The US unit of Anheuser-Busch InBev has sold Appalachian Mountain Brewery back to the US craft brewer’s owners.
Anheuser-Busch originally inherited the North Carolina-based business in 2020, when it bought outright control of Craft Brew Alliance. The craft ‘co-operative’, which was absorbed into the Budweiser owner’s Brewers Collective division, acquired Appalachian Mountain in late 2018.
In a statement on The Brewer Magazine’s website this week, Nathan Kelischek and Chris Zieber said they had reached an agreement to take back the company. “We’re grateful to have spent the last two years as active founders within A-B’s craft portfolio,” the pair said, “and want to thank the people at A-B, including our fellow craft brewery founders, for the support, collaboration and friendship that we’ve enjoyed during our time together.”
Financial details about the transaction were not disclosed.
Earlier this month, A-B InBev started the year with a 13.2% jump in first-quarter sales. Stand-out performances in the results announcement were from the ‘no alcohol beer’ portfolio, lower-carb lager Michelob Ultra and spirits-based RTDs, led by the Cutwater brand.
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