Distributors are responsible for purchasing beer, wine, or spirits from manufacturers / producers and delivering them to stores, bars, restaurants or other suppliers. Some states require alcoholic beverages go through a distributor before being delivered to a retailer. This helps ensure that the local laws and regulations regarding alcoholic beverages are properly followed in each state. These states are called controlled states. The 17 controlled states in the US currently are: 
*Alabama                                       
*Idaho                                             
*Iowa                                               
*Maine                                            
*Michigan                                      
*Mississippi                                    
*Montana                                       
*New Hampshire                        
*North Carolina