Beverage distributor inventory: how a drinks wholesaler counts cases, pallets, kegs and what is on the truck
By mise · Updated October 15, 2026
Quick answer: a beverage distributor counts in cases and pallets, not bottles: scan the case code, multiply sealed pallets by cases per pallet, count broken cases by unit and kegs by count. Each truck is a location, counted at load and return every day; fast movers are counted weekly and the whole warehouse monthly, with kegs and empties tracked as their own items.
Scan the case code or the bottle, or snap a photo of the label: mise's AI finds the beer, soft drink, water, wine or spirit and brings it back categorized, ready to count. In a drinks wholesaler that means a load count in the yard at six in the morning, a return count at night, and a warehouse count by zone with the team, all on one account.
A beverage distributor moves thousands of cases a week through a warehouse, five trucks and a hundred customers, and loses stock in the gaps between them: the pallet that was short, the case that broke, the keg that never came back. This guide covers the inventory count (stock take) of a drinks wholesaler and what mise does.
What a beverage distributor counts, and in what unit
| Item | Unit | How to count |
|---|---|---|
| Beer, soft drinks, water, juice | Case of 12 or 24; pallet of 60 to 100 cases | Scan the case code; sealed pallets multiplied |
| Broken cases, singles for small accounts | Unit | Scan the bottle or can |
| Kegs (full); empties: kegs, crates, pallets | Count, by size (half barrel, 50 L, 30 L) | Own item per brand and size; empties are deposits |
| Stock on each truck | Case and unit | Truck as a location; load and return counts |
The case has its own code and the bottle inside has another. Keep both when you sell both. Kegs, empties and promotional stock have no barcode: create each once by hand, with a name and a photo. See UPC vs EAN vs GTIN.
Where a drinks wholesaler loses stock
- Short pallets from the producer. 84 cases invoiced, 82 on the pallet. Scan and count inbound pallets at the dock.
- Breakage on the forklift, in the truck, at the customer's door, written nowhere.
- Truck stock. The driver loads 180 cases, delivers 171 by the paperwork and returns 6.
- Kegs not returned and dates. Fifty kegs in customers' cellars is deposit money that is not yours yet; slow beer lines expire on the back rack.
The count routine: trucks daily, warehouse by zone
| What | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Each truck: load count and return count | Every day | Driver stock, breakage, picking errors |
| Fast movers, spirits; kegs and empties | Weekly | Theft, deposits |
| Warehouse by zone (racks, floor, cold room) | Monthly | Stock value, dates, dead lines |
In mise the warehouse, the cold room and each truck are locations in one account. The warehouse team counts by zone, the driver counts the truck, the owner sees values on a PC. Comparing two counts of a truck gives what went out, what came back and the gap, in money. See multi-location inventory and keg inventory.
Do it in mise
- Scan the case code or the bottle, or snap a photo of the label: mise's AI finds the product and brings it back categorized.
- Warehouse zones, the cold room and each truck as locations in one account; load count and return count every day, by the driver, on their own phone.
- Kegs, empties and promo stock created once by hand with a name and a photo; sealed pallets multiplied by cases; broken cases by unit.
- Best-before date per item; breakage and expired stock as stock-outs with a reason; movement history and days on hand per line.
- Minimum stock in cases and a purchase list in PDF, Excel, WhatsApp or email split by supplier; invoices in XML, Excel or CSV.
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Cases, pallets and the broken case
Count the warehouse in the largest sealed unit you can: a sealed pallet is one scan and a multiplication (72 cases); a sealed case is one scan; a broken case is counted by unit. When a case is broken to pick singles, stock out one case and stock in 24 units, or count the pick face in units at the next count. Best-before dates are recorded per item; expired stock is a stock-out with a reason, never mistaken for a driver's gap. See FIFO inventory.
Minimum stock, lead time and the order to the producer
Set a minimum stock (par level) in cases on the lines that carry the business, sized for the producer's lead time plus the busiest week. Below the minimum the line turns red and goes on the purchase list with the quantity short; the list exports as PDF or Excel or opens in WhatsApp or email, split by supplier from the last invoice. Producer invoices import as XML, Excel or CSV and land in stock at the price paid. See safety stock formula and inventory days on hand.
What mise does for a beverage distributor, and what it does not
In short, everything in the "Do it in mise" box above, with no limit on items, counts or scans.
Scan the cases in the yard, count what comes back, and the gap per route comes out in money. 7-day free trial, no card.
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Frequently asked questions
Can each truck be counted as its own location?
Yes: each truck is a location in the same account, next to the warehouse and the cold room. The driver counts at load and at return on their own phone.
How do I count pallets and cases without scanning every bottle?
Scan the case code once and multiply sealed pallets by the cases they hold. Only broken cases are counted by unit. Keep the case and the unit as separate items when you sell both.
How do I keep track of kegs and empties at customers?
Create kegs and empties as items by hand, once, and count them weekly in the yard. Kegs out minus kegs back is what sits at customers.
Does mise manage my customer orders and routes?
No. It counts stock, records movements and builds the purchase list. Orders, invoices and routes stay in your existing software.
How much does mise cost?
7 days free, no card needed, to try it in your store.