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Why the Tortoise Wins: Slow, Steady, and the Real Formula for Lasting Beverage Success

Why the Tortoise Wins:

Slow, Steady, and the Real Formula for Lasting Beverage Success

Raise your hand if you know someone who snagged 50 new placements last month and blew up your LinkedIn feed celebrating it. Buzzwords fly. “Crushing it!” “Domination!” “Disrupting the shelf!”

A few months later, though? The buzz is gone. Bottles are gathering dust. And that founder? Nowhere in sight when the reset wipes the slate clean.

Here’s the real talk: This industry is packed with hares, those racing for flashy wins and falling flat when their brands vanish at the next reset. But the beverage leaders of 2025? They’re tortoises. They build what lasts. They transform placements into repeat velocity, becoming must-haves, not just one-hit wonders.

Even in the beverage industry, slow and steady still wins the race.

Takeaways Up Front

  1. Placements don’t build brands, velocity does. Shiny scorecards fade, but reorderPlacements don’t build brands, velocity does. Shiny scorecards fade, but reorders create long-term value and shelf security.
  2. Support matters more than shelf space. Ongoing activation, training, and account nurturing move product and build loyalty.
  3. Velocity and reorder data, not door counts, predict who thrives post-reset. The brands who treat each account as a relationship, not a conquest, win the marathon.

The Allure (and Trap) of Vanity Metrics

Everyone wants to hit triple-digit PODs. The PowerPoint decks balloon, the metrics rack up, and the “shelfies” rain down. But behind those numbers is the only statistic that matters: what percentage of those placements reordered last quarter? The data is clear: headlines make noise, but only supportive, quality distribution makes a brand a contender for acquisition and long-term shelf survival.

Slow-moving brands gather dust, while engaged staff and creative activations move cases—and win reorders.

The Data Says: Support Wins

In 2025, new beverage segments are upending old norms:

Year-over-year growth by beverage segment in 2025. NA beer leads all categories

NA beer and THC beverages are booming, but only when brands pair placements with robust support. Traditional spirits and wine brands? If they don’t pivot from “set and forget” to “support and sell-through,” reset risk multiplies. Growth means nothing if bottles collect dust, especially with functional and nonalcoholic categories surging.

The Tactics of the Steady Winner

The best brands, regardless of category, have a playbook for velocity:

  • Staff Education: Memorable, practical training for staff, never just a deck or product dump.
  • In-Market Activations: Demos, digital campaigns, and events that make the product come alive for customers… and for staff too.
  • Ongoing Rep Engagement: Regular check-ins with distributors and field teams. The brands who show up, sell through.
  • Data-Driven Action: Velocity dashboards catch slow accounts fast, so support is always proactive.

Brands that invest in in-store demos and ongoing support don’t just get placements—they get advocates and reorders.

Average reorder rates by beverage segment in 2025. NA and THC beverages outperform traditional categories

NA and THC brands build reorder loyalty by offering more than just product , they offer partnership, education, and creative field engagement. That’s what drives these higher reorder rates.

Playing and Surviving the Reset Game

Reset season is brutal. Often, it’s the brands who looked unstoppable at launch that get delisted, while slow-and-steady winners build permanent homes on the shelf:

Shelf reset survival rates in 2025. NA beer and THC beverages maintain the highest survival

In 2025, data shows over 60% of RTD, THC, and nonalcoholic launches that didn’t hit their velocity and reorder targets were cut during resets, no matter how massive their initial push.

The Tortoise’s Toolbox: Resources for Durable Brands

Real competitors make it part of their DNA to support and empower every account. Here’s where to start:

Final Word: Run the Race That Matters

Celebrate every win but know what matters most. When the applause fades, will your brand be quietly racking up reorders and drawing loyal support? Or will it be another lesson in how not to build a beverage business.

 

If you want compounding wins, train your team, support your partners, and treat every POD as the beginning of a relationship, not a finish line.

Here’s to the steady, durable, and supportive, the beverage industry’s real winners.

