How I learned to Love the Three-Tier System By Watching a Screen

But is it possible the beer wholesalers are lying to me?

Watch this…then, let’s talk.

First, this is the newest National Beer Wholesalers Association video telling us why we should trade in our families for the three-tier system. NBWA has a habit of creating these things.

But the NBWA’s artistic aspirations aren’t what I’m interested in here. I’m interested in exploring the lies in this video. By my count (and I could be wrong…but I’m usually not about this sort of thing) the video holds 9 bald-faced lies or purposeful omissions. That’s almost one every thirty seconds. Let’s take a look.

First, in learning about the three different tiers, we are told that the suppliers are “the individuals who craft the beverage”. But of course, they do more than that, don’t they? Suppliers also sell the beverage to consumers. They ship the beverage to the consumer. Why? Because the three-tier system doesn’t work for most producers. But, we’ll get to that.

Moving on, we then learn that wholesalers play a “crucial role in marketing to consumers” and “provide brand-building expertise.” Now, I’m as much a fan of wishful thinking as the next person, but wholesalers haven’t played any role, let alone a crucial role, in marketing to consumers for more than three decades. Wholesalers market products to retailers…and not very well.

You’d think that after those whoppers they might stop. But no, there’s much more. A lot more.