United States Beverage launches spirits division to support craft brands

USA – United States Beverage (USB), one of America’s leading beverage companies, has announced the formation of a new spirits division aimed at supporting craft and emerging spirit brands struggling to gain attention from national distributors. 

The new division will focus on ready-to-drink (RTD) spirits products and leverage USB’s extensive network and expertise to provide craft brands with an efficient route to market.  

This initiative reflects USB’s long-standing commitment to fostering the growth of domestic and imported beverages. 

“For nearly three decades, US Beverage has been focused on leveraging our national network to build craft and imported beers and FMB (flavored malt beverages) brands,” said Justin Fisch, president and CEO of USB.  

“As a result of those efforts, we have an exceptional team that can provide a full suite of services for domestic and import brands, including sales and marketing, regulatory, and back-of-house logistics.” 

He further emphasized, “We’ve built an outstanding network of large and small distributors across the country, so it only makes sense to add a team who can leverage our exceptional skills and existing network to serve spirit brands that are looking for a more efficient route to market to fuel their continued growth.” 

The newly established division will be led by Ken Aufiero, a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and distribution within the wine and spirits industry.  

Aufiero has held key roles at Bacardi, Fedway Associates, and Proximo Spirits, bringing extensive expertise to his new position as director of spirits at USB. 

In addition to forming the new division, USB has welcomed Brody’s Crafted Cocktails and Beehive Distilling to its portfolio. These brands join Dewey Crush, which signed with USB earlier in 2024.  

Both partnerships are aimed at expanding the footprint of these craft spirits and RTD cocktail brands across the United States. 

The launch of the spirits division comes as consolidation within the industry has made it increasingly challenging for craft brands to gain visibility.  

Fisch noted that USB’s established relationships with large and mid-tier distributors enable the company to offer craft spirit brands tailored distribution networks and brand-building programs that distributors often lack the capacity to execute. 

USB’s expansion into the spirits sector builds on its legacy as a leading independent beverage company in the U.S., with a diverse portfolio that includes UINTA Brewing Co., Moosehead Lager, ERDINGER, and Super Bock, among others. 

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