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Craft Brew Alliance Acquires Appalachian Mountain Brewery and Two Other Breweries

By Nathan Ham

Craft Brew Alliance announced on Wednesday that they have acquired Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Cisco Brewers and Wyndwood Brewing Company through three separate purchase agreements.

The financial terms of the purchase of Appalachian Mountain Brewery were undisclosed.

AMB has been in Boone since 2013 and will continue to be a part of the community, that according to a letter from AMB Brewmaster, Nathan Kelischek.

“Just over seven years ago, my cousin Chris and I were fortunate to connect with a small, passionate family of people who wanted to build the first craft brewery in Boone. Our dream required that we work with the local government to change legislation, and it took us almost two years before we were ready to open our doors. That experience, and the many people who helped us along the way, have made us even closer to our local community here. From the beginning, we were committed to brewing sustainably and supporting our Appalachian Mountain community through our beers,” said Kelischek. “Are we part of a bigger brewery? Yes. Does that mean we’re leaving Boone or changing who we are? Not at all. It means that we’ve got the support and flexibility and resources to do even more of what we want.”

AMB and Craft Brew Alliance have shared a partnership since 2015, a partnership that has already paid off in a big way for AMB.

“The partnership with CBA created a lot of great opportunities for our team, giving us more resources and flexibility to create great new beers like Not an IPA, which just earned us our third GABF (Great American Beer Festival) medal, as well as roll out new packaging, explore the hard cider side of things, expand into South Carolina and Tennessee, and continue our relentless passion for Innovation,” Kelischek said. “Along the way, we’ve gotten to know the family at CBA and learn from each other. Today, we’re really excited to announce that we’re taking this great partnership to the next level and joining CBA. This decision is one of the most important ones we’ve made in our company’s history, and we want to share it with everyone who has been part of our extended family on this journey.”

The Craft Brew Alliance also acquired Massachusetts-based Cisco Brewers, and Florida-based Wynwood Brewing Co. along with AMB.

“We are thrilled to welcome AMB, Cisco, and Wynwood fully into the CBA family,” said CBA CEO Andy Thomas. “From the beginning we knew that our shared values and complementary interests gave us a platform to grow together. Over the past few years, as we’ve gotten to know each of these exceptional breweries and their passionate teams, it became increasingly clear that the future would be brighter for all of us working together as one. In addition to Kona and the rest of the CBA portfolio, Cisco, AMB and Wynwood will all play an important role as CBA focuses on sustainable topline growth for the future.”

Under the purchase agreement with AMB, CBA will acquire the AMB brand, brewery and pub and will continue to invest in the local community through ongoing support of We Can So You Can Foundation and other nonprofits. Kelischek will continue to manage the brewery. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year, pending regulatory approval from the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

To celebrate the occasion, AMB is hosting a special Happy Hour at 4 p.m. today (Wednesday) at the taphouse located at 163 Boone Creek Drive.