This is pretty much standard operating procedure, but it gives you a little more understand of what happens when a brewery gets acquired.
Today Asheville, North Carolina based Wicked Weed Brewing announced they have been acquired by Anheuser-Busch. The reactions have been widespread and mostly negative.
Not long after, Jeffery Stuffings, founder of Austin, Texas based Jester King and previous collaborator with Wicked Weed, denounced the sale and will remove Wicked Weed’s bottles from their taproom
Now, the NC Brewer’s Guild has stripped the voting rights from Wicked Weed. Again, this is standard procedure as the NC Brewer’s Guild 501(c) tax-exempt trade group promotes the state’s craft beer.
Today is a rough day for the some 190 plus employees of Wicked Weed Brewing.
While we are disheartened to hear of the sale of Wicked Weed Brewing Co. to Anheuser Busch, we wish our friends at Wicked Weed all the best. They have certainly made a profound impact on the Asheville beer scene and they’ve helped raise the profile of North Carolina as a craft beer state.
Since our primary mission is to represent our state’s independent craft brewers, Wicked Weed can no longer be a voting member of the NC Craft Brewers Guild. However we sincerely hope they will continue to work alongside us as an affiliate member of our guild as we strive to make North Carolina a nationwide leader in craft brewing. -NC Brewer’s Guild