For many cideries, distribution is often framed as the primary marker of success: more markets, more shelves, more volume. But for some, growth is being defined less by geographic reach and more by control, feedback and margin clarity.
Working outside of traditional retail channels can still create meaningful forward momentum for taproom- and experience-driven cider businesses.
At Queen Orchard Farm & Cidery and The Ale & Cider House, General Manager Toney Chay said the decision to avoid distribution entirely was deliberate, not limiting.
“We don’t distribute — everything we make is sold directly through our farm and our taproom,” Chay said. “By keeping our cider and beer in-house, we protect the quality and freshness of every pour.”
Rather than using sales data to determine which wholesalers or territories make sense, Chay said the numbers are used to understand guest behavior and preference at a granular level. “Our sales data helps us understand what resonates most with our guests — which flavors, styles, or seasonal releases connect best — and we use that insight to guide production planning and event programming rather than distribution decisions,” he said.
That shift reframes sales data as a tool for refining the on-site experience rather than chasing external placement. Fast sell-through doesn’t trigger expansion into new markets; it prompts internal questions about scaling production, refining recipes or rethinking how and when products are released.
“Since we don’t rely on outside distributors or retailers, our ‘negotiations’ are really with ourselves,” Chay said. “Sales data helps us fine-tune that balance. If a cider sells out faster than expected, we know it’s worth scaling up. If something lingers, it might mean we should adjust recipe, timing, or presentation.”
For Funky Turtle co-founder Drake Pregnall, operating without a taproom for six years has forced a different kind of data collection, one built largely through direct customer interaction rather than point-of-sale dashboards. Festivals have served as both a sales channel and market research tool.
“The biggest data set we use is a more personally collected set of interactions with customers at festivals,” Pregnall said. “Festivals offer us the best cross section of craft beverage fans, and give us the chance to see which kegs kick quickest and to get face-to-face feedback on the beverages.”
That feedback has been consistent enough to influence long-term planning.
“Oftentimes we have seen that our cider keg is the first one to go across a variety of different festival types and seasons and towns across mostly Northwest Ohio,” Pregnall said.
While Funky Turtle plans to open its own taproom in 2026, Pregnall said those firsthand sales patterns have already shaped expectations around future channels.
“Wholesale profit margins are pretty lean no matter what,” he said. “We can’t wait to start retailing by the pint.”
For Chay, profitability comparisons between channels are simple because there are only two: the farm and the taproom. But the takeaway, he said, isn’t just margin-related.
“Every dollar stays local, every pour is served in the environment we’ve built, and every guest interaction deepens our connection to the community,” Chay said. “It’s not just about profit — it’s about creating a complete orchard-to-glass experience that can’t be replicated in a grocery aisle.”
Taproom-only and limited releases also serve as a testing ground rather than a constraint.
“Our taproom-only releases are our distribution model,” Chay said. “We track sales velocity and guest comments to decide which products become seasonal mainstays or return favorites.”
Pregnall sees similar potential once Funky Turtle opens its doors after years of keg sales to local bars and brewery taprooms along with DTC shipping as sales options.
“I think the in-house releases and events branded around certain special themes can be effective at drawing people out for something that they can tell is well thought out and intentional,” he said. He pointed to releases paired with food, music, games or recreational tie-ins as ways to turn product launches into destination experiences rather than simple transactions.
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If evaluating growth must always equal distribution, Chay cautioned against overlooking the power of internal data.
“Even if you’re selling 100% in-house, your data tells a story,” he said. “Watch your busiest days, your top sellers, and which products pair best with events or food. That insight can guide not just production but staffing, pricing and menu design.
“Numbers don’t just measure success — they reveal opportunity.”
Taken together, the experiences of these operators suggest that growth doesn’t always come from being everywhere. In some cases, it comes from going deeper while tightening feedback loops, sharpening the guest experience and using data to strengthen the business where it already lives.
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