Depletion intelligence, in plain language.

Research and practical guidance for craft distilleries selling through wholesale: how distributor reporting actually works, what the category data shows, and what producers can measure between monthly reports.

A rickhouse aisle of stacked bourbon barrels, warm light from a high window
Company7 min read

Why DepletionIQ Exists: The Measurement Gap Between the Rickhouse and the Shelf

Craft distilleries move most of their volume through channels they cannot observe. A look at the structural reasons why, the market data behind it, and what closing the gap requires.

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Bourbon bottles on a backbar retail shelf, one facing slot empty
Operations8 min read

Reorder Velocity: Measuring Account Health Between Monthly Reports

Monthly depletion reporting introduces a structural lag between a change in account behavior and the producer's awareness of it. A look at the arithmetic, and at the days-to-empty metric that closes it.

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A printed distributor depletion spreadsheet on a desk beside a glass of bourbon
Education9 min read

How to Read a Distributor Depletion Report: A Craft Distiller's Guide

A field guide to the monthly distributor report — what each column measures, the interpretation errors that carry real cost, a repeatable review process, and the questions the format leaves open.

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Diagram of the three-tier system: producer, distributor, store or bar, and consumer, with how much of each sale the producer can see at each step.
Education6 min read

The Three-Tier System, From the Producer's Side: Where Your Sales Data Goes

Every case you sell passes through three tiers before anyone drinks it. Here's who owns it at each step, who sets the price, and how much of the sale you can actually see.

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