Washington Breweries lose distribution as Kendall’s Pioneer and Browar Polska dissolved in Corwin Beverage Sale
Pepsi Co. has purchased large Washington beer and cider distributor Corwin Beverage according to reports, in the process their smaller regional distributors Kendall’s Pioneer and Browar Polska will be completely shuttered. This isn’t just behind the scenes drama, it is a major blow to small craft brewers who are going to be left out in the cold with no simple way to deliver their product to key accounts. The major acquisition and closure of the smaller distributors is especially damaging to the southwest Washington craft beer industry that relies on those beverage companies. More than a dozen brands will now be left without a distributor, and with the real possibility of closure.
Kendall’s Pioneer Distributing and Browar Polska are specialty distributors that provide high-quality craft beer, import beers, wine and cider products to retailers, bars and restaurants across Washington state. Kendall’s Pioneer serves clients between southwest Washington and Yakima while Browar Polska serves clients in the Seattle-Puget Sound area and points in eastern Washington. Both are business units of Corwin Beverage Company, a fourth generation family-owned business that has distributed refreshments in western Washington since 1941.
Northbank Brewers Alliance, a group of small independent brewers representing SW Washington including Vancouver and parts of the gorge, was the first to publicly address the situation. Stating “This consolidation serves to injure the Northbank brands held by Corwin and will echo for years to come in southwest Washington craft beer.”
North Bank Brewers official statement:
“Corwin did not give sufficient notice to the craft brands in their book to be able to pivot in a reasonable manner. This short notice has already led to layoffs at the individual breweries and will most definitely lead to more in the future. This lack of communication about their plans with Pepsi Co will also deprive the craft beer community in Washington State now and for years to come.
The Northbank Brewers Alliance will aide these brands by helping with education in self distributing and we will also be championing our local bars, taprooms, and restaurants that feature local beer from all of our community suppliers.
Supporting local beer is more necessary now than at any other time in our young Alliances history. If you have the means to support our small businesses either at their brewery or at your local taproom, now is the time.
Cheers to drinking local beer and supporting your community pubs!
”
Breweries such as Everybody’s Brewing who just launched a major brand overhaul, and small favorite locals like Trap Door Brewing, Grains of Wrath, 5440 Brewing, Fortside, Swift Cider, Little Beast, Barrel Mountain, and Thunder Island Brewing are among the brands affected. One such brewery owner who wishes to remain anonymous tells the New School:
“We were shocked at the news this week. Kendall’s (along with Browar Polska) has been as strong a supporter of local craft brands as we could have ever hoped for. Our brand as well as those of all of the other breweries and cideries affected will not fare well because of their lack of interest in finding a path forward. We’ve already had to lay off team members and it shouldn’t have happened.
Their short notice in letting us know makes this all the more painful. Pivoting has become something we do well now, but it is unfair and unacceptable that the executives at Corwin left us all out to dry by not telling us earlier. The Corwin family should feel ashamed by their money grab at our expense.
Continued consolidation won’t stop, it will happen again shortly when Columbia finally pulls the trigger on CSB/Odom. We need independent distributors, but the choices just aren’t there in southwest Washington.
We’re immediately putting pieces in place to be ready for self distribution on May 1st . We’re fucking pissed but we’re strong, resilient, and we’re gonna fight for our place in the market against the big beer fucks. ”
The sudden dissolution could put some breweries/cideries out of business, and will make it much more difficult for taphouses as well.
“It’s going to make my job a hell of a lot harder. With many of the brands going self distro, that makes it difficult for me from accounting, invoicing, and ordering from multiple outlets.”
This is a developing story, check back for updates…