Sazerac acquired craft brewer Full Sail Brewing as the Fireball owner looks for more manufacturing capacity to fuel an aggressive national expansion in spirits.
The deal includes substantially all of Oregon-based Full Sail’s assets, including production lines and capabilities, as well as the beer brand’s intellectual property and brand assets, Sazerac confirmed in a statement to Food Dive. However, the spirits giant doesn’t plan to make or distribute Full Sail beer in the long term, a company spokesperson said.
“The Full Sail team has created a strong business plus production and manufacturing capabilities, and this acquisition enables us to add additional capacity and capabilities to our network,” the company said in a statement.
Sazerac has been on an acquisition binge this year as the alcohol maker looks to build out its portfolio with ready-to-drink cocktails and other brands appealing to a new generation of alcohol consumers. It has snapped up BuzzBallz, Dirty Shirley and other trendy alcohol brands popular with younger consumers.
As the company ramps up production of these brands, it’s also purchasing manufacturing capacity from competitors in struggling adjacent segments, such as spirits and now craft beer. Earlier this year, Sazerac bought a shuttered Kentucky whiskey distillery to help support “broader production needs.”
Founded in 1987 as Hood River Brewing Company, Full Sail was founded in the Mt. Hood area after the owners converted a former cannery into a brewery. Full Sail’s production capabilities could prove particularly attractive to Sazerac as it leans further into canned cocktails and ready-to-drink spirits.
Full Sail, which also operates a restaurant and pub, was previously employee-owned before being acquired by private equity firm Encore Consumer Capital in 2015. The craft beer industry has since been hard hit by changing consumer trends, with large producers cutting back their brewing operations, including Tilray Brands and Sapporo USA.
Full Sail’s core beer lineup includes an amber ale, blood orange wheat beer, IPAs and session lagers, according to its website. The beers are available in Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
