If you’re a regular reader of this blog or a listener of Cincy Brewcast – you know that I love Michael Amann and Adena Distributing. There are a lot of reasons why. Let’s consider the fact that Michael is a great dude and a ton of fun to sit around over a pint or two of something tasty and talk about the ever-changing craft beer industry. That’s the easy one. Even deeper than that, though, the idea of a “craft distributor” coming into Cincinnati and providing that middle ground for brands to get onto shelves and tap handles is beautiful.

Of course, falling in love with Adena wasn’t hard when they started not only supporting many of the local brands that I already loved but also bringing in incredible brands that I didn’t know I loved yet. Adena was everything that I thought a distributor in today’s world needed to be.

You’ll understand, then, that I was a little heartbroken when I first heard rumors that they were closing.

The Good News

It shouldn’t be shocking that when I heard the news, I showed up at the Adena warehouse, pounding on the door for Michael to tell me something. Instead, we set up some microphones and fired up an episode of Cincy Brewcast to hopefully tell everyone the story and why it’s not really a bad thing – it’s growth.

Adena is technically going away, but the soul of what made this place isn’t going anywhere. They’ve been acquired, and the folks you love are still on board, operating out of the same warehouse they have been. It just brings them into a much bigger family of distribution.

In short – they were bought… but they certainly aren’t “closing” any time soon. They might even be better than ever.

About Sarene Distributors

Sarene is a New York-based company with warehouses in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and now (obviously) Ohio. They’re family-owned and, from what I can tell from the outside looking in, operate with many of the same values as the folks at Adena.

I know that it’s sometimes a little scary when the craft places we know and love are acquired by “bigger” brands. I also know that a lot of folks out there loved Adena for a lot of different reasons. I think this is going to be good, I think it’s all ok, and I think this is just a sign that craft beer is alive, well, and still in constant states of evolution.

Deep breath… it’s ok. Welcome to Cincy, Sarene!