Beverage Business Insights is reporting that Minnesota-based homebrewing company Northern Brewer / Midwest Supplies seems to have been acquired by ZX Ventures, a global incubator and venture capital arm of AB InBev.

A media request to Northern Brewer earlier this week did not yield much insight into the situation other than a reply saying that “…they are always looking to explore ways to grow Northern Brewer and the homebrew supply market…:

ZX Ventures is a little less mum about their deal with one of the largest homebrewing retailers in the country.

The group “is pleased to share we have partnered with Northern Brewer. The team there shares our passion for brewing and commitment to the best ingredients,” ZX’s Global VP of Homebrewing Cassiano Hissnauer said in a statement to Craft Brew News. “ZX Ventures is excited to enter the homebrew space to help Northern Brewer to grow,” he added, as the 20-yr old homebrewing supply retailer “has built an extraordinary network and community of homebrewers.”

UPDATE:

Northern Brewer founder, Chris Farley, posted on their blog regarding the rumors of acquisition or partnership with ZX Ventures. Farley states the deal is about providing growth and opportunities, and making sure they give “consumers with exceptional beer experiences, anytime, anywhere.”

Many of you have seen the news that we’ve closed a deal to be acquired by ZX Ventures, the global Disruptive Growth Unit of Anheuser-Busch InBev. I’ll admit, we didn’t share this with you the way we should and for that, I apologize. I think this is a really important moment in our company’s history and an important moment in our shared passion for brewing great beer. Let me tell you what that means. First, nothing will fundamentally change as the result of this deal. Our entire leadership team will remain intact and our company will continue to be independent. Our staff of dedicated employees will continue to serve our customers and help our industry innovate. Our culture will remain as it is today: vibrant, energetic, fair and dedicated to our mission and to you.

The full post can be read here:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/learn/farleys-feature-brewing-exciting-future/

Would your shopping habits change if your local homebrew shop was owned by AB InBev? What do you think of the merger? Let us know in the comments section.

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