Craft Beer Distribution in Ontario

Craft breweries often get pulled into delivery problems: late drops, wrong orders, and no clear update once a driver is on the road. That chaos steals time and momentum. The fix is one tight distribution loop, owned end to end. One logistics partner handling outbound deliveries, inbound freight, keg flows, returns, and everything in between.

Ontario Craft Beer Distribution Designed Around Your Brewery’s Needs
QRC Logistics truck at an LCBO loading dock handling craft beer distribution deliveries with pallets staged outside the warehouse.

Common Distribution Challenges for Breweries

Distribution worries can quickly overshadow brewing excellence. Here are common issues Ontario breweries frequently face:

Late Deliveries and Missed Windows

A single late drop can trigger a chain reaction: frustrated accounts, rebooked appointments, and a week spent reshuffling routes.

Delivery Errors That Create Cleanup Work

Shorts, swaps, and missing items do not just irritate customers. They create credits, re deliveries, and extra admin.

No Real Time Visibility Once Product Leaves

When you cannot see delivery status as it happens, you are left guessing ETAs and answering updates without solid info.

Inventory Numbers That Drift From Reality

If counts are off, you sell what you cannot ship, or you hold back product you could have moved.

Coverage Gaps That Limit Growth

When your delivery range is too tight, growth gets complicated fast: more carriers, more coordination, more inconsistency.

How QRC Logistics Solves Distribution Pains

You get a cleaner distribution system: on time drops, accurate orders, real visibility, and inventory you can trust, with one partner running the moving parts.

QRC Logistics warehouse associate scanning kegs and palletized cases to ensure craft beer inventory accuracy on racked storage shelves.
  • Flexible Pickup – Pickup from your dock or on a set schedule, so product leaves on time and stops piling up.
  • Warehousing On-Demand – Store cases and kegs, then release by order, route, or date. Cross dock when speed matters.
  • Inventory Accuracy – Disciplined receiving and cycle counts, so your available numbers match what is actually on hand.
  • Real Time Delivery Visibility – Live status, ETAs, and proof of delivery, so you are not chasing updates.
  • On Time, Accurate Delivery – Appointment friendly drops with checks that reduce shorts, swaps, and missed items.
  • Wide Delivery Coverage – Reach more accounts across a wider range without stitching together carriers.
  • Smooth Returns Handling – Returns collected and processed with a clear plan, so credits and product issues do not drag on.
  • Efficient Keg Recovery – Empties picked up, staged, and tracked, so kegs come back faster and losses drop.

White Glove Handling and Delivery Expectations

This video highlights our white glove approach for craft beer distribution, with an emphasis on careful handling, delivery window discipline, and reliable proof of delivery. It is designed for breweries that want fewer delivery issues and a higher standard at every handoff.

How Our Craft Beer Distribution Models Work

Choose the craft beer distribution model that fits how you sell and how your accounts order:

QRC Logistics warehouse for craft beer distribution, with racked inventory and kegs staged for shipping.

On-Demand Delivery

  • You ship to QRC, or we pick up from your brewery
  • We dispatch deliveries as orders come in, by case or keg

Weekly Fulfillment

  • We consolidate orders into a weekly run for better efficiency
  • We stage fast and load out clean for scheduled delivery routes
Craft Beer Distribution Warehouse - Inbound Freight That Keeps Production Moving

Inbound Freight That Keeps Production Moving

Late ingredients do not just slow you down. They push brew days, tie up tanks, and create avoidable stress.

Reliable Raw Material Delivery

QRC manages inbound LTL and FTL for the supplies your brewery runs on: malt, hops, yeast, cans, kegs, and packaging. Pickups and deliveries are scheduled around your production plan, so materials arrive when you need them, without guessing, without surprises, and without disrupting the brew cycle.

Craft beer keg management in QRC Logistics warehouse, with labeled kegs staged for pickup, storage, and returns.

Empty Kegs: Pickup, Storage, and Return Loops

How Our Keg Management Helps:

  • Pickup empties directly from bars and accounts
  • Store and consolidate empties so they are easier to move and count
  • Return kegs faster, with fewer missing keg headaches

White Glove Service, QRC Style

Your beer and brand deserve logistics that match your brewing standards. QRC’s white glove service is premium, detail focused delivery with extra care at each handoff and added support at the point of delivery.

Handled With Extra Care

QRC Logistics treat every pallet and keg with deliberate handling and protection to reduce damage and preserve presentation from dock to doorstep.

Scheduled and Confirmed Drops

We lock in delivery windows and communicate clearly ahead of time so your product hits tight timing expectations without guesswork.

Clear Proof of Delivery

Accurate delivery confirmation and proof that’s easy to reference, so you always know what was delivered, when, and to whom.

Reverse Logistics With Precision

Returns, keg pickups, and asset recovery are handled with the same attention to detail and tracking that QRC gives outbound deliveries.

Get Your Distribution Assessment

See how QRC’s craft beer distribution can improve on time delivery, order accuracy, and day to day control. Schedule a call to review your operation and get a clear logistics plan built around how your brewery runs.

QRC Logistics logo featuring bold lettering and a red maple leaf, representing the company's Canadian identity and commitment to accessibility in logistics services.

QRC Logistics

Canadian-owned third-party logistics provider (3PL) for warehousing, pick and pack, e-commerce and retail distribution, Ontario LTL, FTL and final-mile, order fulfillment, cross-border, and controlled promotional and event rollouts.

Quotes: 905-791-9004 x Press 1
Toll Free: 1-800-430-7874

8020 Fifth Line North, Halton Hills
Ontario, Canada L7G 0B8