Anheuser-Busch to acquire craft brewer Breckenridge

Anheuser-Busch today announced it planned to acquire Colorado-based Breckenridge Brewery. With the acquisition, Breckenridge Brewery would become the seventh craft brewery to join The High End, Anheuser-Busch's business unit of craft and imported brands.

''We're excited about the partnership and have been encouraged to continue on our path and become more innovative moving forward,'' said Todd Usry, president of Breckenridge Brewery. ''I'm a believer in what The High End is focused on accomplishing and we are flattered that our team was chosen to help guide that journey. We're looking forward to utilizing resources like decades of research and brewing expertise as we continue to create new beers,'' thefullpint.com reported.

The brewery will continue the production of its unique portfolio of beers, which ranged from Vanilla Porter, to Agave Wheat, to its core brands, seasonal specialties and barrel-aged beers.

''Breckenridge Brewery has a long history of innovation and they continue to brew new and exciting beers, from their specialty brews like the Mountain Series that celebrates the brewery's origin as a ski town brewpub, to their planned nitro can series,'' said Andy Goeler, CEO, Craft, The High End. ''They are innovative and have built an amazing business that's enabled them to get their great beers to fans across the country. We look forward to even more growth together.''

Meanwhile, Usry in an email told Denver7 in response to a question, whether the ultimate goal was to be taken over by a larger brewery, "Absolutely not. We've been in brewing beer in Colorado for over 25 years. We're proud of what we've established through the years with the support of our community. This partnership will allow us to continue doing what we're passionate about; making quality beer that people in Colorado and around the country can continue to enjoy," said Usry.

Asked whether Breckenridge had lost its craft brewery status as a result of this sale, Usry explained, "We think the definition of craft is evolving.  Quality is what makes great craft beer, and we will have the same focus on quality as ever before. We'll continue to innovate, as well. What it comes down to is what's in the glass and the people behind the beer. All of our employees will remain in place with the same mission as always."