In 2009, Charlotte had the distinction of being the largest city in the United States without a single brewery. Most people would look at that and see opportunity. Ryan Self did, and built his entire career from that moment forward.

He spent thirteen years at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — from self-distributing kegs to Charlotte bars to statewide distribution across North Carolina. Building something from nothing, rooted in German brewing tradition, earning gold medals at the European Beer Star along the way. Then he made the move to Triple C Brewing — Craft, Community, Charlotte — right in the heart of South End, steps from the Rail Trail.

And now Ryan has crossed to the other side of the industry, joining Carolina Premium Beverage and Caffey Distributing — an 80-plus-year-old, family-owned distributor that sits in the top one percent of beer wholesalers in the entire country.

He’s spent a career watching how brands rise, stumble, and earn their place on the shelf. And along the way, he landed on one of the sharpest observations I’ve heard about where craft beer is actually headed: “Only good beer equals good.”

Ryan, welcome to The BrandBuilders Podcast.