Upper Hand Brewery, opened by Bell’s Brewery founder Larry Bell in 2014, is about to change hands.
Kirin-owned New Belgium acquired Escanaba, Michigan-based Upper Hand when it merged with Bell’s in 2021. The company announced to employees and partners on Wednesday that it has agreed to sell the brewery to Seven Beverages in a deal that will close in early 2025, according to a statement shared by a New Belgium spokesperson.
News of the deal first broke in Beer Marketer’s Insights’ Craft Brew News on Wednesday.
“Thank you to the Upper Hand team for their years of hard work, creativity, and innovation,” New Belgium CEO Shaun Belongie said in a press release. “The ownership, pride, and dedication to brewing exceptional craft beers have resonated within the local community and are a testament to their dedication and talent. We’re excited to see the new owners continue the legacy of incredible craft beer in Northern Michigan.”
Seven Beverages is still “in the process of securing their alcohol license in Michigan,” according to the statement. The company plans to resume Upper Hand’s operations once its license is secure, and New Belgium will continue running the brewery until then.
Bell “always dreamed of opening a brewery in the Upper Peninsula,” according to Upper Hand’s website.
“Little vestiges of those dreams can be found in many of the classic Bell’s brands, which pay tribute to the U.P. in their names and label artwork,” the brewery wrote.
Upper Hand produced just shy of 5,000 barrels of beer in 2020, according to the Brewers Association’s (BA) New Brewer. That marked a nearly +25% increase from 2019, when it produced 4,082 barrels, according to the BA.
The brewery announced distribution expansions to Wisconsin in 2015 and Minnesota in 2017 before distributing further into its home state. Upper Hand began shipping to the northern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula in 2020 and filled out the rest of the state in 2021, according to press releases.
Bell’s planned to invest $2.5 million to build the 20-barrel brewery on three acres of land, which it acquired for $30,000, according to Craft Brew News.
Seven Beverages’ main business arm is Beverage Equipment Traders, which sells brewhouse equipment. Seven Beverages’ website appears to be down, but Craft Brew News reported it listed Santa Ana, California-based Cismontane Brewing as a subsidiary. That brewery closed in April 2021, according to its Instagram account.