Company type | Public |
---|---|
Nasdaq: BREW | |
Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
Founded | July 1, 2008 |
Defunct | November 11, 2019 |
Fate | Acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev, becoming the Brewers Collective |
Headquarters | |
Products | Beer, cider |
Production output | 86,553,060 liters (724,900 barrels) |
Website | craftbrew |
Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. is a beer brewing company that originally was composed of five beer and cider brands: Redhook Ale Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewery, Kona Brewing Company, Omission Beer, and Square Mile Cider. [1]
Craft Brew describes Kona and Omission as national brands, while the others are regional brands. [2] In addition, Craft Brew launched strategic brewing and distribution partnerships with three other regional companies, whom it acquired outright on October 10, 2018: Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Cisco Brewing, Inc., and Wynwood Brewing. [2]
According to the Brewers Association, Craft Brew is the ninth largest beer brewing company in the United States, based on 2015 sales volume of 824,400 and an annual working capacity of approximately 1,075,000 barrels. [1] [3]
As of November 2019, Anheuser-Busch InBev has agreed to fully acquire Craft Brew Alliance in 2020. The acquisition started in December 2010, when AB InBev bought 32.2% [4] [5] of the business, became the company's distribution partner, [4] was given two seats on its board of directors, and gained special status in the company's board committees. [5] On August 23, 2019, AB InBev paid Craft Brew $20 million instead of exercising a "pay-or-play" option to buy out the rest of Craft Brew Alliance at a price of $24.50 a share (which would have cost about $328 million). [6] [7] As a consequence, shares of Craft Brew dropped more than 20% that day. [7] However, on November 11, 2019, A-B agreed to purchase the rest of Craft Brew for $16.50 a share (about $220 million). [8]
The company was formed on July 1, 2008, [9] [10] with the merger of Redhook Ale Brewery and Widmer Brothers Brewery. CBA acquired Kona Brewing Company on October 1, 2010. In 2012, CBA launched a new brand called Omission Beer, promoting the beer as specially crafted to remove gluten. In 2013, CBA launched a cider – Square Mile Cider, and in 2014 entered into a partnership with The Chive to create KCCO beer under the independent/Chive-owned Resignation Brewery moniker. [11]
The company was originally named Craft Brewers Alliance, but changed its name to Craft Brew Alliance on January 12, 2012. [12]
As of March 15, 2012, Craft Brew Alliance is publicly traded as Nasdaq : BREW. Prior to this date it was publicly traded as HOOK. [13]
The company produces brands such as Redhook, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Omission Beer and several others. [14]
Redhook was founded in the early 1980s in Seattle. At first, the brewery was a small shop in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard. The beers brewed by Redhook include ESB, IPA, Pilsner, Copperhook, and seasonal brews. [14] Anheuser-Busch sold Redhook to Tilray on 8 August 2023 due to the decline in sales from the 2023 Bud Light boycott. [15]
Widmer Brothers brews various beers including their flagship, Hefe American Hefewiezen, Drop Top Amber Ale, Upheaval IPA, Steel Bridge Porter, PDX Pils, various seasonals and 10+ small batch beers on tap at the Brewery on Russell St. Anheuser-Busch sold Widmer Brothers to Tilray on 8 August 2023 due to the decline in sales from the 2023 Bud Light boycott. [15]
The Kona Brewing Company was founded in the spring of 1994 and is Hawaii's largest brewery. [14]
The company's Omission Beer is designed to have low gluten content by using a proprietary enzyme to remove gluten from traditional beer ingredients - namely malted barley. [16]
Launched in 2013, there are two primary products under this brand – "The Original" which is a traditional hard apple cider; and "Spur & Vine", which is a "hopped apple cider".
