Posted in Headlines, Fort Collins Brewing, Red Truck Beer Co.

Canadian based Red Truck Beer buys Fort Collins Brewery

Red Truck Beer Company Logo

In a current world of big beer acquisitions, this purchase is definitely a new one. A Canadian brewery has purchased one of America’s most well known – Fort Collin’s Brewery.

Who’s Buying.

Red Truck Beer Company started in 2005 by Mark James. He delivered kegs of Red Truck Lager in his 1946 Dodge Truck in Vancouver, British Columbia. The brewery has grown to produce 20,000 barrels of beer annually, currently distributed throughout British Columbia and Alberta.

James has been looking for a place in the U.S. to produce beer stateside. The ownership at Fort Collins is not commenting on their decision to sell.

“We could see that Fort Collins wasthe epicenter for first class brewing in the US. There is an amazing community of brewers and connoisseurs here and we are excited to become a part of the community.” – Mark James, Red Truck Beer Company

Poutine in Fort Collins.

Red Truck is building/retrofitting what they call the “Truck Stop,” which will serve their beer as well as their favorite food selections. Among those is Canadian favorite, poutine (French fries, cheese curds, & gravy). The beer lineup includes flagship beers: Red Truck Lager, Red Truck Ale, Red Truck IPA, and seasonal Red Truck Golden Ale.

What’s Next.

Red Truck Beer Company tells Beer Street Journal that currently they have purchased the building and equipment at 1020 E. Lincoln Ave in Fort Collins, known stateside at Fort Collins Brewery. This is where is gets a little complicated. Red Truck has applied for a federal brewing license and has retained Fort Collins local RB+B Architects for a redesign.

The complication? Red Truck is aggressively exploring contract brewing opportunities elsewhere in order to keep the current staff of Fort Collins Brewery employed. This piece of the puzzle is up in the air.

Red Truck Beer Company’s Fort Collins, Colorado grand opening is planned for Spring, 2018. The financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.

2 thoughts on “Canadian based Red Truck Beer buys Fort Collins Brewery

  1. Well…they’ve yet to reach out to a single member of the current staff, so I’m not sure how they’re “aggressively exploring” opportunities to “keep the current staff”…..

    • The brewery can’t legally operate without the federal brewing license. If they can contract brew, presumably nearby, then they can rebrand and reopen pretty quickly .The local liquor license allowing them to pour is typically easier to obtain. Red Truck has told us if they can work the system, they want to retain FCB’s staff.

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