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Georgia Beverage Distribution Glossary

The terms behind our products and industry.

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  • Beer
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  • Beer
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  • Beer
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  • Beer
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Terms (29)

A

  • ABV & Proof

    ABV is the percentage of alcohol in a beverage. Proof is double the ABV: 45% ABV is 90 proof.

  • ACV (All Commodity Volume)

    A distribution metric showing how much of a market's total retail dollars come from stores that carry a given product. A way to gauge real market reach beyond just door count.

  • Allocation

    When demand outpaces supply, so a distributor divides limited product fairly across accounts. Common with Georgia's fast-growing bourbon and craft spirits scene.

B

  • Billback

    A reimbursement a supplier pays a distributor after a promotion runs, rather than discounting the invoice upfront. Common when funding a seasonal display or tasting event.

  • Brand / Label Registration

    The state approval a product's label must clear before it can legally be sold in Georgia.

  • Brewpub

    A narrow exception to the three-tier system: a restaurant licensed to brew and sell its own beer on-site, plus a limited annual volume by the package.

C

  • Case Equivalent (CE)

    A standardized measure that converts kegs, cans, and bottles of different sizes into one common unit, making it possible to compare volume across totally different package types.

  • Craft vs. Macro

    Craft means smaller, often independent producers; macro means large national or global brands. Georgia's craft beer and distilling scene has grown rapidly over the past decade.

D

  • Depletions

    What a distributor actually sells out of its own warehouse and into retailers' hands.

  • Direct Shipping

    A producer, usually a winery, shipping straight to a consumer. Georgia allows limited direct wine shipping, but most product still moves through a licensed distributor.

  • Distributor / Wholesaler

    The licensed company that buys from suppliers and delivers to retailers. Georgia Crown has filled this role statewide from our McDonough warehouse since 2004.

F

  • FOB (Freight/Free on Board)

    The point in a shipment where cost and risk pass from seller to buyer, often quoted as "FOB winery" when pricing wine straight from the source.

  • Franchise Law

    Georgia requires suppliers to designate one exclusive distributor per brand per territory, and that relationship is protected. A supplier can't move a brand to a new wholesaler without legal good cause.

G

  • Georgia ABC / Alcohol & Tobacco Division

    Alcohol in Georgia is regulated by the state's Alcohol & Tobacco Division, with counties and cities adding their own local licensing and sales-hour rules on top.

M

  • Merchandising

    The hands-on retail work of keeping a product visible and easy to grab: clean cold box placement, organized shelves, and current seasonal signage.

O

  • Off-Premise

    Accounts where alcohol is bought to go: package stores, grocery, convenience.

  • On-Premise

    Accounts where alcohol is consumed on-site: restaurants, bars, breweries.

P

  • Portfolio

    The full lineup of brands a distributor represents. Ours spans spirits, wine, beer, and specialty non-alcoholic products.

  • POS (Point-of-Sale) Materials

    Shelf talkers, table tents, and other display pieces that help a brand catch a shopper's eye right at the moment they're deciding what to buy.

  • Price Posting

    The practice of formally notifying the state of a wholesale price change ahead of time, part of what keeps pricing consistent and non-discriminatory across Georgia retailers.

R

  • Route to Market

    The path a product takes from producer to consumer, including which distributor and accounts carry it.

  • Sell Sheet

    A one-page rundown of a product's story, specs, and price point, used to introduce it to a retailer or on-premise buyer.

  • SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)

    One specific product in one specific package size. A single brand may have several SKUs across bottle sizes or variety packs.

  • Supplier

    The brewery, winery, distillery, or importer that makes the product. In Georgia, suppliers must sell through a licensed distributor rather than direct to retailers.

  • Supplier Representative

    A brand's own rep who works alongside distributor sales teams on tastings, training, and launches.

T

  • Tasting Notes

    A structured way of describing how a beverage comes across to the senses: the nose (aroma), the palate (flavor), and the finish (what lingers after the sip).

  • Tech Sheet

    The technical backbone of a product profile: ABV, ingredients, and production notes that go beyond the marketing pitch.

  • Three-Tier System

    The legal structure separating suppliers, distributors, and retailers into distinct roles. In Georgia, a supplier can't sell directly to a bar or store; product has to pass through a licensed distributor first.

V

  • Vintage

    The year a wine's grapes were picked, which shapes the character of what ends up in the bottle based on that season's growing conditions.