The Category
Selling through a distributor is not selling
Beverage alcohol is structurally different from the rest of CPG, and three-tier is why. Your sales leader is not selling product. They are managing distributors who carry competing brands, fighting for tap handles and shelf resets, and motivating a distributor sales force that represents dozens of suppliers. That skill does not transfer cleanly from food.
Production is a second filter. A head of brewing operations needs fluency in fermentation, yeast management and quality systems. A winemaker is judged on vintage calls that play out over years. A distillery operations lead is managing aging inventory as a balance sheet item. Generalist recruiters consistently misjudge these.
We also work the premiumization and non-alc crossover reshaping the category, where brands need a commercial leader who can carry a traditional portfolio and a zero proof line without treating one as a hobby.
- 01
- Distributor influenceCan they move a distributor sales force they do not employ. That is the whole job.
- 02
- Segment fitCraft and macro are different cultures. A great operator in one can fail in the other inside a year.
- 03
- Technical depthFor production roles we test process knowledge directly. Credentials travel further than competence here.
What We Cover
Roles We Place Across Beer, Wine and Spirits
We place leaders from mid-management through the C-suite across production and commercial. Work with a specialized CPG recruiter or food and beverage recruiter who knows your world, or see how our search model works.
Distributor and Trade
- VP of Sales
- Distributor Manager
- Director of National Accounts
- On-Premise Director
- Off-Premise Manager
Brand
- Brand Director
- Trade Marketing Manager
- Brand Ambassador Manager
- Digital Lead
Production
- Head Brewer
- Director of Brewing Operations
- Winemaker
- Distillery Manager
- Cellar Master
Quality and Compliance
- Director of Quality
- Lab Manager
- TTB Compliance Manager
Supply Chain
- Director of Procurement
- Logistics Manager
- Inventory and Aging Manager
Leadership
- President
- COO
- CFO
Candidate Evaluation
You meet the person before the first interview
Every finalist arrives with a written evaluation, not a resume and a sentence. Interview notes from several conversations, a homework assignment tied to your biggest need, career motivations, and the resume itself, merged into one document on your portal.
You will not get a weekly summary email. You will see the candidate the day we add them.
Where we work in the category
- Craft and regional breweries
- Macro and import portfolios
- Wineries and vineyards
- Distilleries and aged spirits
- RTD and hard seltzer
- Non-alcoholic lines
- Importers and suppliers
- Cider and specialty
Common Questions
Beer, Wine and Spirits recruiting, answered
What makes beverage alcohol recruiting different?
Three-tier. Producers sell to distributors who sell to retailers, so a commercial leader's job is distributor management as much as selling. Candidates without that experience underestimate how much of the role is influence rather than control.
Do you fill production and technical roles?
Yes. Head brewers, directors of brewing operations, winemakers, distillery managers and quality leaders are a regular part of our work. These run longer than commercial searches because the pool is small and tightly networked.
Can you recruit for both craft and large-scale producers?
Yes, and we screen hard for fit between them. The gap between a 10,000-barrel craft brewery and a macro producer is cultural as much as operational, and candidates rarely cross it without friction.
Do you work with brands launching non-alcoholic lines?
Yes, and it is an increasingly common brief. It calls for a commercial leader who can carry both a traditional portfolio and a zero proof line credibly, which is a narrower pool than either on its own.
How do you run a confidential search?
Slowly and unbranded. Replacing a sitting executive without the market finding out needs a tighter candidate list and strict control of who knows. These take longer and we price them accordingly.
Hiring in beer, wine or spirits?
Tell us the seat. We will show you how we would run the search.