Mergers & Acquisitions

The wheeling and dealing between Classic Beverage and Scout Distribution continues in California. Classic Beverage of San Diego announced a deal on Friday to acquire Scout Distribution’s business in San Diego. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the deal is expected to close by August 11, pending supplier approvals.

8th Wonder Brewery, Distillery and Cannabis has been acquired by Bayou City Hemp Company, a Houston, Texas-headquartered cannabis company.

E. & J. Gallo is continuing its acquisition streak with Bev, a Los Angeles-based canned wine and spritz brand.

The craft-on-craft deals continue to roll in. Baltimore, Maryland-based DuClaw Brewing Co. has been acquired by River Horse Brewing Co. in Ewing, New Jersey.

Josh Landan is leading a craft brewery again. Landan, who founded the now defunct Saint Archer Brewery in 2013 and sold it within two years to MillerCoors, is now the CEO of Great Frontier Holdings, the newly formed parent company of Ninkasi Brewing in Eugene, Oregon, and Wings & Arrow beyond beer offerings. Landan spoke with Brewbound about the merger, the combined company’s ambitions, potential future acquisitions and the contract brewing business.

Portfolio brand Wings & Arrow, whose brands include Ashland Hard Seltzer, Mucho Aloha Hard Lemonade, Villager Spirits canned cocktails and Wings & Arrow beer, is merging with Eugene, Oregon-based Ninkasi Brewing to form Great Frontier Holdings.

Constellation Brands is exiting the craft beer business. Constellation, which has found success with Mexican import brands Modelo, Corona and Pacifico, said it will divest of its craft and specialty division to refocus its efforts on its core brands. As such, Funky Buddha Brewery in Florida and Four Corners Brewing Co. in Texas will return to their respective original founders.

FX Matt Brewing Company and Flying Dog Brewery announced a deal Monday in which the New York legacy brand would acquire the Frederick, Maryland-based craft brewery and transfer all production to Utica, New York, later this summer. FX Matt CEO Fred Matt and new Flying Dog president Ben Savage shared details of the deal, the challenges Flying Dog has faced in the past and the opportunities ahead.

New York’s FX Matt Brewing Company has struck a deal to acquire Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Maryland, the companies announced today. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Flying Dog’s production will begin shifting to FX Matt’s Utica, New York-based production facility over the summer with operations in Maryland expected to stop “sometime in August.”

Appalachian Mountain Brewery and Cidery (AMB) is returning to familiar ownership. Nathan Kelischek and Chris Zieber, founders of the Boone, North Carolina craft brewery, have agreed to purchase AMB from Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B), according to a press release.

More than 300 winners were honored during the Brewers Association’s (BA) 2023 World Beer Cup (WBC) during Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville this week. Guinness Baltimore Blonde – the signature offering of brewing operations at Diageo’s Relay, Maryland-based production facility – has become such a local icon that one Baltimore County official wants to invest $500,000 in a local brewer to keep the beer flowing, according to the Baltimore Banner.

Constellation Brands has acquired a minority stake in TÖST, an alcohol-free sparkling beverage brand, the company announced yesterday.

The rights to 15 brands will change hands from Richmond, California-based Bay Area Distributing to Antioch-based Markstein Sales Company.

Luxco, Inc., a subsidiary of Indiana-based whiskey giant MGP Ingredients, has acquired Penelope Bourbon for $105 million upfront, the company announced Monday. The deal also includes a maximum potential payout of $110.8 million by the end of 2025 if “certain performance targets” are achieved.