Craft Beer Importers

What Craft Beer Importers does

Craft Beer Importers Canada Inc. is a privately held, Calgary-based craft beer sales agency and importer founded in 2011. The company operates as a liaison between international and domestic craft breweries and Canadian distributors, representing hundreds of breweries from Canada, the United States, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand, and China, and placing their products at retail establishments, bars, restaurants, and grocery and liquor stores across all Canadian provinces and territories. The core business model is a transaction-fee-based representation arrangement, where the company earns commissions on the flow of imported and domestic craft beer through its distributor network. The company employs 11-50 people and is independently owned with no disclosed institutional funding or parent company.

The company's flagship product is the registered-trademark BeerAdvent® Calendar, a seasonal gift product featuring 24 curated craft beers that has been produced annually since 2012 and consistently sells out within days of release. The portfolio has been extended to include the Heritage Distilling Co. Spirits Advent Calendar (launched 2016) and a Non-Alcoholic Drinks category, plus a meadery line (Fallentimber Meadery). Marketing is driven by content (blog, Instagram), event participation across Canadian beer festivals, and the BeerAdvent Calendar as a flagship demand-generation vehicle. Retail channel partners include named chains such as Sobey's Liquor and Saskatoon Co-op, alongside a broad long-tail of independent liquor stores and hospitality accounts served through wholesale distributors.

Name

Craft Beer Importers

Legal name

Craft Beer Importers Canada Inc.

Website

https://craftbeerimports.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Craft Beer Importers is a Calgary-based privately held craft beer sales agency and importer, founded in 2011, that represents hundreds of international and Canadian breweries to distributors and retailers across all Canadian provinces and territories, with its flagship seasonal BeerAdvent Calendar product.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Import and Distribution

NAICS

Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Alcohol Importers & Brand Owners (Wholesale) (CRAOAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alcoholic Beverage Wholesale (Beer, Wine, Spirits) (AFAIAGAA), Craft & Specialty Beverage Wholesale (Local/Artisanal) (AFAIAGAH), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Craft beer import
• Beer distribution services
• Brewery representation
• Craft beverage wholesale
• Alcoholic beverage import

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Craft Beer Import and Distribution: The company imports craft beer from international and domestic breweries and distributes to retailers, bars, restaurants, and liquor stores across Canada through distributor relationships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Craft Beer Importers imports craft beer from international and Canadian craft breweries and acts as a sales agency/liaison connecting those breweries to Canadian distributors. Distributors then deliver, merchandise, and stock the beer at retail establishments, bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and liquor stores across all Canadian provinces and territories. The company also sells its own seasonal BeerAdvent® Calendar direct to consumers as a curated 24-beer holiday gift product.

Product overview

Craft Beer Importers operates as a craft beer import and distribution company offering a portfolio of international and Canadian craft beers. The primary product is the seasonal BeerAdvent Calendar (launched 2012), featuring 24 curated craft beers from global breweries. Additional offerings include the Spirits Advent Calendar (2016), non-alcoholic drinks, and access to a portfolio of imported and domestic craft breweries representing countries including Belgium, Germany, USA, UK, Norway, New Zealand, China, and Canadian provinces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BeerAdvent® Calendar: A seasonal craft beer advent calendar featuring 24 different beers, launched in 2012 and continuing annually.
• Heritage Distilling Co. Spirits Advent Calendar

Products and services

• BeerAdvent® Calendar A seasonal craft beer advent calendar featuring 24 different craft beers curated from breweries around the world, sold as a holiday gift product for adult beer enthusiasts across Canada. The product is positioned as an adult gift idea and has a registered trademark (BeerAdvent®).
• Heritage Distilling Co. Spirits Advent Calendar A spirits-themed advent calendar featuring 24 days of mini spirit bottles (bourbon, vodka, gin, and flavored vodkas) from Heritage Distilling Co., distributed by Craft Beer Importers in Canada as a seasonal gift product for spirits enthusiasts.
• Non Alcoholic Drinks A product category of non-alcoholic beverages offered by Craft Beer Importers alongside its alcoholic craft beer portfolio, expanding offerings to include options for consumers seeking non-alcoholic alternatives.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Various Canadian Craft BreweriescoreOthersPartnership with Canadian craft breweries including Propeller Brewing (Nova Scotia), Origin Brewing (Alberta), and numerous others to distribute their products across Canada through the company's distribution network.
• International Craft BreweriescoreOthersRepresentation of international breweries including Weihenstephaner (Germany), 8 Wired (New Zealand), Nøgne Ø (Norway), The Bruery (USA), Evil Twin Brewing (USA), and others from Belgium, UK, and other countries.
• Beer RevolutioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue partner for tap takeovers and beer events including EPIC Brewing Tap Takeover and The Best of The West Tap Takeover featuring over 30 Alberta and BC breweries.
• Canadian Liquor RetailerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partnerships with liquor stores, grocery stores, and retail chains across Canada for the Craft BeerAdvent Calendar and other imported craft beers. Partners include Sobey's Liquor, Saskatoon Co-op, and others.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Molson Coors Canada: Major Canadian brewer and broad-line beverage distributor with national reach through provincial liquor channels. Comparable to CBI in the sense that it distributes imported and domestic beer across Canada, though as part of a much wider portfolio rather than a craft-focused specialist.
• Labatt Breweries of Canada (AB InBev): One of Canada's two largest brewers, distributor of both domestic and imported beer through all provincial channels. Relevant peer because it competes for the same shelf space and on-premise taps that CBI's breweries depend on, though Labatt's portfolio is mainstream rather than craft-specialist.
• Sleeman Breweries: One of Canada's largest brewers, owner of multiple craft brands and an established national distribution network. Comparable to CBI because it both brews and imports/distributes a wide craft portfolio through provincial distributors, but at much larger scale.
• Goose Island Beer Company: US craft brand (Anheuser-Busch InBev) with international distribution including Canada. Comparable because it is a craft brand that has scaled nationally through large-distributor partnerships, the same channel model CBI uses for its imported brewery partners.
• Steam Whistle Brewing: Independent Canadian craft brewery with national distribution and an active presence at Canadian beer festivals. Comparable to CBI's brewery partners: a craft brand that relies on provincial distributors for retail reach, putting it in the same channel as the brands CBI represents.

Direct peers

• Rogue Ales & Spirits: US craft brewery that has historically pursued its own international distribution and import-agency model rather than relying solely on wholesalers. Comparable to CBI's brewery partners (and to CBI itself as an exporter of craft brands) because both combine production with international sales representation.
• Indie Direct: Canadian craft beer sales agency/distributor representing independent breweries in Ontario and beyond. Closely comparable to CBI: a non-brewing craft beer liaison that represents multiple brewery brands and works through wholesale distributors to reach retail and on-premise accounts.

Regional players

• Kensington Wine Market: Calgary-based specialty beer and wine retailer known for one of Canada's most diverse craft selections. Comparable as a downstream account that CBI's portfolio depends on, and as a regional craft specialist competing for the same Alberta consumer.
• Bishop's Cellar: Nova Scotia specialty beer, wine, and spirits retailer that stocks a deep craft portfolio including imports. Comparable as a downstream retail partner and a regional craft specialist whose buying patterns influence CBI's distributor pull-through in Atlantic Canada.

Emerging players

• Collective Arts Brewing: Canadian craft brewery whose business model pairs limited-release beer with art-label branding and festival activations. Comparable to CBI as a craft-focused brand using curated storytelling and event marketing, and competes for similar consumer attention at festivals and premium retail.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CraftBeerImport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Craft Beer Importers