I’m not one to get excited about these supposed “Month” celebrations, but “Tavern Month”?! Sign me up. According to the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) the 62nd Annual Tavern Month is a celebration of the many licensed bars and taverns that help fuel excitement in the beer industry and enrich America’s social culture.
As fellow Main Street businesses, bar and tavern owners partner with America’s 3,300 independent, licensed beer distributors in communities across the country to contribute to local economies; support hundreds of thousands of jobs; invest in local communities; and deliver an unparalleled selection of beer to millions of customers every day.
By warehousing, selling and delivering a record number of beer brands, beer distributors work with taverns to better understand markets and tailor beer choices for consumers. Distributors’ sales expertise helps taverns create point-of-sale materials including banners, table tents and beer menus to help drive traffic and create excitement in accounts across the country.
Distributors work closely with bar and tavern owners and their employees to provide responsible service as part of an effective system of state-based alcohol regulation. Bar and tavern owners make significant investments in the license that affords them the privilege to sell alcohol. Distributors work with retailers to protect these investments by supporting training programs and ID checks and ensuring responsible business practices. Employees of local beer distribution companies and local taverns live in the communities where they work, and they are invested in keeping those communities safe.
“The bars and taverns of America are business engines for our economy and culture, but they can’t do it all by themselves,” said John Bodnovich, executive director of American Beverage Licensees. “Local beer distributors help these independent small businesses meet consumer demands by delivering burgeoning and mature brands that strengthen our thriving beverage alcohol marketplace.”
“It’s a great American tradition to gather with family, friends or colleagues to enjoy a cold beer in their local bar or tavern,” said NBWA President and CEO Craig Purser. “America’s beer distributors are proud to partner with bar and tavern owners as part of a system that helps new brands get to market and offers consumers their choice of the largest international brands and the smallest local brews all on the same menu and bar tap.”
“So when you head out to your local watering hole this May, be sure to raise a glass and offer a toast to a system that works so well for brewers, distributors, retailers – and most importantly – the consumer,” Purser added.
