Who is the next brewery to be bought?

agreed...that's definitely the first brewery that i thought of when discussing potential takeover targets in the bay area

pretty light fare with mass appeal (e.g. hell or high watermelon) and some gimmicky stuff, plus all the reasons you mentioned...

 

I can see 21st. Also Speakeasy. My guess, going off appeal that would appeal to Ab inbev would be Kona (if not already bought i think so) maybe Terrapin just because of their cartoony appearance and beers like chocolate milk stout and rye pale ale. And their southern style like farms and straw hats on artwork can appeal to the south already as it probably does.

Hell i could see ballast point for the popularity and simple to read art and beer names.

On the opposite hand, breweries i hope never sell are Sierra Nevada, Founders, Stone, Victory and two breweries ive mentioned above. I can live with all those guys beers and only theres forever.

 

Yea I can see the appeal of 21st Amendment as well. I would be absolutely shocked to see Speakeasy sell. I just don't see that type of direction for their company and Forest Gray. It would be very disappointing to see Speakeasy sell considering the progress they have made in the last few years with the brewhouse and the product.

 

I have some pretty good educated guesstimates ... ;-)

 

I am guessing that any craft brewery that is doing well and has a few years behind it would be snapped up quickly if the owners want it. I could see a lot of interest in my area for Victory or Yards if they wanted to sell.

 

This topic depresses me. It's a good topic, just depresses me.

 

depresses me too

 

From the Southeast, I could see Terrapin or Thomas Creek selling. I do believe that Spike at Terrapin would want to maintain control though

 

New Belgium has invested lots of money in Asheville with no return.."yet"....but I think they have fairly deep pockets...?...

 

Whichever brewery doesn't want my money

 

I agree someone from the Southeast will be bought up by AB/InBev. It won't be Terrapin because Miller already owns a piece. I hate to say it, but Cigar City has got to be one of their prime targets

 

Lagunitas, oh wait a second damn.

 

Being in close proximity to the Giants ballpark and with SOMA thriving these days, 21A is making easy money. As such,
21A might not be as tempted to take the extra cash. Now Speakeasy is a different story. Plus, didn't Meg Gill
(Co-Founder of Golden Road) used to work at Speakeasy?

 

Terrapin has sold a minority stake to 10th & Blake (a MillerCoors company). Founders has sold a minority stake to Mahou San Miguel, Spain's largest brewery. Kona is part of the Craft Brew Alliance, which is 32% owned by ABinBev

 

As much as it depresses me to say, my guess is Green Flash . They are running out of new states/markets to ship to, their Cellar 3 series got off to a thud with the infection issues of Silva Stout, brewmaster Chuck Silva left, now they are bottling Alpine and shipping it everywhere. Once they ride the Alpine pony into the ground and the novelty to the consumer wears off they have nowhere else to turn.

 

I both love and hate this sentiment. I hate this sentiment because it blows off any brewery purchased by the big boys, regardless of how the deal is structured. I can get Bourbon County more readily each year because of AB-InBev's acquisition of Goose Island. The corporate ownership isn't dumb. They have both expanded and streamlined production and distribution while maintaining meticulous production standards. This is a win for consumers.

What is also a win for consumers is that there will always be independent breweries that will not sell to the major purchasers of the industry. And were these breweries to sell out...smaller, more independent breweries would take their place. The cat is out of the bag. In craft, there will always be a market for "independent". The idea is instilled in the brand.

 

Didn't Founders already sell something like 40% to San Miguel?

 

First thing I thought when I read "Kona", too --- but, of course, Goose Island was partially owned by CBA when AB bought GI - they simply bought John Hall's share and CBA's share in separate deals to gain 100% ownership of Goose Island.

So, CBA could sell Kona to AB, just as, say, Shmaltz sold their "Coney Island" brand to Boston Beer Co.'s "Alchemy & Science" subsidiary.