Proposed trade guide · 1947–2027
Carib Cold Pour ritual: sell it, price it, pour it
Carib owns the cold pour: no garnish, just a perfect chalice pour. A trade-facing guide for distributors, buyers and bartenders.
Distributor sell-in kit
- Same Carib lager, a new ritual: the ice-cold chalice pour, with nothing added, gives accounts a reason to talk about the serve. Heritage and Calypso Gold Medallion only.
- 80th anniversary (1947–2027) gives trade a dated, limited-time story to sell in.
- Brewed at Cape Canaveral, FL — a short Southeast supply chain for draft and bottles.
- Staged launch: pilot accounts first, expansion only on reorder evidence.
Account tiers
Tier 1 · Pilot
Caribbean & Latin dining, patio and coastal bars in Miami / South Florida
Draft or bottle with chalice service; staff trained before first pour
Tier 2 · Launch
Southeast premium-import bars and selected independent retail
Heritage and Calypso Gold Medallion draught and bottles in trained accounts
Tier 3 · Earned
Regional chain grocery and convenience cold box
Only after Tier 1–2 reorder targets are met
Buyer objections
- Isn't this just a Corona copy?
- Corona owns the lime; Carib owns the cold. No garnish at all — an ice-cold chalice pour, closer to Stella's ritual than Corona's.
- Is it a flavoured beer?
- No. Same Carib lager recipe, and nothing is added to the glass.
- Which beers get the ritual?
- Only the Carib Heritage line (including the 80th editions) and the Calypso Gold Medallion line.
Pricing
Researched estimates, not approved prices. Margins sit inside the 25–30% three-tier range; tax shown is federal (small-brewer rate) + Florida excise, already included in brewery price. State pricing laws and distributor agreements apply.
| Format | Brewery FOB | Wholesale | Excise (fed + FL) | Distributor margin | Suggested retail | Store margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12oz can · six-pack | $6.50 | $8.75 | $0.42 | 26% | $11.99 | 27% |
| 12oz bottle · six-pack | $6.75 | $9.00 | $0.42 | 25% | $12.49 | 28% |
| 1/6 bbl keg (≈ 55 × 12oz) | $75.00 | $105.00 | $3.06 | 29% | On-premise | — |
| 1/2 bbl keg (≈ 165 × 12oz) | $170.00 | $225.00 | $9.19 | 24% | On-premise | — |
Pours per 1/2 bbl
135 × 14oz
Cost per pour
$1.67
Menu price
$8.00
Bar gross margin
79%
Bartender training
01 · Inspect
Beer-clean signature chalice, chilled to near freezing.
02 · Rinse
Ice-cold rinse to frost the glass and settle the foam.
03 · Pour
Hold at 45°, straighten as it fills; finish with a two-finger head.
04 · Present
Label-forward to the guest, naming the line: Carib Heritage or Calypso Gold Medallion.
Service specs
- Serve temperature
- 36–38°F
- Glass
- Signature chalice, frosted and beer-clean
- Garnish
- None — nothing is added to the glass
- Fallback
- Standard glass or bottle if no chilled chalice is available
Never
- Add fruit, wheels, twists or any garnish
- Pour a Cold Pour line can or bottle — the line is archived
- Serve in a warm glass
- Serve to guests under 21
Certification
- Watch 10-minute ritual module
- Pour three chalices for a Carib trade rep
- Pass the 8-question quiz (7/8)
Service method is a proposed specification; pilot in approved accounts before rollout.
Assumptions & sources
Public benchmarks for a small import-tier brewer, checked 28 Oct 2026. Taxes per six-pack: federal $0.06 + Florida $0.36; per ½ bbl keg: $9.19. "Unverified" items are industry ranges awaiting a primary source.
Federal beer excise, domestic brewer <2M bbl/yr (first 60,000 bbl)
verified$3.50 per barrel; $16 to 6M bbl; $18 above · source
Florida malt beverage excise
verified$0.06 per 12oz container; $0.48 per gallon in kegs · source
Imported share of US beer consumption
verified≈18% of volume · source
US beer market size and trend
verified$113B retail; production + imports −5.7% in 2025 · source
Import volume softness
verifiedImport volume −14.9% YoY (Apr 2025) · source
Three-tier margins
unverifiedDistributor ≈25–30% of wholesale; retailer ≈25–30% of shelf · source
Co-packer canning cost
unverified≈$6–10 per 24-can case plus printed-can MOQs (often 100K+ cans) · source
Trade spend for challenger imports
unverified≈15–25% of net sales in launch markets · source
Launch spend benchmark: brand extension by a large US craft brewer
verifiedNew Belgium invested ≈$1M behind Juice Force launch (2022) · source
Launch spend benchmark: national import launch by a global brewer
verifiedBrahma US launch budget ≈$40M (InBev) · source