The Business of Beer with Jeff Slankard of Barons Market Beer and Wine Director

The Business of Beer, Episode 30: Jeff Slankard – Beer and Wine Director of Barons Market!

In this episode of the Business of Beer with Andy “The Beerman” Coppock, Jeff Slankard, Beer and Wine Director of Barons Market, joins us to talk about the ins and outs of beverage buying at the retail level. We all love seeing our favorite local and international drinks on the shelf, but what does it take to get there? If you are looking to get into beer or wine buying this podcast is for you!

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Show Notes:
– How did you get started in the business?
– Was there a beer that really opened up your palate and mind to the possibilities of beer?
– Do you have a go to beer or style?
– Do you have a guilty pleasure beer?
– With little access to beer, where did you source the beer that you carried 30 years ago?
– I know you’ve built some amazing relationships with many of the local brewers. How has that played into the retail side of things?
– There have been a lot of changes in the past 6-9 months with consolidations and buyouts. How does that affect what we see on the shelf?
– Are you concerned that the consolidation of the big guys is going to squeeze craft off the shelf or reduce the number of SKU’s consumers see?
– How do the breweries that have released lots of collaborations and one offs impact shelf space?
– How does the small brewer with only a few products get on the shelf?
– What is the process to get your beer on the shelf when you are self distributed?
– What are your thoughts on adding a taproom to Barons?
– What beer trends do you see coming?