Contributed by Anne Drummond, Imperial Beverage
KALAMAZOO (Mich.)/DENVER(Colo.) -Imperial Beverage of Kalamazoo, Michigan has been named a 2010 Craft Beer Distributor of the Year Award finalist. The Fourth Annual Craft Beer Distributor of the Year Award recognizes an exceptional American beer distributor who actively markets, sells and promotes craft beer. Awarding parties are The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) and the Brewers Association (BA), and the honor is
bestowed each year during the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.
Imperial Beverage, located at 4124 Manchester Road in Kalamazoo, takes craft beer education and awareness very seriously and stands out in this important area. The distributor’s monthly daylong education meeting is just one example of its efforts to further develop the craft knowledge of staffers who are eager to learn the intricacies and unique traits of each beer they are proudly promoting. Imperial also offers staff rewards and hosts trade shows geared toward the promotion of craft beers, and employs the world’s only Master Cicerone ™, Andrew Van Til.
“We are tremendously proud of our craft beer portfolio. It is an important component of the products we carry,” said Joe Cekola, President of Imperial Beverage. Cekola purchased the family-owned and operated business in 1989. “To be awarded such a distinction for the efforts we make to educate our staff, accounts and consumers about the craft of beer making would be an honor,” he said.
The Cekola family has operated nearly two dozen local businesses in the Kalamazoo area since the 1940s. Nick and Rose Cekola, Joe’s grandparents, operated Cekola’s Pizza on the North side of Kalamazoo for decades. Joe’s father, “Big” Joe, operated more than a dozen businesses in Kalamazoo before he died in 1994. One of the most well-known Cekola business is Star World Amusement which is currently run by his son, Bill Cekola.
“The entrepreneurial spirit of craft brewers continues to add energy and excitement to the American beer industry,” said NBWA President Craig Purser. “Their continued growth, despite a tough economic climate and a decline in overall beer sales last year, demonstrates American consumers’ appreciation for craft beer. It is this excitement that fuels the more than 1,500 breweries in the U.S.”
In 2009, small and independent American brewers saw volume increase 7.2 percent over 2008, representing a growth of 613,992 barrels or about 8.5 million cases, according to data released by the BA.
Distributors across the country source labels from brewers of all kinds- large and small, domestic and international – unlocking the market for new beer brands, small breweries and innovative beverages. Beer distributors help craft brewers grow and compete by helping them reach a wide network of retailers. The American beer distribution system provides a level playing field that allows all brewers equal access to consumers.
“American consumers are embracing new beer brands and innovative beer styles that distributors help introduce to local stores, bars and restaurants,” Purser added. “Beer distributors take great pride in being a part of the American beer distribution system which offers nearly 13,000 labels of beer to consumers from coast to coast.”
“Without America’s beer distributors, we wouldn’t be seeing the enthusiasm for the wide array of flavor and diversity of American beer,” said BA President Charlie Papazian. “This award recognizes the extra efforts distributors are making on behalf of craft beer.”
The Craft Beer Distributor of the Year Award, as well as a Craft Beer Distributor Achievement Award and a Craft Beer Distributor Recognition Award, will be presented on September 18, 2010 at the Great American Beer Festival, hosted by the BA in Denver, Colorado.
