USA – Beverage giant AB InBev has decided to shut down two of its U.S. breweries, Wynwood Brewing in Miami, Florida, and Golden Road Brewing in Sacramento, California.
The closures come as part of a broader effort to optimize operations and focus on key brands in the competitive craft beer market.
Wynwood Brewing, which had been acquired by the Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) in 2016, will cease operations at its brewery and taproom on February 4. Despite the closure, the iconic Wynwood Brewing flagship brand, La Rubia, along with other popular brews such as Laces IPA, Father Francisco Belgian-style golden ale, and Pop’s Porter, will continue production.
Megan Ruiz-Necuze, commercial director of La Rubia, emphasized the importance of the brand, stating, “It was quickly embraced by the community here, and the brand has really taken off, with its success becoming increasingly pivotal to our operations.”
Wynwood Brewing is set to merge with its sister business, Veza Sur, located “just up the street” in Miami.
Ruiz-Necuze added, “Moving to the Veza Sur brewpub will allow us to focus on La Rubia and continue to brew signature Wynwood beers like Father Francisco and Pop’s Porter.”
Similarly, AB InBev has decided to close Golden Road Brewing in Sacramento this week. Established in 2011 by Meg Gill, one of the few female founders in the U.S. craft brewing scene, Golden Road joined forces with Anheuser-Busch in 2015 to facilitate national distribution and leverage its capacity for larger-scale brewing.
Craig Weiner, Golden Road’s general manager, assured that the closure of the brewery would not mean the dissolution of the brand, with its beers continuing to be available at “bars, restaurants, and bottle shops.”
These closures follow AB InBev’s recent trend of streamlining its craft beer portfolio. Last August, the company entered into a definitive agreement with Tilray, an American pharmaceutical, cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company, to divest eight beer and beverage brands.
The announcement comes after AB InBev secured top-level sponsorship of the Olympics, marking a significant milestone in the beverage industry.
The non-alcoholic Corona Cero brand will serve as the official beer sponsor of the Olympic Games until 2028, covering three Olympic events: the upcoming summer games in Paris, the Milan 2026 winter games, and the LA summer games in 2028, as well as marketing rights for the Paralympic Games.
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