It’s no secret that monstrously large, multinational beverage and brewing corporations pretty much bully around American wholesalers — and then some of those wholesalers bully around smaller, independent brewers. The three-tier distributor system (its ancient roots planted in the time of Prohibition and its repeal) is supposed to dissuade monopolies and coercive practices by separating … Continue reading This 1997 Anheuser-Busch franchise agreement shows how distributors have always put Big Beer first