The Future of Beverage Industry Work
Given the current challenges with tariffs (on again, off again), the price of gas, bottlenecks in logistics, and the seemingly doomsday-like scenario of GLP-1 drugs and sober curious youngsters, it’s a rough time to be in the booze business for many. I know a large number of people around the industry who are very unhappy in their current positions, but feel trapped because they don’t think they’ll find anything better. To be completely frank, they’re not wrong.
The days of independent retailer positions with big salaries and commission structures are over. The era of bar stars and high-paid ambassador roles is also dead. Basically, everything that everyone in the alcohol industry has aspired to—other than starting your own brand or company—is no longer a possibility for most folks. Instead, we’re moving to minimum wage positions, logistical management, and AI content. If you’re interested in tracking packages, scheduling deliveries, and handling customer service issues, then you might have a future in this industry. If your goal is to become a full-time educator or curator, well….good luck.
The gig economy is taking over and, for the booze biz, I feel like it’s inevitable for people like me. Most bartenders I know work at several different locations and have side hustles, to boot. Everyone I know in retail is quitting, looking for work outside the industry. Distribution sales positions are still in demand, but there aren’t many people left who are built for the long hours and the insane amount of driving you have to do, let alone the abuse from disgruntled buyers.
I get a lot of phone calls these days from former colleagues, friends of friends, and industry partners, asking me for my advice. I tell most people the same thing: learn how to do as many different things as you possibly can, make yourself useful, and be ready to step outside your comfort zone. I made the difficult decision to step away from a comfortable position in 2018 and spent five years bouncing around before finding my footing again. During that time I brushed up on my digital design skills, polished off my photography and video editing capabilities, went back to designing websites, mastered Meta business suite for social media advertising, and spent countless hours dreaming of new ways to bring products to market.
Even with nearly twenty years of experience and all of the knowledge I’ve acquired over that time, there is no single job anywhere in the world that would value my time at the level that I do. Hence, I work for ten to fifteen different people at the same time in small bites. The aggregate of those small bites allows me to maintain my current situation in the alcohol industry. That’s how I survive.
Granted, that model won’t work for everyone, but it’s not as difficult as you might think. If you’re able to perform a service for someone at a higher level than what they’re currently receiving, that’s important. If you can do it for less money than the person they’re currently employing, even better. If you can find a few of those opportunities at the same time, you’re in business. If you can scale that work, you can make a career.
As the industry continues to contract, and companies merge or get bought out, the number of high-level positions will become fewer and fewer, making those jobs more competitive than ever. The nature of the work will become more business-oriented and less creative. I don’t have a lot of optimism for people who are looking for a simple 9 to 5 at the moment. In order to work in this industry right now, you have to really, really want it.
-David Driscoll