Wilding Brands, the Colorado-based craft beverage and hospitality platform, has expanded again with the acquisition of Denver’s Station 26 Brewery, the companies announced last week.
Station 26 founder Justin Baccary will remain in his role leading the brewery as it joins the collective, which also includes Stem Ciders, Denver Beer Co. and Great Divide, among other brands.
“Justin has built a strong community around Station 26 and the quality speaks for itself,” Wilding Brands chief development officer Charlie Berger said in a press release. “His vision perfectly aligns with what we’re building at Wilding: A new chapter in Colorado craft brewing based on quality and locality across an amazing variety of the best craft beverages and hospitality experiences in Colorado. We’re honored to bring Station 26 into the family and have Justin join the team.”
“We’ve built something really special over the last decade, and joining Wilding is an exciting next step that brings new energy and a shared passion for craft, creativity, and community,” Baccary said in the release. “Eric, Brad, Charlie and the team truly understand the importance of the craft and staying local, and it’s exciting to be part of Colorado’s leading craft beverage group.”
Production and packaging of the Station 26 portfolio will shift to Wilding’s Canworks facility in Denver’s Sunnyside neighborhood. Wilding Brands will be “minimizing” the brewing equipment at Station 26, which will allow for expanded taproom seating, a spokesperson told Brewbound.
No cuts are planned for Station 26 taproom staff, but the number of production jobs affected is not yet known, the spokesperson said.
Baccary opened Station 26 in 2013. The brewery sits in a converted firehouse in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood.
Station 26’s portfolio includes Juicy Banger IPA (7.4% ABV), Bang Bang Double IPA (9.2% ABV), New Zealand Pale Ale (5.7% ABV) and gluten-reduced 303 Lager (5% ABV) and Tangerine Cream (5.4% ABV).
Baccary founded Two Six Craft Distributors in late 2019. In addition to Station 26, the craft wholesaler added products from New Image Brewing, Oh Hi Beverages and Wiley Roots to its portfolio, according to a 2020 press release. Two Six has since shuttered and most brand rights moved to Eagle Rock Distributing, an Anheuser-Busch InBev-aligned wholesaler with some non-A-B craft brands in its book. Eagle Rock has nearly statewide coverage in Colorado.
Eagle Rock sells Station 26 and “that will not change” following the merger, Baccary told Brewbound.
The brewery’s output peaked in 2023 at 9,000 barrels, according to the Brewers Association’s (BA) May/June issue of the New Brewer magazine. Station 26 produced 7,500 barrels in 2024, according to Baccary.
Stem Ciders and Denver Beer Co. and their related offshoots merged to form Wilding Brands in 2024. Earlier this year, the platform, which also includes Funkwerks, added Denver-based Great Divide.
With the inclusion of Station 26, Wilding Brands’ beer output reached 47,458 barrels in 2024, according to BA data, which would land the platform among the 50 largest craft breweries by volume.
Editor’s note: This story was update at 2 p.m. ET on June 9 to include Station 26’s 2024 production volume.