MillerCoors announced today that they have bought a controlling interest in Saint Archer Brewery of San Diego.
The sale price was not disclosed.
In the classic post-sale announcement, Saint Archer said that the funders will continue to operate the brewery and all employees will stay on with no changes to the product.
Yet in a week that was shattered by the announcement of Lagunitas selling a 50% stake to Heniekin, it is further proof that the times are changing in the craft brewing industry.
Although unlike the Lagunitas deal which provides Lagunitas with a global platform to take their beers worldwide, there’s not a lot of creativity or innovation in this deal. MC gets a fast growing craft brand that they hope to take national and Saint Archer gets money.
Saint Archer was seen by many in the industry as one of the first in recent years to climb aboard the craft success-train not with a passion for beer or homebrewing, but from a “lifestyle” perspective. The company owners were filmmakers, surfers and sports enthusiasts who used a fleet of “celebrity” beer ambassadors to promote the brand.
The brand will be folded into MillerCoors Tenth and Blake unit along with Blue Moon and others.
