Last Friday, Legacy Breweries announced that it had acquired Portland’s Laurelwood Brewing as well as Aspen Brewing Co. This follows recent news that Laurelwood closed its Sellwood-Westmoreland brewpub due to a rent increase. The Sandy Ave. Pub remains open and will be operated by the original owners under licence from Legacy.
These are tough times in Beervana–especially for established (or older, in less PC terms) breweries. In today’s craft beer culture, there is a fascination with the latest and greatest. The last few years have seen the emergence of many new breweries in Portland, and it’s hard to compete from a mind share perspective. Although it was much larger, BridgePort Brewing shut down earlier this year for similar reasons. As a beer blogger, I’m part of the problem as I tend to explore and write about what’s new. From that standpoint, the Laurelwood brand has been on the decline for many years.
This acquisition is still a bit of a head scratcher for me. Laurelwood and Ninkasi seem to compete in the same market segments and have similar lineups. I guess this enables Legacy to add a few of Laurelwood’s bigger brands (Workhorse IPA and Free Range Red) to its roster and fill up brewing capacity. On the other hand, Ninkasi’s recent agreement to distribute Alesong Brewing & Blending’s beers makes more sense to me, as Alesong is focused on a higher-end niche market segment.
Regardless, we’ll see how this plays out. Interesting times…
ASPEN, CO.— Legacy Breweries, the parent company of Ninkasi Brewing Company, has partnered with both Aspen Brewing Company (Aspen, Colorado) and Laurelwood Brewing Company (Portland, Oregon). Legacy will obtain all Aspen assets, including brand, production facilities, and the pub in downtown Aspen. All Laurelwood assets will transfer ownership, except for the Laurelwood Brewpub, which will continue to operate under the original ownership. Both Aspen and Laurelwood will continue to produce beer as independent craft breweries under their respective brand names with the support of Legacy.
Legacy Breweries was approached earlier this year to help Aspen Brewing meet demand for Colorado’s exceptional craft beer market. “When we saw Aspen’s unique position in the Colorado market, we instantly knew we wanted to be involved with their future. They have a long tradition of local support and great beers. The brewery has a strong history of philanthropy in the Colorado Rockies region, which aligns with Legacy’s values,” said Legacy CEO Don Bryant.
Aspen Brewing Company was founded in 2008 by Duncan Clauss. He and his team will continue operations under the new partnership, brewing favorites such as the 2016 World Beer Cup gold medalist Independent Pass IPA. Aspen beers are distributed in Colorado by Elite Brands of Colorado, the premier supplier of craft beer. Led by Owner & President Terry Cekola, Elite Brands has been instrumental in helping to support the brand in Colorado. Additionally, Aspen and Legacy have hired Brewmaster Scott Kimball to continue producing unique craft offerings to the Colorado beer market. “We’re thrilled to be a part of Legacy Breweries,” said Clauss. “This partnership will help us reinforce our commitment to support the people and causes that make the Aspen area one of the most aspirational areas in the United States.”
All Laurelwood Brewing assets, except for the Laurelwood Brewpub, have been acquired by Legacy Breweries. Laurelwood Brewery and Public House were opened in 2001 by Mike De Kalb and his wife Cathy Woo-De Kalb, who will continue to own and operate the Brew Pub under license from Legacy Breweries. “Legacy and Ninkasi currently partner in helping us brew our beers, which have always had a strong following in the Northwest,” said Mike De Kalb. “We’re thrilled to have their continued support in bringing our craft to our loyal customers.”
This announcement closely follows the Ninkasi Brewing Company distribution agreement with Alesong Brewing and Blending. “Our recent independent brewery partnerships and acquisitions have rich traditions of support from their local communities and history brewing only the highest quality beers,” said Nikos Ridge, Ninkasi Brewing Company CEO and partner in Legacy Breweries. “Our goal is to support high-quality craft breweries with resources to help strengthen the overall craft brewery market in these regions.”
Ninkasi Brewing will be opening a restaurant experience called the Better Living Room on their brewery campus in Eugene, Oregon in early 2020. A second location is slated for summer 2020 in Tumwater, Washington.
About Legacy Breweries
Legacy Breweries was founded for the purpose of supporting world-class breweries and allowing them to focus on what they do best: brewing great beers for their communities. For more information about their breweries, please visit:
Ninkasi Brewing Company: www.ninkasibrewing.com
Alesong Brewing and Blending: www.alesongbrewing.com
Aspen Brewing Company: www.aspenbrewing.com
Laurelwood Brewing: www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com
