Chesapeake Beverage

What Chesapeake Beverage does

Chesapeake Beverage Co. is a Maryland-based wholesale beverage distributor founded in 2014 through the combination of Frederick P. Winner and Mitchell Distributing. The company purchases alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from 37+ supplier partners — including Anheuser-Busch, Pabst, Diageo (Smirnoff), Sierra Nevada, Troegs, Victory Brewing, Wicked Weed, Stella Artois, Bold Rock, Athletic Brewing, and Liquid Death — and resells them to retail accounts across seven product categories: domestic beers, import beers, craft beers, ciders, beyond-beer/flavored malt beverages, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages. Its service territory spans six Maryland counties (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Harford, Howard) plus Baltimore City.

The company runs a sales-led go-to-market with dedicated field representatives covering 2,800+ retail accounts, supported by an online ordering portal for established accounts and a New Retailer onboarding form for prospect conversion. Operationally it employs approximately 180 people at its Nottingham, MD headquarters (10000 Franklin Square Drive) and distributes an average of 5.5 million cases per year. Internally, the proprietary SWAT (Supplier-Wholesaler Alignment Team) initiative coordinates supplier communication through structured resources (In Market Recap, New Item Form, Sample Request Form). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; standard wholesale distribution margins are negotiated account by account.

Chesapeake Beverage is privately held and family-oriented, with no disclosed institutional ownership. On 2026-05-16 the company acquired three regional distributors — Katcef Brothers, Montgomery Eagle, and Capital Eagle — for undisclosed consideration, indicating an active roll-up strategy consolidating Maryland beverage distribution capacity.

Name

Chesapeake Beverage

Legal name

Chesapeake Beverage Co.

Website

https://chesapeakebeverage.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Chesapeake Beverage Co. is a Maryland-based wholesale beverage distributor, founded in 2014, that distributes domestic, import, craft beer, cider, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages from 37+ suppliers to 2,800+ retail accounts across six counties and Baltimore City.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beverage Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Beverage Wholesale (Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic) (AFAIABAH)

Keywords

• Beverage distribution
• Wholesale beer distribution
• Craft beer distribution
• Spirits distribution
• Alcoholic beverage wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Beverage Wholesale Distribution: Chesapeake Beverage generates revenue by purchasing beverages from supplier partners (breweries, spirits brands, cideries, etc.) and reselling them to retail accounts at a margin. The company distributes across six counties and Baltimore City, handling domestic beers, import beers, craft beers, ciders, beyond beer, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chesapeake Beverage is a wholesale distributor that purchases alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from 37+ supplier partners (breweries, cideries, spirits brands) and resells them to more than 2,800 retail accounts across six Maryland counties and Baltimore City. The company delivers a broad multi-category portfolio spanning domestic beers, import beers, craft beers, ciders, flavored malt beverages, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages, supported by an online ordering portal and a structured new retailer onboarding process.

Product overview

Chesapeake Beverage is a wholesale beverage distribution company founded in 2014 through the combination of Frederick P. Winner and Mitchell Distributing. The company distributes a comprehensive portfolio of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages across seven product categories: Domestic Beers (including Anheuser-Busch and Pabst brands), Import Beers (Stella Artois, Guinness), Craft Beers (from 37+ suppliers including Sierra Nevada, Troegs, Wicked Weed, Victory Brewing), Ciders (White Claw, Bold Rock, Wyder's), Beyond Beer/Flavored Malt Beverages (Mike's Hard Lemonade, Four Loko), Spirits (Smirnoff Ice, Smirnoff Seltzer, Smirnoff Smash, Cutwater, Recipe 21), and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (Athletic Brewing, Saranac soft drinks, Liquid Death). With service to six counties and Baltimore City, the company serves 2800+ retailers with 180 employees and distributes approximately 5.5 million average cases per year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Domestic Beers Wholesale distribution of domestic beer brands to retail accounts across Maryland, including Anheuser-Busch products such as Michelob Ultra and Pabst Brewing brands such as Pabst Blue Ribbon and National Bohemian.
• Import Beers Wholesale distribution of imported beer brands to Maryland retailers, including Stella Artois (No. 1 selling Belgian beer worldwide, dating back to 1366) and Guinness.
• Craft Beers Wholesale distribution of craft beer brands from 37+ suppliers to Maryland retailers, including Sierra Nevada, Troegs Independent Brewing, Wicked Weed, Victory Brewing, and many regional breweries.
• Ciders Wholesale distribution of flavored cider products to Maryland retailers, including White Claw Hard Seltzer (multiple flavors), Bold Rock Cider, Wyder's ciders, and Stella Cidre.
• Beyond Beer (Flavored Malt Beverages) Wholesale distribution of flavored malt beverages and alternative alcoholic products beyond traditional beer, including Mike's Hard Lemonade, Clubtails, Four Loko, and similar offerings, to Maryland retail accounts.
• Spirits Wholesale distribution of spirits and spirit-based products to Maryland retailers, including Smirnoff Ice, Smirnoff Seltzer, Smirnoff Smash, Cutwater Spirits, Rogue Ales & Spirits, Recipe 21 vodkas and liqueurs, and Rebel Hard Coffee.
• Non-Alcoholic Beverages Wholesale distribution of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages to Maryland retailers, including Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic beers, Saranac craft soft drinks (Root Beer, Ginger Beer, Shirley Temple, Orange Cream, Black Cherry), Karma Water, and Liquid Death Mountain Water.
• Online Ordering Services Online ordering portal for established retail accounts to place and manage beverage orders with Chesapeake Beverage.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Frederick P. WinnercoreOthersCo-founding partner of Chesapeake Beverage. In 2014, Frederick P. Winner combined efforts with Mitchell Distributing to form Chesapeake Beverage Co., establishing distribution service to six counties and Baltimore City.
• Mitchell DistributingcoreOthersCo-founding partner entity of Chesapeake Beverage. In 2014, Mitchell Distributing combined efforts with Frederick P. Winner to form Chesapeake Beverage Co., establishing distribution service to six counties and Baltimore City.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chesapeakebev
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChesapeakeBeverage
• Instagraminstagram.com/chesapeakebeverage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A3 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Chesapeake Beverage