The acquisition will impact several local craft breweries.
Today, Brewbound reports that Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) has agreed with Bellingham, Washington’s Sound Beverage Distributors, to acquire brand rights to A-B’s portfolio and other products. Sound Beverage distributes A-B products and other adult beverage products in Whatcom, Skagit, and Island counties. It also distributes beer for several regional craft breweries.
Sound Beverage was founded in 1950 by Dale and Elaine Shintaffer. The Shintaffer family still owns and operates the business, but presumably, that now changes with this agreement.
The agreement with Sound Beverage expands operations for A-B ONE, the company’s network of wholly owned distributors. Not all distributors working with A-B products are wholly owned by A-B. Today’s news actually marks a departure from the direction A-B has headed in recent years: it has sold off many of its wholly owned distributors to private concerns. Here in Washington, A-B One of Washington is also a wholly owned A-B distributor that supplies beer to much of the Puget Sound region. That company is based in Renton.
Craft Breweries Impacted
The regional craft brands impacted by A-B’s acquisition of Sound Beverage Distributors include Aslan Brewing, Bale Breaker Brewing, Black Raven Brewing, Diamond Knot Brewing, Fort George Brewing, Icicle Brewing, Iron Horse Brewing, Kulshan Brewing, Laurelwood Brewing, Narrows Brewing, No-Li Brewhouse, Von Ebert Brewing, Wander Brewing, and others.
A spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch told Brewbound that the acquisition of distribution rights for those and other non-A-B brands is subject to supplier approval. That means those craft breweries can opt out if they want to leave Sound Beverage, though that would come with some hardship. Remember, Sound Beverage only distributes beer to Whatcom, Skagit, and Island Counties.
“Anheuser-Busch’s owned distribution operations are a strategic part of our business as they enable us to test and learn, develop our people, and ultimately serve as stronger partners to our independent distributors,” A-B said in a statement. “Sound Beverage has been a valued partner for more than 60 years and we look forward to continuing to provide world-class service to our retail customers across northwest Washington.”