Cheers to realignment and greater success!

Sam Anderson, BeverageManSam

- Sam Anderson



Just Pick Up The Phone 📞

Empowering individuals through meaningful connections, one person at a time.


Co-Founder BevAssets.com

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🐢 Data and Visual Sources

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News & Insights

Beyond the Ingredient List: Why Winning Beverage Brands Start with Consumer Desire

Beyond the Ingredient List

Why Winning Beverage Brands Start with Consumer Desire

Walk into any beverage brainstorm today and you’ll hear the same debate: what matters more, what’s in the bottle or what the drinker actually craves? Truth is, both matter, but not equally. Ingredients can win headlines, but consumers decide who wins shelf space. The brands crushing it in 2025 are the ones that marry clean, functional decks with irresistible taste, cultural resonance, and a story that actually makes people care.

Ingredients Matter (But People Matter More)

Let’s be clear: ingredients are table stakes. Nobody’s launching a new soda, kombucha, or spirit with mystery chemicals and hoping for the best. Clean labels, plant based boosts, adaptogens, probiotics, protein if it’s buzzy and functional, it’s either already on the market or about to be. Transparency isn’t a trend anymore; it’s an expectation.

According to fresh 2025 data, three out of four consumers are seeking drinks that check at least one of these boxes: healthier, cleaner, more sustainable. That’s not a nice-to-have—it’s survival.

Why so much focus? A few reasons:

  • Wellness Everywhere: Consumers want their drinks to support immunity, focus, digestion, and energy. That’s why you’re seeing probiotic sodas, adaptogenic teas, prebiotic waters, and protein hybrids flooding the shelves.
  • No More Mystery Labels: Millennials and Gen Z can and will Google your ingredient list before they buy. Traceability isn’t marketing fluff anymore, it’s mandatory.
  • Personalized Vibes: Drinks are now lifestyle accessories. Morning boosts, on-the-go hydration, evening wind-downs—products slot into daily rituals and social moments with precision.

The Industry Trap: Overthinking Ingredients

Here’s where it gets tricky. Some brands are so obsessed with perfecting the “functional holy grail” that they forget to ask the only question that matters: will anyone actually want to drink this?

We’ve all seen it, launches packed with exotic botanicals, obscure minerals, or “superfoods of the month” that nobody really connects with. Innovation without consumer insight is just a costly science project.

The drinks that actually break through focus on why people drink:

  • A taste of indulgence or nostalgia
  • A little mood lift or escape
    Global flavors that feel like travel in a can
  • Instagram-worthy colors, aromas, and textures
  • Or just…comfort, plain and simple

Take Spindrift. They didn’t reinvent water; they just leaned into recognizable ingredients and made them sparkle (literally). Or RTDs riffing on dirty sodas and espresso martinis – equal parts novelty, nostalgia, and TikTok virality.

The 2025 Ingredient Playbook

Five forces are shaping what’s in our cups this year:

  • Functional Hydration
    • Water isn’t just water anymore. Drinks are loaded with electrolytes, plant proteins, adaptogens, and botanicals like ginger, turmeric, and ashwagandha. If it doesn’t multitask, it doesn’t make the cut.
  • Adventurous & Global Flavors
    • Think yuzu spritzers, tamarind sodas, dragon fruit teas. The magic is in balancing exotic flair with something familiar (pineapple-ginger prebiotic soda, anyone?).
  • Nostalgia Meets Social Media
    • TikTok can turn a quirky flavor into a nationwide sellout overnight. Dirty sodas, creamy ‘90s throwbacks, candy-inspired hydration powders, if it hits both tastebuds and memory banks, it wins.
  • Sustainable & Local
    • Provenance is the new premium. Whether it’s a hyper-local beer brewed with regional grains or a gin made with foraged botanicals, the closer to home (and greener the footprint), the better.
  • Premiumization & Customization
    • Consumers will pay more for products that feel elevated. Ingredient callouts (“featuring organic ashwagandha”) and premium packaging signal quality, while flavor flights and custom kits give drinkers a sense of ownership.

