Study Guide
Read the full study guide: The Three-Tier System and How Beer Reaches You
Exam Focus
- Name the three tiers and the consumer-facing endpoint.
- Recognize wholesalers as distributors.
- Recognize brewpubs and direct-sales breweries as common exceptions.
Normal beer movement
In the standard model, brewers or importers sell beer to wholesalers, wholesalers distribute beer to retailers, and retailers sell beer to consumers. The retailer is the consumer-facing endpoint.
Common exceptions
A wholesaler is the distributor tier. State law can allow exceptions, including brewpubs and some direct-sales breweries, so servers should know the normal flow without assuming it applies identically everywhere.
Why It Matters
- Servers answer basic operations questions more accurately when they know how beer normally reaches the account.
- Recognizing legal exceptions helps avoid overgeneralizing brewpub or direct-sales brewery service.
Key Terms
- Brewer or importer
- The producer or importer tier that supplies beer into the market.
- Wholesaler
- A distributor that buys beer from brewers or importers and sells it to retailers.
- Retailer
- The consumer-facing tier that sells beer to guests or shoppers.