I get asked one question more than just about anything else…and I’ll admit the waters have become so muddy, I thought it was a good idea to put it all in one post.
If you play any role in the independent craft beer world from brewer to drinker, you’re already keenly aware that Big Beer (Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, MolsonCoors, Constellation Brands, Heineken…) have made some pretty big moves to infiltrate the craft beer arena. Whether it’s a simple distribution agreement or a complete buy out, we’ve spent the last 5-years watching Big Beer swing the monetary hammer. We’ve also seen some of the larger “small” craft breweries buying other smaller craft breweries, and while this seems to offer some amount of insulation, it’s still a very small percentage of the available craft brewery targets.
The Brewers Association has pushed back by trying to define “craft” beer, by introducing the new Independent Craft Seal and even by launching the movement to Take Craft Back. And while I don’t necessarily agree with all of these tactics, I DO think it’s important for us to at least know why this is bad for independent craft beer, how to spot true independent craft beer and more importantly to know….Who Owns Who?
So without further adieu, here is my list of Who Owns Who? I will periodically update this list, and please do contribute any I may have missed or mis-categorized. For the latest up-to-date news on these buy outs, I also maintain a label called BuyOuts that lets you see every post related to BuyOuts.
- Craft Brew Alliance (Kona Brewing, Widmer Brothers, Redhook)—(Sold to Tilray Brands in 2023)
- Goose Island
- Blue Point Brewing (Sold to Tilray Brands in 2023)
- Shock Top (Sold to Tilray Brands in 2023)
- 10-Barrel Brewing (Sold to Tilray Brands in 2023)
- Golden Road Brewing
- Breckenridge Brewery (Sold to Tilray Brands in 2023)
- Karbach Brewing
- Elysian Brewing
- Northern Brewer Homebrew Supplies
- Platform Beer
- Four Peaks Brewing
- Devils Backbone Brewing
- Brouwerij Bosteels (Tripel Karmeliet, Deus, Kwak)
- Birra Del Borgo
- Camden Town Brewery
- 4 Pines Brewing
- Wicked Weed Brewing
- Boxing Cat
- RateBeer blog
- Virtue Cider sold back to original owners in Oct 2023
- Square Mile Cider (Sold to Tilray Brands in 2023)
- HiBall Energy (Sold to Tilray Brands in 2023)
- Appalachian Mountain Brewery (reacquired by original owners in May 2023)
- Leinenkugel’s
- Terrapin Beer (Sold To Tilray Brands Aug 2024)
- Blue Moon
- Saint Archer Brewing (San Diego brewery now closed and sold to Kings & Convicts on Jan 2022)
- Revolver Brewing (Sold To Tilray Brands Aug 2024)
- Hop Valley Brewing (Sold To Tilray Brands Aug 2024)
- Trou Du Diable (Molson Coors)
- Lagunitas Brewing
- Short’s Brewing (Acquired by Lagunitas)
- Ballast Point
- Funky Buddha (reacquired by FUnky Buddha in May 2023)
- Brewery Ommegang
- Boulevard Brewing
- Firestone Walker
- Brasserie du Mont Blanc
- Firestone Walker acquires Cali-Squeeze brands
- Birrificio del Ducato
- Anchor Brewing
- Unibroue
- Stone Brewing (June 2022)
- Unibroue
Kirin/Lion Little World Beverages:
- New Belgium Brewing
- Bell’s Brewery
Tilray Brands
- SweetWater
- Montauk Brewing
- Green Flash
- Alpine
- Shock Top
- Breckenridge Brewery
- Breckenridge Distillery
- Blue Point Brewing
- 10 Barrel brewing
- Redhook brewing
- Widmer Brothers brewing
- Square Mile Cider
- HiBall Energy
- Happy Flower CBD
- Hop Valley
- Terrapin Beer
- Revolver Brewing
- Atwater Brewing
- Alpine Beer acquired by Green Flash
- Perrin Brewing acquired by Oskar Blues/Monster Brewing