What Actually Works

So what’s the formula? It’s not rocket science (though sometimes it feels like it). The winning moves are:

Start with the consumer, not the lab.

Use social listening, surveys, even DM feedback loops to hear what people want.

Test fast, fail cheap.

Prototype, sample, refine. Don’t wait until you’ve sunk millions into a formula that no one likes.

Balance function with fun.

Your adaptogens are useless if the drink tastes like grass clippings.

Tell a story worth repeating.

Ingredient decks don’t sell themselves—stories do. Show the origin, the vibe, the why.

Tools & Partners to Speed It Up

  • Consumer Intel: Platforms like Tastewise or NielsenIQ are goldmines for real-time trend tracking.
  • Agile R&D: Flavor houses like Flavorman are helping brands pivot fast without losing steam.
  • Transparency: Digital tools now make it easy to show sourcing and sustainability in real-time.
  • Ingredient Partnerships: Co-brand with functional heroes or upcycled ingredients for built-in credibility.

The Bottom Line

In 2025, ingredients matter more than ever, but only if they serve the bigger story. Winning brands aren’t chasing the latest superfruit; they’re building drinks that connect emotionally, culturally, and experientially.

The future of beverages is about curiosity, listening, and optimism. Every sip should feel like an answer to a consumer’s unspoken question: what do I actually want right now?

If you nail that, the ingredient list becomes the supporting actor, not the star.

Let’s connect and build your 2026 strategy.

Cheers to realignment and greater success!

Sam Anderson, BeverageManSam

- Sam Anderson



Just Pick Up The Phone 📞 | Joy 🦋

Empowering individuals through meaningful connections, one person at a time.


Co-Founder BevAssets.com

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✏️ Sources (Deep Dives and References)

  1. BevSource – Unpacking 2025 Beverage Trends 
  2. Numerator – Beverage Behaviors: The Stories Shaping Drink Trends in 2025
  3. Flavorman – Flavorman Releases 2025 Beverage Trends Predictions
  4. Restaurant Association – We’ll Drink to That: Top Beverage Trends for 2025
  5. Innova Market Insights – Top Food Trends 2025
  6. St. Charles Trading – Premium Beverage Ingredients Innovating the Industry
  7. Glanbia Nutritionals – US Functional Beverage Market Insights
  8. LinkedIn – Ingredient Brands and Consumer Trust
  9. Food Industry Executive – Industry Insights: Consumers Seek Clean Label Ingredients
  10. Tastewise – Q3 2025 Food & Beverage Trends
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News & Insights Three-Tier System

The Hard Truth No One Wanted to Tell You (Until Now)

The Hard Truth No One Wanted to Tell You (Until Now) Beverage Industry Newsletter Blog

The Hard Truth No One Wanted To Tell You (But I’m Telling You Now):

The Reality of Liquor Sales and Distribution

When new suppliers enter the U.S. liquor market, they’re often told that landing a distributor contract is the golden ticket to retail stardom. Shelves, placements, visibility, if only it were so simple. The truth, rarely discussed outside industry circles, is that distribution is one of the toughest, least forgiving battles in beverage alcohol. To succeed, brands must move past myths, understand the structures at play, and embrace their role as marketers, educators, and relentless demand creators. 1

The Backbone: The Three-Tier System

At the heart of liquor sale and distribution in the U.S. is the three-tier system, a post-Prohibition legal framework designed to regulate alcohol, collect taxes, and prevent monopolies. Here’s the fundamental setup: the supply chain is split into producers (brands, manufacturers), distributors (middlemen, wholesalers), and retailers (liquor stores, bars, chains). Each tier is licensed and regulated separately, and inter-tier ownership is usually forbidden to prevent market abuses. 2

Producers create and package alcohol, they can only sell to licensed distributors, not directly to retailers (except for minor exceptions in some states). Distributors act as the gatekeepers, moving products to licensed retailers but rarely helping build brand stories. Retailers then bring products to consumers, with further regulatory restrictions and markups along the way. 3

