Craft brewers can do it too.
After a slew of craft brewery acquisitions by Big Beer spanning the last eight years, the concept of a craft brewery acquiring another craft brewery – ‘craft on craft’ – may start to pick up momentum. No doubt that the highly competitive marketplace has stressed many craft breweries lately, to the point that we will see an uptick in closings. But with each closing comes an opportunity for a healthy and vibrant craft brewery to assume production space and maybe a line extension.
Eastern Market Brewing Co., which opened just two years ago in Detroit announced that they will acquire Ferndale, Michigan brewery Axle Brewing Co. which closed its doors and ceased operations last June. Eastern Market plans to use the Axil facility to triple its production and bring “creative, progressive and unconventional” beers to the market, according to an article in the Detroit Free Press.
Expect more craft on craft ahead.