Earlier this week, Tilray — the largest cannabis company in Canada — announced that it would be acquiring eight craft beverage brands from Anheuser-Busch InBev, significantly cutting the beer giant’s craft portfolio. Included in the purchase are Shock Top, Breckenridge Brewery, Blue Point Brewing Company, 10 Barrel Brewing Company, Redhook Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Square Mile Cider Company, and Hiball Energy, which was actually discontinued by A-B InBev earlier this year.
In the 2010s, ABI placed a big bet on craft brewing, acquiring numerous breweries all over the country with the promise of expanding them to national distribution. Come 2023 and only a handful actually perform well. That’s where Tilray comes in. Despite its roots as a cannabis company, Tilray has been rapidly expanding its craft beer portfolio in recent years, perhaps most notably with the acquisition of Montauk Brewing Company in November 2022.
On this episode of the “VinePair Podcast,” Joanna and Zach are joined by VinePair contributing editor and “Taplines” host Dave Infante to discuss Tilray’s shocking purchase of eight beverage brands from A-B InBev. What is the Canadian cannabis company hoping to accomplish by expanding its craft beer portfolio, and how can it succeed when ABI failed so dramatically? Tune in for more.
Zach is reading: Rain, Fire, and Surging Temperatures May Spell Disaster for Italy’s 2023 Harvest
Joanna is reading: How Experimentation at the World’s Biggest Bourbon Brands Shapes What’s on Your Shelf