On December 2, 2014, CBA entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Boone, North Carolina-based Appalachian Mountain Brewery (AMB). [17] As part of the partnership, CBA acted as "master distributor" for AMB, allowing their products to ship via the Anheuser-Busch InBev distributor network. CBA had taken an undisclosed, minority stake in AMB. On October 10, 2018, CBA announced that it acquired 100% of the AMB brand, brewery, and pub. The transaction closed November 29, 2018. [2] On June 3, 2023, the former owners of the Appalachian Mountain Brewery announced they had purchased the company back from AB InBev and will be severing ties with the company to refocus on local distribution. [18]
On September 25, 2015, CBA announced a strategic partnership agreement with Nantucket-based Cisco Brewers. [19] As with previous partner, AMB, CBA acted as "master distributor" for AMB, allowing their products to ship via the Anheuser-Busch InBev distributor network. CBA had taken an undisclosed, minority stake in Cisco Brewers. On October 10, 2018, CBA announced that it had acquired 100% of the Cisco intellectual property assets related to its malt beverage products; Cisco's founders continue to own and operate the Cisco Brewers brewpub properties and retail merchandising, including the original brewery and grounds in Nantucket. [2]
On December 15, 2016, CBA announced a strategic partnership agreement with Miami, Florida–based Wynwood Brewing Co. ("Wynwood"). [20] CBA took a 24.5% stake in Wynwood, valuing the deal at under $30 Million. As with previous partners AMB and Cisco Brewers, CBA acted as "master distributor" for Wynwood, allowing their products to ship via the Anheuser-Busch InBev distributor network. On October 10, 2018, CBA announced that it had acquired the remaining 75.5% of equity in Wynwood, making Wynwood a wholly owned subsidiary of CBA, although Wynwood co-founders Luis Brignoni and his father “Pops” Brignoni would continue to run the operations. [2]
Through investments in renewable energy, closed-loop systems, and energy intensity, the company is improving their operations and efficiency. The company utilizes BMS software at their breweries to access real-time tracking of key performance indicators to help reach sustainability targets. [21]
Name [22] | Title |
---|---|
Kurt R. Widmer | Chairman emeritus |
Andrew J. Thomas | Chief executive officer |
Christine Perich | Chief financial officer, treasurer |
Scott Mennen | Chief operating officer |
Dan Partelow | VP, commercial development |
Peter Schauf | VP, international sales |
Derek Hahm | VP, sales & brewpubs |
Ken Kunze | Chief marketing officer |
On November 21, 2013, the company announced that, effective January 1, 2014, Andy Thomas will take over as the company's new CEO. [23]
On May 20, 2015, CBA announced the appointment of Joe Vandersteldt to CFO, along with several other changes at the executive leadership level. [24] [25]
While the company name contains the phrase "craft brew", it does not meet the definition of a craft brewer according to the Brewers Association, [26] due to the percentage stake owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. [4] [27] [28] [29] The Brewers Association defines American craft brewers as "small, independent and traditional", with 'small' defined as an "annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less", a limit changed in 2011 from 2 million to 6 million to ensure the ongoing inclusion of Boston Beer Company [30] (the producer of the Samuel Adams brand), "independent" defined as at least 75% owned or controlled by a craft brewer, and "traditional" defined as at least 50% of its volume being all malt beer. [26] [29]
Stella Artois is a pilsner beer, first brewed in 1926 by Brouwerij Artois in Leuven, Belgium. In its original form, the beer is 5.2 per cent ABV, the country's standard for pilsners. The beer is also sold in other countries including the UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia, where it has a reduced ABV. Stella Artois is owned by Interbrew International B.V. which is a subsidiary of the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV.
Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple global brands, notably Budweiser, Michelob, Stella Artois, and Beck's.
The Redhook Ale Brewery is a beer brewery operating out of Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in Seattle in 1981 by Paul Shipman and Gordon Bowker, and is currently owned by Tilray. Its flagship brewery, the Redhook Brewlab, is located in the Pike Motorworks building in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. Redhook also operated a location in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, from the 1990s until June 2018, when it was rebranded under Cisco Brewers from Nantucket, Massachusetts.
SABMiller plc was a South African multinational brewing and beverage company headquartered in Woking, England on the outskirts of London until 10 October 2016 when it was acquired by AB InBev for US$107-billion. It was the world's second-largest brewer measured by revenues and was also a major bottler of Coca-Cola. Its brands included Foster's, Miller, and Pilsner Urquell. It operated in 80 countries worldwide and in 2009 sold around 21 billion litres of beverages. Since 10 October 2016, SABMiller is a business division of AB InBev, a Belgian multinational corporation with headquarters in Leuven.
Blue Point Brewing Company is a brewery that is a subsidiary of Tilray located on Long Island, in Patchogue, New York. The brewery offers a variety of year-round beers, and several seasonal brews, as well as a 'tasting room' which is open to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The brewery hosts an annual Cask Ale Festival, concerts and other events in the brew yard.
Widmer Brothers is a brewery founded in 1984 in Portland, Oregon, by brothers Kurt and Robert Widmer. It is part of the Craft Brew Alliance, Inc., the 12th largest brewing company in the United States in 2017.
In the United States, beer is manufactured in breweries which range in size from industry giants to brew pubs and microbreweries. The United States produced 196 million barrels (23.0 GL) of beer in 2012, and consumes roughly 28 US gallons (110 L) of beer per capita annually. In 2011, the United States was ranked fifteenth in the world in per capita consumption, while total consumption was second only to China.
