All was quiet on the macro-beer acquisition front for quite some time until 10 AM on Wednesday, August 7 when Brewbound reported that Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B InBev) had acquired Cleveland-based Platform Beer Co. AB InBev has acquired several high-profile breweries including Wicked Weed, Elysian, and Goose Island, but this purchase is the first in about two years for the international brewing company.
Financial terms have not been disclosed about the acquisition at this time, though A-B InBev said of the decision that Platform was “the fastest growing regional brewery in the United States in 2017.” Brewers Collective, the A-B InBev acquired brewery group, president Marcelo “Mika” Michaelis noted about Platform “It’s this growth that will give beer drinkers access to even more choices in today’s competitive and dynamic beer market.”
Paul Benner, Platform Beer Co. Founder, shared in a Facebook post, “The most important factor in this decision was having confidence that we would continue to control the day-to-day operations in an independent manner. The opportunity to provide vast resources for our facilities and for our loyal employees is incredibly exciting. This long term partnership will allow all of that to become a reality.“
Benner also clarified that “We feel it is important to share that we will be making the same Platform beer, brewed by the same Platform employees, and poured at the same Platform locations.”
This latest acquisition from A-B InBev, unsurprisingly, has folks in the craft beer industry curious about next steps. Platform Beer Co. is a self-distributed, local Cleveland brewery and the question remains how and if distribution will change for Platform. Furthermore, there is still speculation that A-B InBev will acquire the Craft Brew Alliance, a group that includes several craft breweries including Kona, Widmer, and Cisco.
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