S.K.I. Beer
S.K.I. Beer is a Brooklyn-based, privately held wholesale beverage distributor founded in 1987 that resells craft and import beer, cider, seltzer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages from a 32-truck fleet to approximately 20,500 on-premise and off-premise accounts across the New York metropolitan area.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What S.K.I. Beer does
S.K.I. Beer Corp is a privately held wholesale beverage distributor headquartered at 169 Gardner Avenue in Brooklyn, NY, founded in July 1987 by Ralph Mauriello and Charlie Yim. The company purchases beer, hard cider, hard seltzer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, juice, water, and soda from manufacturers and resells them to on-premise accounts (bars and restaurants), off-premise accounts (retail and liquor stores), and chain customers across the greater New York metropolitan area. Its distribution territory spans all five NYC boroughs, Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk), and Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, and Rockland counties, served by a fleet of 32 route trucks plus support vehicles delivering to approximately 20,500 active customers.
Operationally, S.K.I. Beer runs more than 100,000 square feet of warehouse capacity across its Gardner Avenue (Brooklyn) headquarters and a second facility in Glendale, Queens, including a 10,500-barrel cold box for refrigerated SKUs and an average inventory of roughly $4 million against an $8 million capacity ceiling. The company maintains three distinct sales teams — on-premise, off-premise, and dedicated chain accounts — and operates a B2B ordering platform through Provi alongside regional sales email contacts organized by territory. It employs over 250 people across drivers, sales, office, and warehouse functions.
The portfolio is organized into eight categories (Craft, Import, Cider, Hard Seltzer, Wine Products, Non-Alcoholic, Ralph and Charlies Juice, and Juice/Water/Soda), spanning dozens of domestic craft breweries and international brands from Belgium, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, the UK, Italy, India, and elsewhere. Revenue is generated through wholesale markups on product resale, with pricing negotiated account-by-account rather than published. The business is independently owned by the two co-founders with no disclosed institutional investors, M&A activity, or leadership transitions.
S.K.I. Beer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- S.K.I. Beer
- Legal name
- S.K.I. Beer Corp
- Website
- https://skibeerusa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- S.K.I. Beer is a Brooklyn-based, privately held wholesale beverage distributor founded in 1987 that resells craft and import beer, cider, seltzer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages from a 32-truck fleet to approximately 20,500 on-premise and off-premise accounts across the New York metropolitan area.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
S.K.I. Beer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Beverage Distribution
- NAICS
- Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alcoholic Beverage Wholesale (Beer, Wine, Spirits) (AFAIAGAA)
Keywords
Where S.K.I. Beer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
S.K.I. Beer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wholesale Beverage Distribution: S.K.I. Beer operates as a wholesale distributor purchasing beer, cider, non-alcoholic beverages, and wine products from manufacturers and reselling to retail and on-premise customers. Revenue is generated through markups on product sales with a fleet of 32 route trucks delivering to approximately 20,500 customers.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
S.K.I. Beer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
S.K.I. Beer is a wholesale beverage distributor that purchases craft and import beer, cider, hard seltzer, wine products, non-alcoholic beverages, juice, water, and soda from manufacturers and resells them to on-premise (bars and restaurants) and off-premise (retail) customers across the greater New York metropolitan area. The company operates a fleet of 32 route trucks delivering to approximately 20,500 customers from over 100,000 sq ft of warehouse space including a 10,500-barrel cold storage facility. Dedicated sales teams cover on-premise, off-premise, and chain accounts.
Product overview
S.K.I. Beer is a wholesale beverage distributor, not a manufacturer. The company offers a multi-category distribution portfolio organized into eight distinct product lines: (1) Craft Portfolio featuring domestic US craft breweries, (2) Import Portfolio spanning international beers from Belgium, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, UK, Ireland, Italy, and other countries, (3) Cider Portfolio with hard ciders from the US, France, England, and Belgium, (4) Hard Seltzer Portfolio including spiked seltzers and tepache, (5) Wine Products Portfolio covering flavored malt beverages and wine, (6) Non Alcoholic Portfolio with NA beers and beverages, (7) Ralph and Charlies Juice brand, and (8) Juice/Water/Soda Portfolio. The company serves over 20,500 customers in the greater New York metro area including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Long Island, and parts of upstate New York. S.K.I. Beer operates online ordering through Provi and offers catalog access via QR codes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Craft Beer Distribution Portfolio
Quantifiable outcome
- 20,500+ customers served across the greater New York metropolitan area
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use S.K.I. Beer
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
S.K.I. Beer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
S.K.I. Beer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Cómo NostrategicStrategic distribution partnership where S.K.I. Beer will expand availability of Cómo No's caffeinated sparkling water products across the Northeast, targeting bars and restaurants in the greater New York metropolitan area. Cómo No is a brand founded by the team behind Ilegal Mezcal, offering zero-sugar, zero-calorie beverages with 80mg caffeine from green tea combined with guarana and L-theanine, with flavors including Mango Chilé, Pineapple Tamarind, and Prickly Pear Lime.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
S.K.I. Beer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Union Beer Distributors: New York-based craft and import beer distributor serving the same NYC metropolitan market as S.K.I. Directly comparable craft-focused portfolio, route-sales model, and supplier brand-building value proposition.
