Need Distributor in New England

[mongo]

Manchester Brewing is a New Hampshire-based micro looking to expand to MA, VT, and eventually ME and RI. We have our compliance certificate for MA, and are looking for recommendations for a distributor there first.

Know anyone? Do you love/hate your distributor? In MA it's very, very difficult to fire a distributor, so it looks like we only get to guess once!

Thanks,

Kevin Bloom
Manchester Brewing LLC

[BMXFRANK]

In Mass you can also self distribute. That may be a better option to start and as you grow and see who covers your best areas in a promising manner, go with them.

My 3 cents, keep the change.

[MikeRoy]

I hate to cry UNCLE, but you can't self distribute in MA if you're an out-of-state brewery.

[mongo]

We ended up going with Craft Brewer's Guild in MA. We've been happy with them so far. I visited McLaughlin-Moran in Rhode Island and never heard back from them, so we're still looking there. Atlantic in MA was similar, they were very slow in returning calls or emails.

[BGarber]

Mongo - have you been happy with Craft Brewers Guild? What has your experience with them been?

Thanks,
Ben

[dereknobleluke]

We use Horizon here in RI. Origionally it was Copley-Fradin, then they boguht Wayne (miller house), then Horizon from mass bought the whole conglomerate. We are fortunate that we have had a long relationship with them and they treat us well, but could certianly do a better job with a 4500 bbl/year brewery in their own "backyard". Multiple lines from our brewery are practically unheard of, as there are maybe 15 accounts that carry more than 1 product from us. They also carry Harpoon (does very well here), otter creek (does ok), Magic Hat (does well), cider jack, woodchuck Sam (crushes it here in RI), trinity. McLaughlin just picked up Wachussett and they are their own little baby now--they tried Sherwood, they tried, CLipper City (loose cannon is doing quite well here though), they tried Abita, they have peak organic. They just picked up Ithaca (third time now in this state)The other distributor is Providence beverage has Dogfish, Long Trail, smutty, shipyard, bass guiness, coors, rogue, sierra......

My take...if you think you would like to sell draught down here, its locked up excpet for 10 accounts maybe that look for the cool new brewery. All distributors here are having wet dreams to take on Fat Tire. you might want to talk to Jim Shea from L Knife as they are looking to maybe open up distribution here.....

Also "beer guys" has a few micros with limited distribution....