Goose Island Beer Company is a brewery in Chicago. The oldest currently-operating brewing company in Illinois, it began as a brewpub that opened in 1988 in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, and was named after a nearby island. A larger production brewery opened in 1995. A second brewpub, in Wrigleyville, opened in 1999 and closed in 2015.
Cisco Brewers is a brewery, distillery, and winery founded in 1992 in Nantucket, Massachusetts, by Randy and Wendy Hudson. It was acquired by Craft Brew Alliance in 2018 and by AB InBev in 2020.
Kona Brewing Hawaii is a brewery and pub headquartered in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii's Big Island with a sister location in Hawai‘i Kai on O‘ahu. Formerly owned by Craft Brew Alliance, Kona is now owned by PV Brewing Partners since September 2020. The state-of-the-art brewery on Hawai‘i Island produces approximately 10 styles of beer that are brewed on a regular basis and served only to the local Hawai‘i market at Kona Brewing Hawaii’s locally-operated pubs in Kailua-Kona and Hawai‘i Kai, along with restaurants all over the islands.
Shock Top is an American, Belgian-Style, spiced witbier brand introduced as a seasonal beer by Anheuser-Busch in February 2006, however, the beer's popularity quickly grew and was used as a rival to Molson Coors' Blue Moon. The brand entered a decline following a failed rebranding effort in 2017 and, citing financial shortfall in part due to the 2023 Bud Light boycott, Anheuser-Busch sold the brand to Tilray in August 2023.
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NVFlemish pronunciation:[ˈɑnɦɔizərˈbuɕˈɪmbɛf]), commonly known as AB InBev, is a Belgian-Brazilian multinational drink and brewing company based in Leuven, Belgium and is the largest brewer in the world. In 2023, the company was ranked 72nd in the Forbes Global 2000. Additionally, AB InBev has a global functional management office in New York City, and regional headquarters in São Paulo, London, St. Louis, Mexico City, Bremen, Johannesburg, and others. It has approximately 630 beer brands in 150 countries.
Anheuser-Busch, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, is the largest brewing company in the United States, with a market share of 45 percent in 2016.
The Devils Backbone Brewing Company is a brewpub located in Roseland, Virginia, owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. It was established in 2008 by Steven Crandall. In 2012, a 15,000 square foot production facility and tap room, referred to as "The Outpost", was established near Lexington, Virginia. In 2016, the company was purchased by Anheuser-Busch InBev, meaning that Devils Backbone Brewing Company would no longer meet the Brewers Association definition of a "craft brewery", since ownership by Anheuser-Busch InBev exceeds the definition's 25% maximum ownership by a non-craft brewery.
Green Flash Brewing Company is an American craft brewery headquartered in the Mira Mesa neighborhood of San Diego, California, and founded in 2002. In early April 2018, the company sold to a group of investors, WC IPA LLC following a foreclosure by the company’s principal lender, Comerica Bank.
True Craft was a $100M fund announced in April 2016 with the goal of assisting independent craft brewers. The fund, announced by Stone Brewing Company founders Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, was intended to buy small stakes in interested craft brewers, but no more than 25%. This would allow brewers to continue to operate independently without having to borrow from banks, sell to traditional venture capitalists, or sell to multinational conglomerates. The initiative was discontinued in 2019 after reportedly being unsuccessful in matching the high purchase prices being offered by the larger beer brands.
Hard soda, also referred to as flavored beer, adult soda, fermented soda, mature soda and alcohol soda, is a type of alcoholic beverage and craft beer that is manufactured in the style of a soft drink. It has gained recent prominence in the United States after the success of the Not Your Father's Root Beer brand manufactured by Small Town Brewery. As of late May 2016, at least 39 hard soda brands exist in the United States.
Karbach Brewing Company is a brewery based in Houston, Texas. Since 2016, it has been owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. It was founded in 2011, when beverage industry veterans Chuck Robertson and Ken Goodman joined with Eric Warner, the former brewmaster and CEO of Flying Dog, on a new venture. The brewery is named for its location on Karbach Street in Houston's Spring Branch neighborhood.
Breckenridge Brewery is an American brewing company based in Littleton, Colorado. Select beers can be found in 42 US states. The company was purchased by Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2016 and resold to Tilray in 2023.
Tilray Brands, Inc. is an American pharmaceutical, cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company, incorporated in the United States, headquartered in New York City. Tilray also has operations in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America, with growing facilities in Germany and Portugal.
As of December 31, 2010, A-B owns approximately 32.2% of our outstanding common stock and, under the Exchange Agreement, has the right to appoint two designees to our board of directors and to observe the conduct of all standing board committees.