In this week’s edition of Last Call: Brewers Association CEO Bob Pease weighs in on the Boston Beer-Dogfish Head deal; Rob Tod wins a James Beard award; Bell’s and Loveland head to arbitration; the Texas Senate strips to-go-sales amendment from a bill; and more industry news.

Eight years ago, Dogfish Head and Boston Beer Company teamed up to brew a collaboration beer for the annual SAVOR craft beer and food pairing experience. Today, the two companies announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement valued at about $300 million. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter. As part of the transaction, Dogfish Head co-founders Sam and Mariah Calagione will receive about 406,000 shares of Boston Beer stock (NYSE: SAM), valued at $314.60 per share, making them the largest non-institutional shareholders in the company, behind Boston Beer founder Jim Koch.

Dan Gordon has regained majority control of Gordon Biersch Brewing Company. A new investor group assembled by Gordon has acquired the San Jose, California-based production brewery from the Fertitta family — founders of Nevada’s Station Casinos and Zuffa, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which sold for more $4 billion to WME-IMG in 2016.

The Schlafly family once again has controlling interest of The Saint Louis Brewery, makers of Schlafly Beer. More than seven years after acquiring a majority interest in the Saint Louis craft brewery, private equity firm Sage Capital, as well as several current and former Schlafly Beer employees, including co-founder Dan Kopman, have sold their stakes in the business to a new investor group led by David Schlafly, a real estate developer and cousin of brewery co-founder Tom Schlafly.

Rumors of financial troubles, layoffs and a possible bankruptcy filing have swirled around the Celis Brewery in Austin, Texas, for the better part of 2019, and more information about the company’s future could be revealed in the coming days. A new investor group led by a beer industry outsider is reportedly considering a deal to acquire the distressed brewery, Brewbound has learned.

Weyerbacher Brewing Company today announced the sale of a majority stake in the company to 1518 Holdings LLC, a Philadelphia-based private investment group. Speaking to Brewbound, newly named president Josh Lampe, who previously served as chief operating officer and has supplanted brewery founder Dan Weirback as the company’s leader, said 1518 Holdings had acquired a 55 percent stake in the 24-year-old business.

In the latest Press Clips: Lion acquires Magic Rock Brewing in the UK; Allagash founder Rob Tod makes James Beard finals; Russian River’s Pliny the Younger generates more than $4 million in impact; the Cleveland Indians name Great Lakes and Miller Lite official beers; and more industry news.

Father-and-son Bruce and Andy Rhine have acquired a majority stake in Bend, Oregon-based Cascade Lakes Brewing, the company announced Tuesday. Speaking with Brewbound, Andy Rhine said he and his father purchased ownership stakes held by previous owners Rick Orazetti and Doug and Ron Kutella. The Rhines now own 75 percent of the 25-year-old company.

In this week’s Last Call: Anchor workers vote to unionize; Texas beer distributor opposes to-go sales; Utah lawmakers agree on stronger beer bill; Instacart offers alcohol delivery service to 40 Million U.S. households; and more industry news.

Diversified Metal Engineering (DME) has returned from the brink of collapse. CIMC Enric Tank & Process B.V. yesterday closed on a deal to acquire the financially troubled Canadian brewing equipment manufacturer.

In this week’s edition of Last Call: Actual Brewing files for bankruptcy; beer sales grow in January; Northern Eagle Beverage acquires New Jersey A-B wholesaler; class-action lawsuit filed against Molson Coors; and more industry news.

Anheuser-Busch InBev today announced the purchase of fast-growing Cutwater Spirits, a craft distilling venture that was originally born inside of Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits. Specific financial terms of the deal – A-B InBev’s first in the spirits space — were not disclosed.

One of the biggest beer wholesalers in the country is growing once again. Reyes Beverage Group subsidiary Harbor Distributing LLC last week announced an agreement to acquire the assets of Central Coast Distributing LLC in Santa Maria, California.

ZX Ventures, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s venture capital arm, has acquired the remaining portion of beer ratings website RateBeer.com that it did not already own. Financial terms of the deal were not announced, but a spokesperson for ZX Ventures said the transaction had closed.