The system has strengths, transparency, traceability, tax collection, consumer safety, and competition are improved. But it also creates choke points, especially for upstart brands. One distributor contract does not mean shelf dominance, account activation, or consumer buzz. It simply means the truck can deliver your cases; the rest is up to you. 4

Distributors Are Essential, But Not Saviors

Distributors are indispensable: they possess the infrastructure, logistics, capital, and access to bring products to an array of retailers. They help ensure only compliant, safe alcoholic beverages reach consumers, and their systems facilitate recalls, inventory management, and supply chain discipline. But distributors operate portfolios filled with hundreds or even thousands of SKUs from countless suppliers. Expecting them to “make” your brand is wishful thinking. 5

Most distributors focus resources on brands with proven pull, strong velocity, and robust supplier-side activation. Their reps are charged with merchandising shelves, managing chain resets, and supporting placements, but incentive programs, corporate priorities, and pure sales volume dictate which SKUs are prioritized. 6

For new suppliers, this hard reality often stings: signing a distributor is only the beginning. Getting a product authorized for chain retail means very little without consumer demand, in-store activation, and real case movement. Distribution gets a brand in the door, it does not make you the star. 7

The Problems New Brands Face

The trouble starts with fundamental misunderstandings of the system. Many new brands believe distribution equals marketing, when in fact it equals logistics. Here’s what most miss:

1. You are One Of Many

Distributors have hundreds of brands on each truck, and thousands of SKUs in each warehouse. Achieving shelf space is important, but maintaining that space is all about driving cases out, velocity is king. If a product doesn’t move, it risks losing placement instantly, regardless of the initial distributor enthusiasm. 8

2. Distributors Are Partners, Not Marketers

The myth persists that distributors will push a brand’s story, execute “pull” programs, and deliver consumer excitement. In reality, the distributor supplies logistical support, account reach, and channel access, but the narrative and buzz remain the supplier’s responsibility. 9

3. Velocity Rules

Movement is everything; distributors are rewarded for moving cases, not for brand-building. They respond to incentives tied to volume and activation, not to unproven promises or marketing language. Without velocity metrics, a SKU is easily deprioritized, even if it is the supplier’s main hope. 10

4. Incentives Guide Focus

Distributor reps merchandise and hustle, but they’re driven by incentive programs set at the corporate level. These can shift from month to month, zeroing in on high-performing items or chain priorities and leaving many brands in the dust. Supplier-side incentives targeted at reps, like bonuses for activation, or premium placements, help but do not guarantee focus in the field. 11

5. Marketing Responsibility

Suppliers must realize that marketing falls squarely on their shoulders. Building demand, executing consumer programs, and generating buzz through digital and grassroots efforts, all fall outside the distributor’s usual scope. Retailers don’t purchase stories they’ve never heard about, and consumers don’t seek out brands they don’t recognize. 12

6. Chains Set Rules, Independents Still Matter

Large chains set national and regional standards for product authorization, resets, and in-store positioning. Winning in chains is a multi-step challenge, requiring supplier-side programming, persistent support, data-driven case movement, and robust consumer activation. Independents, meanwhile, remain crucial for seed accounts, grassroots testing, and local buzz. Both channels require pull, but the strategies to win them differ. 13

7. You Must Create Pull

Distributor reps and retailers respond to demand and velocity. When consumers start asking for a brand and movement follows, attention increases across all tiers. This “pull” effect is what elevates placement from a line item to a priority, transforming distributor engagement from passive to active. Without pull, even the best distributor partnership will remain tepid in the real world. 14

8. At the End of the Day: Distributor = Truck, Supplier = Megaphone

The distributor’s primary role is the operational movement of product. The supplier’s job is creating stories, igniting consumer excitement, and making every bottle or can relevant at the shelf. The most powerful brands act as their own megaphone, amplifying their message with energy, creativity, and strategic investment. 15

9. Solutions That Actually Work

Brands seeking success must switch focus from distribution as an endpoint to distribution as a means, an enabling platform. The following strategies help bridge the gap between mere access and true activation.

