North American Breweries buys up Independent Brewers United
It’s now official, Rochester-based North American Breweries is buying Independent Brewers United which holds both Magic Hat Brewing Co. and Pyramid Breweries.
North American will take over operations at the acquired company’s three breweries in Portland, Ore.; Berkeley, Calif.; and Burlington, Vt. The three craft beers, Magic Hat, Pyramid and MacTarnahan’s will be added to North American’s current brand portfolio of Genesee, Dundee and Seagram’s and most notably, Labatt. The Labatt USA division is headquartered in Buffalo.
The acquisition more than doubles the number of employees currently on North American’s payroll, from approximately 500 to 1,100. United’s three breweries, five alehouses and one retail store will reportedly remain open.
Pyramid is the fifth largest craft brewery in the United States while Magic Hat is the 10th largest.