Frank Beverage Group

What Frank Beverage Group does

Frank Beverage Group is a privately held, family-owned beer, wine, and spirits distribution company headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin, founded in 1933 following the repeal of prohibition and now in its fourth generation of ownership by the Frank and Rotter Families. The company operates through four wholly owned distribution subsidiaries — Frank Liquor Company (wine and spirits), Frank Beer Distributors, La Crosse Beverage (western Wisconsin beer), and Beer Capitol Distributing (Greater Milwaukee area) — and extends its coverage to all 72 Wisconsin counties via membership in the Wisconsin Beverage Network (beer) and a licensing agreement with Badger Liquor of Fond du Lac (wine and spirits). It employs more than 950 people and serves roughly 4,000 retail accounts through Frank Liquor, 3,000+ through Frank Beer, 1,000+ through La Crosse Beverage, and 1,800+ through Beer Capitol, combining on-premise (restaurants, bars, venues) and off-premise (retail, liquor, grocery, convenience) channels.

The business model is wholesale distribution: Frank Beverage Group takes physical possession of branded product from brewers, vintners, and distillers (including MillerCoors-anchored beer, Yuengling, Sam Adams, Truly, Topo Chico, PRESS Hard Seltzer, RationAle non-alcoholic, Meiomi Wines, Bailey's, Crown Royal, Captain Morgan, Smirnoff, ZOA Energy, and Capital Brewery) and resells to licensed retailers, earning a per-unit margin. Revenue is therefore a function of case volume throughput and product mix rather than transactional fees or SaaS contracts. Go-to-market combines enterprise field sales with dedicated sales representatives, brand managers, and a 30+ person merchandising team, supported by category management acting as category captain in approximately 70% of retail accounts using JDA space-planning software. Operations are underpinned by Rutherford eoStar warehouse management, four-pick-module conveyor systems across a ~630,000+ square foot facility footprint, UPS Logistics routing, and a customer-facing Marketplace portal with integrated electronic payments via FTNI and Fintech. The company provides value-added services including draft beer installation and troubleshooting, custom graphics production, and certified Cicerone / Certified Specialist of Wine and Spirits advisory staff, all bundled into the wholesale relationship.

Name

Frank Beverage Group

Legal name

Frank Beverage Group

Website

https://frankbeveragegroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beverage Distribution

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alcoholic Beverage Wholesale (Beer, Wine, Spirits) (AFAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Beverage distribution services
• Wholesale beer distribution
• Wine and spirits distribution
• Category management services
• Wisconsin alcohol distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Middleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Beverage Distribution: Frank Beverage Group generates revenue by distributing beer, wine, and spirits products from supplier brands to licensed retail and on-premise accounts. The company takes ownership of physical goods and resells them to retailers, earning margin on each transaction. Revenue is driven by volume of products distributed across the network.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Frank Beverage Group is a wholesale distributor of beer, wine, and spirits that purchases products from supplier brands and resells them to licensed on-premise (bars, restaurants, venues) and off-premise (retail stores, liquor stores, convenience stores, grocery stores) accounts across Wisconsin. The company operates four distribution divisions (Frank Beer Distributors, Frank Liquor Company, La Crosse Beverage, Beer Capitol Distributing) supported by brand management, category management, merchandising, and a 24/7 online Marketplace ordering portal. Revenue is earned through the margin on each wholesale transaction.

Product overview

Frank Beverage Group is a family-owned beer, wine, and spirits distribution company operating four distinct but related distribution divisions: Frank Beer Distributors (Middleton), Frank Liquor Company (Middleton), La Crosse Beverage (Onalaska), and Beer Capitol Distributing (Sussex). Together they service thousands of accounts across Wisconsin through strategic networks including the Wisconsin Beverage Network (beer, 6 members) and Badger Liquor partnership (wine/spirits). The company operates the Frank Beverage Marketplace, an online Account Management Portal for ordering, invoice management, and payment processing. Their distribution portfolio includes major beer brands (Yuengling, Sam Adams, Truly, Topo Chico, RationAle, PRESS Hard Seltzer), wines (Meiomi), spirits (Bailey's, Crown Royal, Captain Morgan, Smirnoff), and non-alcoholic beverages (ZOA Energy, Seedlip). The group provides comprehensive services including brand management, category management using JDA space planning, merchandising, delivery logistics (Rutherford eoStar, UPS Logistics), and custom graphics production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Frank Beer Distributors Beer distribution division servicing over 3,000 licensed accounts across 15 counties in southern Wisconsin. Operates with 60+ drivers, 40 warehouse personnel, 35 side-bay trucks, and 25 tractor/trailers. Includes the Beers of Distinction craft and import department and offers brand management, category management, merchandising, delivery, and graphics services.
• Frank Liquor Company Wine and spirits distribution division serving south central and southwest Wisconsin through four generations of family ownership. Employs over 200 people, including Certified Specialists of Wine and Spirits. Operates 20+ drivers, 14 warehouse personnel, 18 box trucks, and serves nearly 4,000 customers. Offers brand management, category management, merchandising, delivery, and graphics services.
• La Crosse Beverage Beer distribution division servicing over 1,000 local accounts on the West Coast of Wisconsin from a state-of-the-art 96,000 square foot distribution facility in Onalaska.
• Beer Capitol Distributing Beer distribution division serving over 1,800 customers in the Greater Milwaukee area from a 275,000 square foot facility in Sussex, Wisconsin.
• Frank Beverage Marketplace

