like it or not BMC products sell and make those businesses money, and they usually sell for roughly the same mark up in stores as any other product. They may offer buy downs to on-premise accounts in exchange for more tap space but that is part of the business and is completely up to the bar to accept or decline. Despite what many people believe you don't need to sell BMC to run a successful bar and there are many, many examples around to prove that.
So. Does anyone the actual reason it's difficult to sell beer? I'll give you a hint: It doesn't have anything to do with Anheuser Busch or Miller. . .answer: taxes
Well, since small brewers pay taxes via the same structure that AB-Inbev does, that may well be a reason it's harder overall - but is not a reason that small brewers are at a disadvantage.
The three-tier system does NOT reduce the amount of choices available. It expands it. If a brewery is in a state that allows self-distribution of beer then that brewery can deliver beer to it's local market. If, however, that brewery wanted to expand to an area in another state, or even further in to their own state, they would need to rely on another distributor to get that beer to the retailer. See where I'm going with this?
ALLOWING companies to use distributors in not the same as REQUIRING them to do so. Many states do not allow self-distribution (ours being one of them) so as a small brewery you can't sell to the bar next door without involving a distributor and the costs associated with that. If self-distribution was universally allowed so that it wasn't a limiting factor for the small guys then I would have less concern about it.
ALLOWING companies to use distributors in not the same as REQUIRING them to do so. Many states do not allow self-distribution (ours being one of them) so as a small brewery you can't sell to the bar next door without involving a distributor and the costs associated with that. If self-distribution was universally allowed so that it wasn't a limiting factor for the small guys then I would have less concern about it.
Many states do allow it however, particularly states that have a brewing history.
In Florida, and several other states, it probably wouldn't be that hard to push as wineries are generally allowed to self distribute.
The idea that distributors are somehow evil and the three tier system should be abolished is what I don't agree with, and that's the general sentiment.
I haven't read through all the posts on here, but I found the documentary sloppy and full of holes. You can replace beer with almost any commercially available good and you will discover the same barriers to entry, dominant players, and struggles to get brand recognition.
The caffeinated beer was an example of a bad idea, not the big guys holding the product down. Guess what, it's not easy to start any business; Offering a great product at a reasonable price is the minimum ticket price.
The shelf space is interesting, but really it's just BMC competing with each other. BMC customers have little overlap with the craft market. Even if you drink craft brew and you need some BMC for a party you're not all of the sudden going to decide it's better to get 20 4-packs of Dogfish Head instead.
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Drink what you like and share when you can. Support your local breweries.
The idea that distributors are somehow evil and the three tier system should be abolished is what I don't agree with, and that's the general sentiment.
I don't think it said that distributors were evil or that the three tier system should be abolished. The point was that you shouldn't be required to sell through a distributor to get your beer in a liquor store.
Think about it. If I wanted to start a clothing line, it could start making clothes and sell them to my friends and family, go to trade shows and sell there, sell at a flee market, create a webpage and run ads and sell them out of my house and car, eventually start selling them to stores and then once I get large enough I can start selling them through a distributor.
Why shouldn't a brewery be able to do the same? If I wanted to start a brewery as a home based business why can't I? If I wanted to start a brewery be selling to friends and family and growing by word of mouth, why can't I? I do I have to go from nothing to playing in the big leauges immediately? It just doesn't make sense. Most businesses have always started small and growing big. Why can't the same be done with a brewery?
Most singers/bands don't go from never playing a single gig to getting a record deal but the laws require a brewery to go from never selling a single bottle of beer to getting a distribution contract signed by a wholesaler.
The three-tier system does NOT reduce the amount of choices available. It expands it. If a brewery is in a state that allows self-distribution of beer then that brewery can deliver beer to it's local market. If, however, that brewery wanted to expand to an area in another state, or even further in to their own state, they would need to rely on another distributor to get that beer to the retailer. See where I'm going with this?
I don't. This doesn't make any sense to me at all. I don't see what your point is or what you are trying to get at.
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