Weyerbacher Sold to New Owners; Taproom Reopens
An LLC led by the former president and CEO of Pittsburgh Brewing has acquired Weyerbacher Brewing following the Easton, Pennsylvania-based craft brewery’s second bankruptcy case, according to LehighValleyLive.com.
“It’s a great product quality, a great brand, a great team here that has labored through all the ups and downs of the business,” Ed Lozano told LehighValleyLive.com.
Lozano is the CEO of Savant Beverages LLC, which closed on its acquisition of Weyerbacher on October 3, the same day U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Patricia M. Mayer dismissed the brewery’s bankruptcy case from U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Weyerbacher filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 27, its second bankruptcy petition after filing in April 2019 to reorganize its debt. The brewery shuttered its taproom until further notice in July, but announced on Instagram this week it will reopen for limited hours until a grand opening in January.
During Weyerbacher’s closure to the public, Lozano made improvements to the facility, such as a new epoxy floor, painting, installing televisions, and building out “an entertainment space that can host as many as 750 people,” according to LehighValleyLive.com.
Nearly all production and distribution employees will retain their jobs. Lozano plans to keep “the big, bold beers” Weyerbacher is known for in the brewery’s portfolio, which will expand to include some new additions.
Lozano led Pittsburgh Brewing from 2011-2014, according to his LinkedIn profile. His career also includes tenures at Miller Brewing and PepsiCo.
Last year, Weyerbacher brewed 3,750 barrels of beer, according to the May/June issue of the Brewers Association’s (BA) New Brewer.
Funk Factory Geuzeria Sells Taproom to Black Rose Blending Co.
Madison, Wisconsin-based Funk Factory Geuzeria (FFG) owner Levi Funk has sold the brewery’s taproom to former FFG director of operations Kyle Metz, founder of Black Rose Blending company.
“Kyle taking over ownership of the space and starting Black Rose Blending Company is a natural succession to this physical space, and feels like a progression and evolution of what we have developed here,” Funk wrote in a newsletter. “He is obviously a very talented blender and I am excited for you all to see what he has been working [on] and will continue to grow.”
The taproom’s final day under the FFG name will be December 30, when the brewery will host its annual holiday party. Funk will continue to produce FFG offerings, which will be sold in the Madison area, according to Isthmus.com.
“At its core, I wanted an outlet to explore mixed-culture beers similar to what we had been making at Funk Factory, but less tied to Belgian lambic traditions,” Metz said in the newsletter. “Personally, I am more fascinated with the saison and farmhouse niche of the brewing world and the freedom of exploration that it provides. In addition, I have a growing interest in wine and other natural ferments, and I wanted the option to be able to explore those fields as well.”
Black Rose will open in 2023, and has begun selling memberships to the Conservatory, its bottle club. Annual memberships cost $200 and include six bottles, exclusive glasses, a 20% taproom discount and other perks.
Hillman Beer to Acquire Catawba Brewing Facility in Morganton
Asheville, North Carolina-based Hillman Beer has announced its plans to acquire Catawba Brewing’s now-shuttered facility in Morganton, North Carolina, in a deal that is expected to close in Q1 2023, according to the Morganton News Herald.
Catawba, which was acquired by portfolio company Made By The Water (MBTW) in October 2021, laid off 10 employees in October 2022 as it wound down production at the Morganton brewery. The facility’s last day in operation was November 27, according to the News Herald.
MBTW merged with New Orleans-based Faubourg Brewing in September and is the parent company of Apalachicola, Florida-based Oyster City and Charleston, South Carolina-based Palmetto Brewing. The Morganton facility’s output will shift to the Palmetto and Faubourg breweries, MBTW CEO Alexi Sekmakas told Brewbound in October.
The Morganton facility was excluded from the sale to MBTW, and Catawba founders Billy, Jetta and Scott Pyatt retained ownership of it.
Hillman owner Greig Hillman told the News Herald he will lease space for a temporary taproom across the street from the brewery while it is renovated in a project that is expected to last until late 2023 or early 2024.
Hillman praised the Pyatts in a press release about his brewery’s acquisition of the building.
“They set the stage for craft beer not only in Morganton but in North Carolina and beyond,” he said. “We are excited to fill the big shoes they have left for us in Morganton.”
