Breckenridge Brewery being sold to Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch announced Tuesday it will acquire Breckenridge Brewery, one of Colorado’s most well-known craft beer makers. The Belgian owned mammoth is swallowing the Breckenridge brand, brewing facilities, and tap rooms. Anheuser-Busch will not have a stake in the cluster of restaurants and brewpubs owned and operated by selling entity Breckenridge-Wynkoop LLC, which will continue to own and operate Ale House at Amato’s, Breckenridge Ale House, Breckenridge Colorado Craft, the Cherry Cricket, Mainline, Phantom Canyon Brewing Co., and Wynkoop Brewing Co., officials said. The news of this purchase comes only one day after AB InBev announced its acquisition of Camden Town Brewery based in London and four days after the world’s largest brewer announced it was buying Four Peaks Brewing in Arizona.

Farmhouse at Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton, Colorado.

It expects to sell 70,000 barrels of beer this year, with its flagship product Kilt Lifter (a Scottish-style ale) making up more than 60% of sales.

The 25-year-old label will be part of “The High End”, Anheuser-Busch’s division for craft beers and imports.

Its assets include a restaurant and new brewery at its Littleton headquarters, while core brands include Vanilla Porter, Agave Wheat and Breck IPA.

“We look forward to more opportunities to share what Four Peaks is about within our local community, and beyond“, said Randy Schultz, co-founder. If there were plans to come in and change our employees, our culture, and our recipes, well, that would completely undermine the reason for the partnership at all. I hope you will give us the chance to prove to you over time that we will continue to be Breckenridge Brewery.