SEATTLE -- Redhook Ale Brewery Inc. is entering into preliminary discussions with Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. regarding the possibility of combining the two companies.
Redhook and Widmer currently share a joint sales and marketing venture in the western United States, operating as Craft Brands Alliance LLC. They also have a brewing and licensing relationship in the eastern United States.
Discussions are in the very preliminary stages, and are expected to take several weeks, the companies said. There can be no assurance that any [image-nocss] transaction will take place, they added. Any transaction would require the approval of the board of directors of both companies, and may also be subject to approval by the shareholders of one or both companies as well as regulatory approvals.
Redhook Ale Brewery is a leading U.S. independent brewer of craft beers. It brews its specialty bottled and draft products exclusively in its two company-owned breweries, one in the Seattle suburb of Woodinville, Wash., and the other in Portsmouth, N.H. The company distributes its products nationally through a network of wholesale distributors, Craft Brands Alliance LLC and a distribution alliance with Anheuser-Busch Inc.
Portland, Ore.-based Widmer Brothers Brewing is a major craft brewer in the Pacific Northwest. It currently brews a line of seven original European and American-style beers, including America's Original Hefeweizen
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.