Stone Brewing Company

Firestone Walker and Duvel USA have inked a “definitive agreement” to acquire the Stone Brewing brand from Sapporo USA.

The brewmaster who helped shape Stone Brewing’s portfolio during the mid-2000s craft ascension and established New Realm Brewing has joined Abita Brewing Company. Mitch Steele, known for helping popularize hop-forward beers, is Abita’s new director of brewing operations.

In time for Opening Day and to mark the brewery’s 30th anniversary, Stone Brewing (Escondido, California) has unveiled a new branded bar next to Section 309 at Petco Park, home of MLB’s San Diego Padres.

Sapporo-Stone Brewing’s strategy for 2026 is to double the size of Sapporo Premium while tapping into pockets of growth for incremental gains, company leaders shared during a virtual distributor meeting last week.

Ohio distribution shakeups, breweries gets margin squeezed and Stone’s 29th anniversary.

Sapporo-Stone has conducted a “small-scale reduction” in its workforce as the company continues to find the right balance for the combined operations of its Japanese import beer and California craft business.

Large-format packs and key menu features are putting wind into Stone IPA’s sails. Stone IPA has recorded double-digit depletions growth at on-premise chains outside its home market in the 6-month period ending March 31, according to VIP data the brewery shared with Brewbound.

With wind in its sails from accelerating grocery sales, Sapporo has set its sights on multi-channel expansion. The 149-year-old brand has been invigorated in recent years as Sapporo-Stone, the combined entity born from the former’s acquisition of the latter in 2022, takes shape.

Sapporo Holdings has taken a more than $91.5 million (JPY 13.9 billion) impairment charge on the goodwill of its Stone Brewing business, which the Japanese brewing giant acquired nearly three years ago for $165 million.

While beer consumers – particularly core craft fans – once cared more about brand and where a product was made, most bev-alc consumers are now prioritizing price, quality and availability, among other factors. This has caused not only a shift in how craft beer is produced and marketed (hello, contract brewing boom), but also trends in imported beer.

The 2025 plan for Stone Brewing is addition by subtraction, discontinuing several “unproductive” brands and packages nationally, including special releases, the Enjoy By IPA series and large-format bottles in order to put a heavy emphasis on core brands, as well the expansion of newish lager brands.

Sapporo-Stone workers in Virginia have begun a union drive, VinePair’s Dave Infante reported Monday. Workers are seeking “higher pay, more consistent scheduling and better working conditions,” per the report.

Sapporo-Stone Brewing is officially making Zach Keeling its new CEO. Keeling was appointed interim CEO in January when then-CEO Maria Stipp stepped down from the role after guiding the Escondido, California-headquartered brewery through its 2022 acquisition by the Japanese brewing giant and through its integration.

Production at craft breweries outside of the Brewers Association’s (BA) craft brewer definition collectively declined -6% on a comparable basis, to nearly 7.6 million barrels in 2023, according to data shared in the May/June edition of the New Brewer Magazine.