10. Build Account-Level Pull

Invest in tactics that directly drive sales within key accounts. These include digital shelf programs, targeted tastings, bartender and server trainings, menu placements, in-store activations, and grassroots outreach. Pull doesn’t happen overnight. It’s earned through persistent engagement and measurable results, account by account. 16

11. Actively Partner With Distributor Teams

Collaboration matters. Equip distributor reps with sell sheets, incentives (bonuses for activations or case movement), real-time data, and clear programming. Align your goals with theirs: reward what works, support what is feasible, and provide collateral that makes it easier for reps to sell your story. Meet regularly with distributor management and field teams to hold them accountable and update priorities as market conditions shift. 17

12. Leverage Technology and Analytics

Use tools like digital reporting dashboards, predictive inventory software, and velocity trackers to spot gaps and opportunities. Platforms like Encompass Technologies provide supply chain visibility, while demand-planning and analytics tools from Ortec or comparable providers help brands fine-tune retailer programs and optimize for market realities. 18

13. Understand Chain Requirements and Workflows

Every chain retailer is unique, some demand centralized programming, while others operate locally. Winning programs involve tailored planograms, account-level data, and timing that matches chain reset cycles. Never underestimate the importance of independent retailers in test markets or boutique cities, these venues are essential for grassroots buzz and early feedback. 19

14. Legal and Contract Diligence

Brands should review every distributor contract with a legal or compliance expert. Make sure agreements contain clear expectations around case movement, activation requirements, marketing support, and territory rules. Avoid vague language and push for measurable commitments. Brands who neglect contract diligence risk misalignment, wasted resources, and painful surprises in year two or three. 20

Resources to Empower Brands and Suppliers

Success in beverage alcohol is seldom achieved alone. Key industry resources can accelerate knowledge, streamline distribution, and support activation:

Encompass Technologies: Offers digital supply chain platforms for distributor-side ordering, reporting, and demand planning. Recommended for brands scaling regional and national distribution.

Johnson Brothers: A leading national distributor, providing trade marketing expertise, luxury brand support, and multi-state network access.

Park Street University: Delivers expert guides on distributor negotiation, compliance, and brand-building essentials for new-to-market suppliers.

Ortec Food & Beverage Distribution Guide: A comprehensive suite of analytics and route optimization tools for beverage marketers looking to increase efficiency and velocity.

BevSource: Offers end-to-end beverage development, launch strategy, and compliance support—especially vital for emerging NA, RTD, and craft-focused brands.

The Case for Supplier-Side Investment

Distributors are “trucks.” Suppliers are “megaphones.” The hard truth is that brands must fuel the system with capital, expertise, narrative, and an unrelenting effort to generate attention. The most successful brands invest in digital marketing, hyper-local events, trade incentives, chain programming, and legal compliance. They budget for account sell-through, invest in in-market teams, and never assume distribution alone will deliver results. 26

 

Suppliers should also benchmark their program performance. Use velocity per outlet (VPO), weighted distribution metrics, and competitive analysis to discover where brand-building activities translate into real pull. Top brands monitor data daily, test activations in live markets, and iterate programs seasonally to maximize ROI. 27

Navigating State-Level Nuances

The three-tier system is not monolithic; it shifts from state to state based on local regulations, population, and market history. Some states have control jurisdictions (the government operates part or all of the distribution), while others offer self-distribution privileges for craft producers. Direct-to-consumer shipping increasingly appears for wineries and some spirits, but most beer and liquor brands must still operate within the distribution framework. 28

Understanding differences is critical. Brands should consult local legal experts and trade associations to navigate compliance, case movement, and new product launches. 29

The Future: Innovation and Adaptation

As the beverage market evolves and consumer preferences shift, both distributors and suppliers are searching for real innovation. RTDs (ready-to-drink), NA (non-alcoholic) beverages, and hemp/THC-infused products present new challenges, often pushing the boundaries of the traditional system. Strong brands seek collaborative, adaptive distributor partners who embrace data, respond to emerging trends, and allow for market experiments in select accounts. 30

Likewise, industry consolidation raises fresh hurdles. Mega-distributors are growing stronger, acquiring local rivals and centralizing portfolios. This can make it harder for small suppliers to hold attention, reinforcing the need for supplier-side tenacity, marketing investment, and grassroots pull.