In 2021, Hillman produced 1,666 barrels of beer, a +39% increase in volume from its 2020 output, according to the May/June issue of the BA’s New Brewer.
Bira 91 Maker Closes $70 Million Series D Led by Kirin Holdings
New Delhi, India-based B9 Beverages, maker of Bira 91 beer, has closed a $70 million Series D funding round, led by Japan-based Kirin Holdings.
The funding round will help expand Bira 91’s production capacity through “commissioning new breweries and expanding its facilities,” according to a press release. The company also plans to expand its distribution footprint both domestically and internationally, and “further bolster Bira 91’s production development and innovation capabilities.”
Kirin acquired a minority stake in B9 in 2021, reportedly investing $30 million for 10% share. At the time, B9 was considering a sale of as much as 20% of the company, after several years of losses, Reuters reported. Following the latest funding round, Kirin’s stake in the company was not disclosed.
“Over the last year, Kirin Holdings has worked with the management team of Bira 91 across some of the key aspects of business, especially in areas of manufacturing capability and sustainability,” Hiromasa Honda, managing director of Kirin Holdings, Singapore, said in the release. “We are delighted to see the growth Bira 91 has witnessed post the pandemic and we strongly believe that Bira 91 has tremendous potential in this growing market. The partnership with Bira 91 could be a great model for accelerated success in emerging markets, by driving localized manufacturing and innovation combined with a focus on sustainability.”
Kirin is the parent company of Australian-based Lion Little World Beverages, which acquired New Belgium Brewing in 2019 and Bell’s Brewery in 2021. In October 2016, Kirin acquired a 24.5% stake in Brooklyn Brewery.
Founded in 2015, B9 is the fourth-largest beer company in India, according to the release. The company’s offerings are now available in 18 countries.
Anderson Valley Completes Transition into Cans
Boonville, California-based Anderson Valley Brewing Company (AVBC) will now package all of its offerings in aluminum cans with cardboard wraps, in an effort to offer more sustainable packaging.
The transition is the latest refresh for AVBC since the 35-year-old company was acquired in 2019 by now president and CEO Kevin McGee and his family. The company slowly eliminated 6-pack rings and glass packaging over the past two years, but did not fully transition its portfolio until now in order to deplete its glass stock and reduce waste, McGee told Brewbound in May.
The transition to cans will use 90% less energy during the recycling process, and will reduce AVBC’s trucking by almost 60%, according to a press release. The new cardboard wraps also reportedly use 52% less total cardboard than the previous glass package format, reducing AVBC’s material costs by up to 30%.
“Our last run of Boont Amber in glass bottles was a bit bittersweet because of how historic that beer is, but we have now officially transitioned entirely to aluminum cans with cardboard wrap packaging,” McGee said in the release. “This is the most environmentally responsible beer package available – a milestone that has allowed us to dramatically reduce both supply chain and packaging costs all while dramatically reducing our carbon footprint.”
AVBC has implemented multiple sustainability practices over the past few years, including implementing a nitrogen generation in 2020 to “harvest nitrogen from the surrounding air,” and running its own solar panels in an effort to be “totally energy independent,” McGee previously told Brewbound.
JuneShine Brooklyn Taproom Opens Saturday
JuneShine, a San Diego-based hard kombucha and canned cocktail (RTD) maker, will open its first East Coast location to the public this Saturday.
The taproom, located in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, will serve hard kombucha on tap and craft cocktails, as well as the company’s canned hard kombucha and spirits offerings. The location is JuneShine’s third and biggest taproom, joining spaces in San Diego and Santa Monica.
The 64-seat space will serve raw bar items at the front, with “boochtenders” educating visitors on bev-alc offerings, creating a “very high-end cocktail experience,” JuneShine co-founder Greg Serrao told Brewbound in October. The backroom of the location is “almost like a surf bungalow,” with a nightly vinyl DJ and optional event space.
JuneShine held a media sneak peak of the taproom on Wednesday. The event featured small businesses, including AAPI and women-owned Lanterne Lab, a New York-based candle making lab and event space, and Fishwife, a women-founded tinned seafood company based in Los Angeles.
Tune into the Brewbound Podcast next week for more details on the opening event from Brewbound reporter Zoe Licata.