Dive Brief:
- Anheuser-Busch InBev has announced it would acquire Four Peaks Brewing, Arizona's largest craft brewery. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though it is expected to close in early 2016.
- The craft brewery was launched in 1996 and produced 60,000 barrels of beer in 2014, with the expectation to produce 70,000 barrels this year.
- Four Peaks is the sixth craft brewery acquisition by AB InBev’s specialty craft and import brand business, The High End Division, which also includes brands like Stella Artois, Shock Top, and Virtue Cider.
Dive Insight:
Nine months ago, Four Peaks founder Andy Ingram was involved in pushing for the passage of the Arizona Beer Bill, signed into law in March, which expanded the maximum production volume allowed for Arizona breweries to keep their additional brewing, restaurant, and retail locations. The law also increased the production cap for "microbreweries" to 200,000 barrels.
Now that the AB InBev deal is in the works, analysts wonder whether Four Peaks will be able to maintain its current licensing structure once it is acquired by the major brewer. AB InBev denies any licensing dilemmas.
In addition to Four Peaks' statewide distribution, the deal also gives AB InBev control over the craft brewer’s two pubs in Tempe, AZ, one in Scottsdale, AZ, and a location at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.