Dive Brief:
- Anheuser-Busch InBev has announced plans to acquire Colorado-based Breckenridge Brewery. Neither company released specific terms of the deal, which is expected to close early next year.
- Breckenridge Brewery is expected to sell about 70,000 barrels of beer this year to its customers across 35 states.
- Breckenridge's portfolio includes unique varieties like Vanilla Porter and Agave Wheat among their selection of core brands, seasonal specialties, and barrel-aged beers.
Dive Insight:
This marks AB InBev's third craft brewery acquisition in five days, and the seventh addition to The High End, its craft and imports business. The other two include Arizona's Four Peaks Brewing last week and London's Camden Town Brewery earlier this week.
In August, AB InBev acquired several Colorado-based wholesalers, which, in addition to its pending acquisition of a Colorado craft brewery, confirms the craft beer industry's concerns about access to distribution. Craft brewers are worried about the potential merger of AB InBev and SABMiller, as they believe they could have trouble securing distribution if AB InBev owns the distributors and has its own craft beer it wants those distributors to exclusively work with.