AB InBev is set to close two craft breweries, marking the end of an era for Wynwood Brewing and Golden Road Brewing.
Wynwood Brewing, Miami’s inaugural craft brewery and taproom will permanently shut down next month after being over a decade in operation. Following the closure, Wynwood Brewing will merge with its sister business, Veza Sur, conveniently located “just up the street,” as stated in an official announcement.
Despite the closure of the brewery site, the group intends to continue the production of Wynwood Brewing's flagship brand, La Rubia, along with other popular brands such as Laces IPA, Father Francisco Belgian-style golden ale, and Pop’s Porter.
In 2016, the Craft Brew Alliance (CBA), in which AB InBev held a partial ownership, acquired a 24.5% stake in Wynwood. Subsequently, CBA completed the full purchase of Wynwood in 2018 (inside.beer, 10.10.2018). CBA, in turn, was completely taken over by AB InBev one year later (inside.beer, 11.11.2019).
Additionally, AB InBev will close Golden Road Brewing in Sacramento, California, this week. Established in 2011 by Meg Gill, one of the few female founders in the US craft brewing scene, the brewery joined forces with Anheuser-Busch in 2015 to facilitate national distribution, leveraging its capacity for larger-scale brewing, as stated on the brewery’s website.
AB InBev has been streamlining its craft beer portfolio in recent years. Last August, the company entered into a definitive agreement with Tilray to divest eight beer and beverage brands. (inside.beer, 7.8.2023) The remaining brands listed under Craft Partners include Cisco Brewers, Devil’s Backbone, Elysian Brewing, Four Peaks Brewing, Golden Road, Goose Island, Karbach Brewing, Omission Brewing, Veza Sur, Virtue Cider, Wicked Weed, and Wynwood Brewing.