- Manhattan Beer Distributors: One of the largest beer wholesalers in the New York metro area, directly competing with S.K.I. for on-premise and off-premise accounts across the same five boroughs and Long Island. Overlapping portfolio of domestic and imported beer brands and similar route-based distribution model.
- Clare Rose: Long Island-based beer and beverage wholesaler (also doing business as Bayside Beverage) directly competing for Long Island and NYC on-premise/off-premise accounts. Closely comparable portfolio mix and customer segments.
- Boening Brothers: Long-standing family-owned beer and beverage distributor on Long Island, overlapping with S.K.I.'s Nassau/Suffolk footprint. Comparable regional craft and import beer portfolio with similar route-delivery model.
Broad incumbents
- Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits: The largest wine and spirits distributor in the US, with major operations across the Northeast including New York. Overlaps S.K.I. on wine/spirits distribution and competes for the same supplier brand mandates.
- Sheehan Family Companies: Multi-state craft and import beer wholesaler with a Hudson Valley / upstate NY footprint that overlaps S.K.I.'s Westchester and upstate county coverage. Similar craft-beer specialty positioning at larger scale.
- Breakthru Beverage Group: National beverage distributor formed via the merger of Southern Wine & Spirits' northeast operations and the former Wirtz Beverage / Craft Beer Guild. Competes with S.K.I. in NY metro and offers broader wine/spirits/NA capabilities.
- Republic National Distributing Company: National wine and spirits distributor with significant presence in the Northeast and a growing beer portfolio. Competes for premium NYC on-premise accounts and supplier brand assignments.
Regional players
- Tryst Beverage Group: Northeast US craft beer and beverage distributor focused on markets adjacent to NYC, offering a useful comparison point for S.K.I.'s specialty craft distribution playbook in similar geographies.
Others
- Provi: B2B online beverage ordering platform used by S.K.I. Beer (app.provi.com/skibeer) and the broader wholesale beverage industry. Not a direct competitor but a key distribution-enablement technology partner for S.K.I.'s digital ordering channel.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
S.K.I. Beer social profiles
Digital presenceS.K.I. Beer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
S.K.I. Beer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
S.K.I. Beer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
S.K.I. Beer M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about S.K.I. Beer
What does S.K.I. Beer do?
S.K.I. Beer is a wholesale beverage distributor that purchases craft and import beer, cider, hard seltzer, wine products, non-alcoholic beverages, juice, water, and soda from manufacturers and resells them to on-premise (bars and restaurants) and off-premise (retail) customers across the greater New York metropolitan area. The company operates a fleet of 32 route trucks delivering to approximately 20,500 customers from over 100,000 sq ft of warehouse space including a 10,500-barrel cold storage facility. Dedicated sales teams cover on-premise, off-premise, and chain accounts.
Is S.K.I. Beer a public or private company?
S.K.I. Beer is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was S.K.I. Beer founded?
S.K.I. Beer was founded in 1987. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is S.K.I. Beer based?
S.K.I. Beer is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does S.K.I. Beer make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale Beverage Distribution.
Who are S.K.I. Beer's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Union Beer Distributors, Manhattan Beer Distributors, Clare Rose and Boening Brothers. Broad incumbents are Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, Sheehan Family Companies, Breakthru Beverage Group and Republic National Distributing Company. Tryst Beverage Group is listed as a regional player. Provi is listed as an others.
Does S.K.I. Beer have an API?
No public API is recorded for S.K.I. Beer.
What industry is S.K.I. Beer in?
S.K.I. Beer's product category is Wholesale Beverage Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIAGAA, Alcoholic Beverage Wholesale (Beer, Wine, Spirits). Its NAICS code is 4248 and its SIC code is 5180.