Three More Brewers Join MillerCoors’ Tenth and Blake Lineup
By Steve Holtz on Aug. 12, 2016CHICAGO -- Beer marketer MillerCoors has spent its summer bulking up the company's craft-beer stable. The company's craft and import division, Tenth and Blake Beer Co., announced three significant acquisitions of brewers across the country in the past two months.
Here's a look at who's joining the team ...
Revolver Brewing
On Aug. 11, Tenth and Blake Beer Co. announced plans to acquire a majority interest in Granbury, Texas-based Revolver Brewing. Revolver Brewing is highly regarded in the Texas craft-beer community for its flagship brand Blood & Honey, a craft beer that has become one of the leading craft brands in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, according to the company.
“[Tenth and Blake] shares our commitment to brewing great craft beer,” said Rhett Keisler, Revolver Brewing cofounder and president. “This partnership will allow us to maintain our brewery and operations in Granbury while providing us with the additional resources to invest in and accelerate the growth of the Revolver brand in Texas.”
Founded in 2012 by father and son Ron and Rhett Keisler, along with seasoned master brewer and cicerone Grant Wood, Revolver Brewing calls Granbury home and is currently distributed in Dallas, Fort Worth, Waco, Austin and surrounding Texas areas.
Revolver Brewing will operate as a separate business unit of Tenth and Blake. Revolver’s management and employees will continue to create, brew, package, market and sell Revolver’s portfolio of brands.
Hop Valley Brewing Co.
Meanwhile on July 29, Tenth and Blake announced an agreement to obtain a majority interest in Eugene, Ore.-based Hop Valley Brewing Co. Hop Valley is known as a leader in the IPA (India pale ale) space, producing a wide variety of beers, including Alphadelic, its flagship IPA, Citrus Mistress and Alpha Centauri.
“We are very proud of what we have achieved to date, and even more excited about the future for our company and our employees,” said Charles “Chuck” Hare, Hop Valley Brewing co-founder. “From the get-go, it has always been about the beer, and we are looking forward to working with Tenth and Blake to get our beers—made right here—to even more consumers.”
Since opening a brewpub in Springfield, Ore., in 2009, Hop Valley has added to its production with a 30,000-square-foot brewery and tap room in Eugene, Ore. It currently distributes in Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho and Vermont.
Hop Valley Brewing Company will operate as a separate business unit of Tenth and Blake. The management team at Hop Valley will continue to lead the business and will retain an ownership interest.
Terrapin Beer Co.
Finally, on June 20, Tenth and Blake announced an agreement to acquire a majority interest in Athens, Ga.-based Terrapin Beer Co. Tenth and Blake had previously purchased a minority interest in Terrapin in early 2012.
“Bringing Tenth and Blake on years ago allowed us to get to know each other better and realize the incredible potential of becoming a majority-owned partner with Tenth and Blake and MillerCoors,” said Brian “Spike” Buckowski, Terrapin Beer Co.’s co-founder and vice president of brewing development. “We look forward to continuing to create innovative beers to share with beer lovers nationwide.”
Terrapin founders Buckowski and John Cochran set out in 2002 to craft beers unlike any that were available in the Southeast at the time, choosing Athens as home base because of its distinctive culture and a shared appreciation for music. The 84,000-square-foot brewery and 100-barrel brew house creates year-round and seasonal beers such as Hopsecutioner, HI-5, RecreationAle and Rye Pale Ale.
Terrapin Beer Co. will operate as a business unit of Tenth and Blake. Terrapin’s management and team will continue to create, brew, package, ship and sell Terrapin’s portfolio of brands.
“As owners, our job is to work collaboratively with [these brewing teams],” said Scott Whitley, president and CEO of Tenth and Blake, “to support their continued success with their innovative, award-winning beers that complement our portfolio perfectly.”
Tenth and Blake is the craft and import division of Chicago-based MillerCoors. The Tenth and Blake family includes Blue Moon Brewing Co. in Denver; Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. in Chippewa Falls, Wis.; 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee; AC Golden in Golden, Colo.; Birra Peroni in Rome; Plzeňský Prazdroj (Pilsner Urquell) in Pilsen, Czech Republic; and Saint Archer Brewing Co. in San Diego.