Quantifiable outcome

• Category captain in nearly 70% of retail accounts serviced
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Wisconsin Beverage Network (Beer)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn 2011, Frank Beer partnered with other distributors to form the Wisconsin Beverage Network, a distribution network spanning all 72 Wisconsin counties, providing beverage suppliers with seamless access to the largest distribution network in Wisconsin. The network is comprised of 6 members: Frank Beverage Group (Beer Capitol, Frank Beer, La Crosse Beverage), CJW Inc, Lee Beverage of WI, Kay Beer Distributing, Dean Distributing, and Bernicks.
• Badger Liquor (Fond du Lac, WI)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn July 2002, Frank Liquor entered into a licensing agreement with Badger Liquor of Fond du Lac to forge a statewide wine and spirits distribution network spanning all 72 counties in Wisconsin. The network provides comprehensive sales, marketing, and merchandising support for every account.
• Wisconsin Beverage Network (La Crosse Beverage)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLa Crosse Beverage partnered with ten other distributors to form the Wisconsin Beverage Network. Members include: Beer Capitol Distributing (Greater Milwaukee area), Lee Beverage (Oshkosh, Eau Claire, Hudson), Frank Beer (Greater SE,SW,SC WI area), Kay Beer Distributing (Greater Green Bay area), C.J.W., Inc. (Greater Kenosha area), Zastrow the Beer Man (Wausau), La Crosse Beverage (La Crosse), Northwest Beverages (Superior), Ott Schweitzer Distributing (Milton), and Four Seasons (Marinette).
• MillerCoorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrank Beer Distributors was awarded the Coors franchise for Wisconsin markets in 1984. The business represents MillerCoors brands as a core part of its portfolio, along with craft, import, and FMB brands. The Wisconsin Beverage Network group is primarily composed of MillerCoors distributors.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits: The largest wine and spirits distributor in the United States, operating across 44 states. Directly comparable as a multi-category alcohol wholesaler serving on- and off-premise accounts, though at vastly greater national scale than Frank Beverage Group.
• Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC): Second-largest wine and spirits distributor in the U.S., serving 32 states plus the District of Columbia. Closely aligned with Frank Beverage Group's wine/spirits distribution model, supplier partnership structure, and category management services.

Direct peers

• Breakthru Beverage Group: Multi-state alcohol beverage distributor formed via the merger of Southern Wine and Spirits of America and Republic National Distributing Company's northeastern operations. Comparable in offering beer, wine, and spirits distribution across multiple states with similar supplier and retail partner relationships.
• Johnson Brothers Liquor Company: Family-owned (fourth-generation) multi-state wine, spirits, and beer distributor headquartered in Minnesota. Highly comparable to Frank Beverage Group in family ownership structure, geographic scale, and three-category distribution focus across the Upper Midwest.
• Reyes Beverage Group: Large-scale beer and beverage distributor operating in multiple U.S. markets through Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, Reyes Beer Division, and Champion Foodservice. Directly comparable as a regional multi-category beverage distributor with similar supplier partnerships and large route-based delivery operations.
• Major Brands: Midwest beverage distributor operating across Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma with beer, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic portfolios. Comparable as a family-influenced regional distributor serving on- and off-premise accounts with similar supplier portfolio breadth and field-sales-driven GTM motion.
• J.J. Taylor Companies: Florida-based beer and beverage distributor with a portfolio spanning major domestic, craft, and import brands. Comparable as a regional full-service beverage wholesaler with similar supplier partnerships (MillerCoors portfolio), category management capabilities, and route-based distribution.
• Horizon Beverage Group: Massachusetts-based wine, spirits, and beer distributor serving New England. Comparable as a regional full-line alcohol distributor with similar brand management, merchandising, and category management services supporting both on-premise and off-premise accounts.
• Winebow Group: Multi-state wine and spirits distributor operating in 16 states. Comparable as a portfolio-based distributor serving on- and off-premise accounts with strong brand-building expertise and supplier partnership focus, though narrower in beer than Frank Beverage Group.

Regional players

• Allied Beverage Group: New Jersey's largest distributor of beer and non-alcoholic beverages, serving over 12,000 on- and off-premise accounts. Comparable as a large-scale regional distributor with similar route delivery, supplier partnership model, and category management services in a single-state footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Frank-Liquor-Company-Inc-147371595291624
• Instagraminstagram.com/frankliquorcompany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Frank Beverage Group