Seattle, Wa. – Today the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Anheuser-Busch said Friday it is acquiring Seattle-based Elysian Brewing Co. It is the fourth craft brewery acquisition by the world’s largest beer company in the last five years.
Terms weren’t disclosed. Anheuser-Busch is the U.S. arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, which is based in Belgium and is the world’s largest brewer.
Elysian is one of the Pacific Northwest region’s fastest-growing brewers. It went from selling about 5,000 barrels to 50,000 barrels in five years, according to the Brewers Association, which represents craft brewers.
Recent brewery acquisitions have priced craft brewers at more than $1,000 a barrel. The majority of the more than 3,000 craft brewers in the U.S. remain privately owned.
The acquisitions of 10 Barrel and Elysian give AB InBev a portfolio of established craft brands in the Pacific Northwest, a region that outpaces the rest of the country in craft-beer consumption.
In Portland and Seattle, craft brewers claim more than 30% of the market. Craft brewers’ national market share last year was about 12%.
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