The operating system for U.S. liquor commerce

One branded storefront.
Fifty-one regulatory regimes.
Zero compliance grey zones.

MG Smart Distribution is a unified commerce platform for U.S. liquor manufacturers — a beautiful, manufacturer-branded storefront on top, an intelligent routing engine underneath that determines the compliant path for every transaction across all 50 states.

2,700+
Licensed U.S. distilleries
51
State + D.C. regulatory frameworks
9
States permitting spirits direct-to-consumer
01 — The Problem

U.S. alcohol moves through a three-tier system built in 1933 — and it has never been digitized.

With narrow exceptions, a producer cannot sell directly to a retailer or to the consumer. Product must flow through wholesalers and retailers — each of the 50 states layering its own rules on top.

i.
The Producer

Distilleries, wineries, breweries. Holds the TTB Basic Permit. Owns the brand and the bottle — but not, in most states, the customer relationship.

Tier 1
ii.
The Wholesaler

Licensed distributors in 33 license states; the state itself in 17 control states. Takes title to the product. Typically captures 25–30% of retail price.

Tier 2
iii.
The Retailer

Liquor stores, bars, restaurants. The legal seller of record to the end consumer. Captures another 30%+ of retail price. Holds the customer data.

Tier 3
"For a manufacturer to sell online to customers in multiple states, it must currently operate across multiple disconnected systems."
  • Fragmented technology — separate POS, e-commerce, distributor portals, compliance trackers
  • Loss of customer data — once product enters Tier 2/3, the producer goes blind
  • Margin compression — producers see a fraction of consumer spend
  • Compliance risk — a single misrouted order can put the TTB Basic Permit in jeopardy
02 — The Platform

A single storefront. Six compliance modules. Every order routed correctly.

On the surface, a consumer sees a beautifully branded online storefront — analogous to Shopify, but built for the liquor industry's regulatory reality.
Under the hood, an intelligent engine determines for every order the correct legal path: the manufacturer's own self-distribution where states permit it, a Tier 2 / Tier 3 chain where they don't, or a retailer-of-record partner for interstate shipments. To the consumer, it is one experience. To the manufacturer, it is one dashboard.
03 — Three Paths, One Experience

Every order takes the compliant path — automatically.

The routing engine evaluates the destination, the manufacturer's licenses, the product category, production volume, and available partners — then selects one of three fulfillment paths.

PATH 01 / SELF-DISTRIBUTION
The producer ships directly

When state law permits Tier 1 direct-to-retailer or direct-to-consumer, and the manufacturer meets any production cap.

"Kentucky DtC shipment from a craft distillery to a Louisville consumer — the manufacturer ships directly, handles excise tax, and reports the sale."
PATH 02 / THREE-TIER CHAIN
License-state & control-state routing

When the state requires every sale to flow Tier 1 → Tier 2 → Tier 3, including license states and government control states.

"A New York order routes through a licensed NY distributor to a licensed retailer. The retailer is the seller of record; the manufacturer receives net proceeds."
PATH 03 / RETAILER OF RECORD
Network retailer fulfills the order

Where the manufacturer has no in-state distributor yet, but a network retailer can legally fulfill from an in-state retail license.

"A California consumer orders from the brand's site; the order is handed to a licensed CA retailer on our network who ships and records the sale."
04 — First Client

A signed pilot with one of Texas's most distinctive craft distilleries.

Oak & Eden Whiskey — the Fort Worth craft distillery known for its in-bottle finishing spires and over 2,000 unique custom whiskey variations — is the platform's anchor reference deployment.

Oak & Eden Whiskey · Fort Worth, TX Phase 1 → Live
2,000+
Custom whiskey variations supported on the platform
3
Rollout phases over 6–9 months
69
Permissive states in Phase 2 DtC expansion
30+
States added via retailer-of-record in Phase 3
05 — The Market

A category measured in billions — built on technology measured in decades.

$100B+
U.S. distilled spirits annual retail sales
2.7K
Active TTB-licensed distilled spirits plants
12K
Bonded U.S. wineries
9K
Licensed U.S. breweries
Tailwind
Craft distilleries are the fastest-growing segment of the spirits industry — founders who are digitally native and brand-focused.
Position
We sit at the intersection of storefront, compliance, and fulfillment — a combination no current vendor offers craft and mid-market manufacturers.
06 — Pricing

Transparent fees. No opaque distributor spreads.

Starter
Craft

For early-stage distilleries operating in 1–3 states.

$499 / month
  • Branded storefront, single state setup
  • Compliance engine, all 50 states
  • 2–4% per-transaction fee
  • Standard analytics dashboard
  • Email support
Enterprise
Reserve

For established producers with complex needs.

$2,999 / month
  • Everything in Distributor, plus
  • AI demand forecasting & dynamic pricing
  • Custom integrations & APIs
  • Dedicated compliance analyst
  • SLA-backed uptime & support
  • Quarterly strategy reviews

All plans include a one-time onboarding fee ranging from $5,000–$25,000 depending on scope of integration and number of states activated. Pricing is illustrative and subject to refinement during pilot phase.

Run your storefront. We'll run
the compliance underneath.

Headquartered in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Serving Tier 1 manufacturers across the United States. Take a 30-minute walkthrough with our team and see your brand's storefront come to life.