What does the recent series of small brewery mergers mean for the companies involved? And more importantly, what does it say about the future of craft brewing?
Anheuser-Bush Acquires 10 Barrel Brewing; New App Aims to Catalog Every Beer in the US; Beer Bar Files Suit Against Florida Growler Ban; and Green Flash Brewing Acquires Alpine Beer Co.
Alpine Beer Company looks like you might imagine a small brewery in a small mountain town might look. The location is unassuming, snuggled in tight next to a quaint bookstore. The scenery is Southern California in all its glory. This was a dream location when McIlhenny opened it in 2002.
KettleHouse Brewery pulls back on distribution in Montana; Alpine Beer Company takes action against illegal beer trading; Louisiana brewery changes name to avoid conflict; and new legislation brewing in New York, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Alabama.
Ichabod Pumpkin Ale causes trademark dispute; Miller-Coors buys minority stake in Terrapin Brewing; Pakistan may begin exporting beer; Wells & Young’s acquires McEwan’s and Younger’s; and Smuttynose moves forward with expansion plans.
Though it’s the northernmost brewery in the contiguous 48 states, you’d think Alpine Brewing Company was 5 miles from Bavaria, not Canada. The German-owned, German-built brewery brews Bavarian-style beers exclusively. Owner Bart Traubeck prefers it that way.
Since the day McIlhenney opened Alpine’s doors, demand has outstripped supply—by a long shot. The tiny brewery is now readying an expansion that will include a new BBQ pub and a tripling in brewing capacity. Only triple? That won’t be nearly enough.
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