DETROIT – Atwater Brewery, the largest craft brewer in Detroit, has been sold to Tenth and Black Beer Company, the craft division of Molson Coors, the companies announced Wednesday.

The transaction is expected to be completed in the next couple of months, officials said.

“The agreement with Tenth and Blake is both the culmination of our past and the catapult to our future,” Atwater Brewery owner Mark Rieth said. "For Atwater to continue to grow, it will require both capital and brewing expertise. Tenth and Blake brings both, which makes them the ideal strategic partner to help us continue to live our mantra, ‘Born in Detroit. Raised everywhere.’

Atwater Brewery was founded in 1997 and has been a major part of Detroit’s brewing tradition in the Rivertown district.

Rieth bought the brewery outright in 2005. It has been led by top-selling beers such as the Dirty Blonde and Vanilla Java Porter.

The company also has locations in Grosse Pointe Park and Grand Rapids.

"Atwater has been a staple and a leader in the Michigan craft community for more than two decades, and we’re thrilled to have them join Tenth and Blake,” said Paul Verdu, vice president of Tenth and Blake. “Our priority is to make sure their beer is enjoyed by consumers throughout their core markets and eventually across the Great Lakes region.”

Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

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