Well, looks like it's a done deal.

[Konadog]

Looks like Sapporo just closed the deal: Sapporo buys Stone Brewing, including Richmond operations

(Not sure what forum this should be in so feel free to move it if necessary)

 

[Sammy86]

Good for them, 165 million is life changing money! While many craft purists will scream from the rafters and cry foul...people forget brewing beer is a business...people need to make money to live...and setting up generations of your family is a powerful upside to any business venture.

 

[pvtpublic]

From my understanding, it wasn't exactly by choice. They seem to have had some mounting debt that they couldn't manage.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

State of play: Six years later, work on the restaurant still hasn't begun, but Stone Brewing told Axios that it's in touch with the city to finalize the bistro plans before the sale closes in August.

 

[Zanatrik]

The big regional craft brewers will keep seeing pressures like this to sell to much larger companies, and no judgement, I wouldn’t mind a $165M payout. but I think the future of craft is largely headed to hyper local, your brewers that don’t distribute nationally and for which you get to know the owners if you want…sort of a Cheers thing where the small community is invested in their success. But those brewers will never be rich.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

And many of those brewers will go belly up.
Two small craft breweries located here went bust in the last 18 months.
And the investors were livid…

 

[Zanatrik]

And many of those brewers will go belly up.
Two small craft breweries located here went bust in the last 18 months.
And the investors were livid…

You’re not wrong, just like a lot of restaurants many won’t make it. But we have also seen a fair number of the larger regional brewers sell after realizing the craft market was saturated and they couldn’t maintain the same presence in the space when competing with many smaller breweries eating into the profit.

 

[passedpawn]

Mmmm Stone IPA.

I've also happily sank many Sapporo pilsners while in Japan.

 

[pvtpublic]

Mmmm Stone IPA.

I've also happily sank many Sapporo pilsners while in Japan.

My go-to for sushi.
Go ahead everyone, judge me.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Mmmm Stone IPA.

I've also happily sank many Sapporo pilsners while in Japan.

My go to beer while in Akasaka, Japan, was Yebisu. It is a super premium beer, and is great on draft.

 

[passedpawn]

My go to beer while in Akasaka, Japan, was Yebisu. It is a super premium beer, and is great on draft.

I was up and down the islands. Drank a lot of beer on trains. This me with (I'm pretty sure) a saporro.

Next pic, (I think) Kirin. Most of those pilsners tasted about the same, pretty danged good!

 

[Oleson M.D.]

People would be shocked to learn how good pilsner beer is in Japan! Yes, drank my share of Kirin, but Yebisu and Sapporo were higher on the list.

I will put many Japanese Pilsners up against the best Germany has to offer. And I have been in both countries many times, and enjoyed more than my share of beer.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

the future of craft is largely headed to hyper local, your brewers that don’t distribute nationally and for which you get to know the owners if you want

Yep! I look at craft beer like I do the local produce at the farmer's market or handmade Amish furniture. The reason that it is special is because of the small scale and uniqueness. Most breweries seem to want to grow to regional distribution breweries which forces them out of the model that made them successful and into brewing 4 core brands that slowly become outdated. Their beers are no longer unique, local and fresh. I seldom purchase beers from the larger "craft" breweries like Stone.

 

[Zanatrik]

Yep! I look at craft beer like I do the local produce at the farmer's market or handmade Amish furniture. The reason that it is special is because of the small scale and uniqueness. Most breweries seem to want to grow to regional distribution breweries which forces them out of the model that make them successful and into brewing 4 core brands that slowly become outdated. Their beers are no longer unique, local and fresh. I seldom purchase beers from the larger "craft" breweries like Stone.

I’m with you. I’m not a full purist for it, and sometimes still go for a bigger regional, but I spend most of my fridge space not used on my own beer for local brewers within the state and preferably within an hour or two. The few that have become big are no longer very interesting and even when I try them because the brew sounds unique or tasty I’m more often disappointed.