Four Peaks sold to Anheuser-Busch

Show Caption Hide Caption Four Peaks bought by Anheuser-Busch Four Peaks Co-Owner Andy Ingram talks about the aquisition and says there will be no layoffs and no pay reductions.

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the largest beer brewer in the world, has acquired Tempe-based Four Peaks Brewing Co. in the latest shakeup in an industry remade in recent years by a series of similar sales.

The deal is a capstone of sorts for a craft brewery that began in 1996 and quickly established itself as a distinctive local label best known for its Kilt Lifter beer.

Its popularity, however, brought significant scale, and attention, in the brewing business. Four Peaks expects to sell 70,000 barrels of beer this year.

“For 20 years we’ve had more amazing experiences than I can count doing what we love to do most – brewing great beer and sharing it with a growing craft community in Arizona that has supported us from day one,” said Andy Ingram, a Four Peaks co-founder in a statement released by Anheuser-Busch on its website. “We’re excited to join the enthusiastic team and tap into their resources to expand our footprint and share our beer with even more people moving forward.”

Anheuser-Busch, best known as the brewer for Budweiser, did not disclose terms of the sale and representatives of that company and Four Peaks were not immediately available for comment Friday. Anheuser-Busch noted it plans to make Four Peaks part of a unit called the High End.

The High End unit is intended to provide "unique craft and European import brands with autonomy and support for growth," according to Anheuser-Busch. It already includes Stella Artois, Shock Top, Goose Island, Blue Point, 10 Barrel, Elysian and Golden Road.

A change in Arizona law this year, which increased the amount of beer that Arizona breweries could produce annually, may have made Four Peaks more attractive to Anheuser-Busch.

Senate Bill 1030 increased the amount of beer that Arizona breweries could produce annually five-fold to 200,000 barrels a year without having to separate their brewing operations from their popular pubs. A barrel is 31 gallons, or two full-size kegs.

Four Peaks and Chandler's SanTan Brewing Co., among other brewers in the state, wanted the limits increased so they could produce enough beer to distribute outside of Arizona. Gov. Doug Ducey signed the bill at Four Peaks' Tempe brewery.

“This is truly an Arizona success story, and the American Dream in action," Ducey said in a prepared statement Friday. "Big congrats are in order for the team at Four Peaks who worked hard for two decades to get to this moment. Now, people all across the country can experience what we in Arizona have been experiencing for a long time, an ice cold beer from Four Peaks Brewery — made right here in our state."

Anheuser-Busch has long been the dominant brand in the U.S. but has seen its global reach remade as part of a broader shakeup of the beer industry.

In 2007, SABMiller bought a controlling stake in Molson Coors to form MillerCoors, the second-largest domestic brewer in the U.S.

A year later, Anheuser-Busch was sold to Belgian brewer InBev.

Last month, Anheuser-Busch InBev reached a deal to purchase SABMiller for $106 billion, according to the New York Times. As part of that deal, SABMiller has agreed to sell its interests in MillerCoors. The deal is subject to regulatory approval.

Four Peaks' Twitter account heralded the announcement with a simple statement: "It is a very exciting day!"

Across social media, fans of Four Peaks seemed to have a different reaction, with many wringing their virtual hands over the news their beloved brewery was no longer "local." Phoenix attorney Brent Kleinman tweeted about the acquisition with the hashtag #CryingInMyKiltlifter.

Reporter Amy B Wang contributed to this story.