- Cigar City acquired by Oskar Blues/Monster Brewing
- Papago Brewing acquired by Huss Brewing
- Prairie Artisan Ales acquired by Krebs Brewing
- Magnolia Brewing acquired by New Belgium / Oud Beersel / Dick Cantwell
- Monkey Paw Brewing acquired by Coronado Brewing
- Brooklyn Brewery sold 24.5% to Kirin
- 21st Amendment sold minority stake to Brooklyn Brewery
- Funkwerks sold minority stake to Brooklyn Brewery
- Clown Shoes acquired by Harpoon Brewery
- Fort Collins Brewing acquired by Red Truck and closed
- Small Town distributed by Pabst owned by Phusion Products
- BrewDog sells 22% stake to TSG Consumer Partners
- Mikkeller & AleSmith team up for Mikkeller San Diego
- Victory & Southern Tier team up for Artisanal Brewing Ventures
- Palmetto Brewing acquired by Catawba Brewing
- Avery Brewing 30% Acquired by Mahou San Miguel
- Asahi purchased Octopi Brewing as a contract location in the US
- Asahi acquires Fuller’s
- Blackberry Farm Brewery sold to Oldham Hospitality
- Ecliptic Brewing brand sold
- Smuttynose & Five Boroughs Join as Finestkind Brewing LLC
- Ackley Brands acquired Mac & Jack’s
- Stoup Brewing acquires Optimism Brewing
- River Horse acquires DuClaw
- 8th Wonder Brewery acquired by Bayou City Hemp
- FX Matt acquires Flying Dog in May 2023
- Cape May acquires Flying Fish in April 2023—This acquisition failed and Flying Fish filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Dec 2023
- Tantrum Brewing acquired by NoFo Brew Co
- Speakeasy Ales and Full Circle Brewing merge
- Bear Republic & Drake’s Brewing merge
- Dogfish Head & Samuel Adams merge
- Cellarmaker to acquire The Rare Barrel
- Melvin Brewing & Roadhouse Brewing sign agreement
- Montauk Brewing acquired by Tilray Brands
- Urban South acquires Perfect Plain Brewing
- Modern Times & Maui Brewing unite as Craft ‘Ohana
- Schlafly Beer and Wellbeing Brewing announce joint venture
- Schlafly acquires Trailhead Brewing
- Second Self & Atlanta Brewing announce partnership
- Harpoon & Mas Bay Brewing to acquire Long Trail
- Monster Energy acquires CANArchy/Oskar Blues/Cigar CIty / Wild Basin/Deep Ellum/Perrin Brewing/Squatters/Wasatch
- US Beverage acquires Uinta Brewing
- Tilray brands acquires SweetWater, Alpine & Green Flash (see above for more)
- Founders acquired by Mahou San Miguel
- Aspen Brewing acquires Capitol Creek Brewing
- Deschutes joining forces with Boneyard Beer
- Catawba acquires Skytown Beer
- Ballast Point acquired by Kings & Convicts
- Sprecher Brewing sold to local investors
- Green Cheek acquires Barley Forge Brewing
- Anderson Valley Brewing sold to McGee Family
- Victory, Sixpoint, Southern Tier & Bold Rock join Artisanal Brewing Ventures
- Sierra Nevada acquires Sufferfest Beer
- Helltown acquires Rivertowne Brewing
- Revelation Craft Brewing to acquire 16-Mile Brewing
- Roak Brewing to acquire Right Brain Brewery
- Other Half Brewing acquires Nedloh Brewing
- Constellation Brands acquires Four Corners
- Uncle Billy’s Brewery acquires Pedernales Brewing
- Mikkeller signs agreement with Carlsberg (Jan 2024)
- Wynwood Brewing Merging with Veza Sur Brewing (Jan 2024)
- Smuttynose acquired Wachusett Brewing (Jan 2024)
- Atwater Brewery Acquired by Tilray Brands Aug 2024
- Night Shift acquired by Hendler Brewing / Jack's Abbey
You missed that Sapporo owns Unibroue
ReplyDeleteYou missed that Sapporo owns Unibroue
ReplyDeleteFirestone
ReplyDeleteKirin owns a minority share in Brooklyn Brewery. And Brooklyn Brewery has minority investments in 21st Amendment & Funkwerks.
ReplyDeleteSurprised that this wasn’t in the article.