Stone Brewing has been sold. Again.
Stone Brewing and Firestone Walker Brewing announced a deal under which the latter will take over the former. Financial details were not released, but Firestone Walker is taking over the Stone Brewing brand along with some of its taproom locations. The deal is actually between Duvel USA and Sapporo, as explained below.
It’s a sort of homecoming for Stone, which has been owned by Sapporo since 2022. Both Stone Brewing and Firestone Walker Brewing have California roots that reach back to their founding in 1996. Two of California’s seminal and most recognizable craft beer brands are now under one umbrella. The deal with Stone Brewing comes on the heels of the announcement that Firestone Walker Brewing is taking over Trumer Pils. So, make that three iconic California brands unified under the Duvel USA portfolio.
Moving forward, Firestone Walker will produce Stone Brewing’s beer at its facility in Paso Robles, California. Stone’s facility in Escondido will close. The company’s brewery in Richmond, Virginia, will remain open, but will only produce Sapporo’s beer, not Stone’s.
Adding to Duvel’s family
Firestone Walker is part of Duvel USA, the American arm of the Belgian family-owned brewery Duvel Moortgat, which also owns Boulevard Brewing and Brewery Ommegang. The additions of Stone and Trumer should increase Duvel USA’s production to about 900,000 barrels per year, ranking it fourth in the nation in craft beer production.
In announcing the deal, Firestone Walker’s CEO, Nick Firestone, said, “Stone is one of the most iconic brands in American craft beer and a pioneer of the West Coast IPA. For 30 years they’ve built something legendary, a brand known for its commitment to quality, drive for innovation and a true fighting spirit. We will honor what’s been built and carry it forward with the same authenticity and conviction that we love them for. The Stone heart keeps beating.”
Firestone adds, “This is a space that we understand. It’s a brand that we know well – we’re both celebrating our 30th birthdays this year. It’s a strong IPA brand that fits like a glove into the Firestone Walker portfolio and partners well with Duvel USA. There’s a lot that really just makes good sense here.”
Along with the Stone Brewing brand, Firestone Walker assumes control of Stone’s taprooms in San Diego, Oceanside, and Pasadena.
Sapporo will continue to produce Stone’s beers at Stone Brewing’s Richmond, Virginia, facility as the deal comes together. Also, Sapporo says it is looking for someone to take over the facility in Escondido, California. The Japanese brewing giant described the sale of Stone Brewing as a “strategic shift” to focus on its core Sapporo brand portfolio.
What’s next?
Consolidation, acquisition, mergers, and the like have become quite common in the American craft beer industry in recent years. A decade ago, the massive American beer manufacturers were buying their way into what was then an exciting, growing craft beer marketplace. Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors were throwing gobs of money at building craft beer portfolios. That trend has reversed.
Although Sapporo’s venture into American craft beer was a bit different, it joins Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors in the offloading of its craft brands. Unlike those other giant beer companies, Sapporo appeared most interested in establishing production facilities for its existing brands and less interested in entering the craft beer market.
The question is, what happens next? Although Duvel USA is nothing at all like Anheuser-Busch or Molson Coors, it’s reasonable to wonder about its position in what now appears to be a rapid reorchestration of the American craft beer market.
A brief, abridged history of Stone Brewing
- Stone Brewing was founded in 1996 by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in San Marcos, California. It quickly became a notable force in the craft beer movement, known for bold, hoppy beers like Stone IPA and Arrogant Bastard Ale. The brewery made a name for itself and cultivated a reputation: brash, unapologetic, and arrogant.
- In 2005, Stone moved its operation to a 55,000-square-foot production facility in Escondido, California. A year later, at the same location, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens opened. In 2013, it added a 65,000-square-foot packaging facility.
- In 2016, the brewery pursued an ambitious plan and opened a $25 million location in Berlin, Germany. The grand opening featured a stunt in which a giant boulder was dropped on a pallet of German pilsner. The locals saw it as an act of insolence. In 2019, Stone took a significant loss when it sold the Berlin location to BrewDog.
- Also in 2016, Stone Brewing opened a brewery in Richmond, Virginia. With sizable breweries on two coasts, Stone attracted the attention of Japanese brewing behemoth Sapporo. In 2022, Sapporo acquired Stone Brewing for $165 million, gaining a major player in the U.S. craft beer market and, more importantly, production facilities on both coasts.
- In 2026, Stone Brewing was acquired by Firestone Walker Brewing and joined the Duvel USA portfolio.
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