Let’s connect and build your 2025 strategy.


Cheers to realignment and greater success!

Sam Anderson, BeverageManSam

- Sam Anderson



Just Pick Up The Phone 📞 | Joy 🦋

Empowering individuals through meaningful connections, one person at a time.


Co-Founder BevAssets.com

Facebook Spotify Linkedin Instagram

📖 Resources & Guides for Navigating Distribution

Suppliers and brands should never go it alone. Below are key guides, platforms, and advisory sources to consult:

Encompass Technologies Manufacturer Hub: Supply chain management and demand planning tools

Johnson Brothers Supplier Portal: Programming, distribution, and trade marketing support

Park Street University University Distributor Relations Guide: Step-by-step advice for contract negotiation and market entry

Ortec Beverage Distribution Toolkit: Analytics and velocity reporting for suppliers

BevSource Development Studio: Launch and compliance support for emerging RTD, NA, and spirits brands

✏️ Sources (Deep Dives and References)

  1. VinePair – Understanding the Three-Tier System of Alcohol Distribution
  2. NABCA – Three-Tier System
  3. overproof – Understanding the Three-Tier System in Alcohol Distribution
  4. NABCA – The Three-Tier System: A Modern View
  5. McLaughlin – Understanding the Three-Tier Alcohol System in the United States
  6. Pepperi – Top Challenges for Beer & Wine Distributors: Addressing Key Issues
  7. Fermentation – The State of Predatory Wholesaling in the American Alcohol Industry
  8. GHJ& – Recent Shifts in Distribution and Its Effects on the Beverage Alcohol Ecosystem
  9. Park Street – Industry Experts Share Tips on Navigating Distributor Relations
  10. Ortec – 9 Innovative Strategies for Beverage Distribution
  11. andavi – Maximize Distributor Relationships During OND with These Guiding Principles – Part One
  12. Fermentation – The State of Predatory Wholesaling in the American Alcohol Industry
  13. GHJ& – Recent Shifts in Distribution and Its Effects on the Beverage Alcohol Ecosystem
  14. Park Street – Industry Experts Share Tips on Navigating Distributor Relations
  15. Ortec – 9 Innovative Strategies for Beverage Distribution
  16. Blue Ridge – Bottleneck Breakthroughs: Overcoming Supply Chain Challenges in Wine & Spirits Distribution
  17. Pepperi – Top Challenges for Beer & Wine Distributors: Addressing Key Issues
  18. Encompass – Digitally Connect Across the Beverage Supply Chain
  19. GHJ& – Recent Shifts in Distribution and Its Effects on the Beverage Alcohol Ecosystem
  20. SOVOS – Three-Tier System Essentials: Distributor Relationships
  21. Encompass – Digitally Connect Across the Beverage Supply Chain
  22. Johnson Brothers – Driving Success for Your Portfolio with Johnson Brothers
  23. Park Street – Industry Experts Share Tips on Navigating Distributor Relations
  24. Ortec – Comprehensive Guide to Food and Beverage Distribution
  25. BevSource – Home Page
  26. Ortec – 9 Innovative Strategies for Beverage Distribution
  27. Bartender Spirits Awards – 7 Tips On How To Build A Relationship With Your Distributor 
  28. Wikipedia – Three-Tier System (Alcohol Distribution)
  29. SOVOS – Three-Tier System Essentials: Distributor Relationships
  30. GHJ& – Recent Shifts in Distribution and Its Effects on the Beverage Alcohol Ecosystem

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