Beer Behemoth Anheuser Busch Buys Local Craft Favorite Golden Road Brewing

Ever since it was founded in 2011, Golden Road Brewing has had major aspirations to take over the craft beer market in Southern California. As LA County's largest craft brewer, according to Street Insider it's now going to be a part of beer giant Anheuser Busch Inbev, which also owns Goose Island, Blue Point Brewing, and 10 Barrel as part of its "High End Business Unit." The terms of the deal were not reported.

It's yet another move from the Budweiser producer to delve into the ever-blossoming craft beer market, which is growing in strides compared to the old-school mainline brands like Bud Light. The acquisition will allow Golden Road to grow its reach even further, especially with its forward-thinking fresh-canned pints approach.

Founded by Tony Yanow (Mohawk Bend, Tony's Darts Away) and Meg Gill, Golden Road's most popular brands include Point the Way IPA, Golden Road Hefeweizen, Get Up Offa That Brown, and Wolf Among Weeds IPA. Those four brews constitute 95% of sales of the 45,000 barrel operation, which has close to 4,000 retail placements. The A-B Inbev acquisition allows them to continue their growth across Southern California. Eater already reported that the craft brewer was in the process of building a massive brewing operation in Anaheim, with an output that will dwarf the one here in Los Angeles nearby the LA river.

Already the craft beer scene is exploding in Los Angeles, with mid-major players Strand doubling operations, along with larger producers Firestone-Walker and Lagunitas entering the market within the next year. Will LA's appetite for craft suds continue to swell unabated?

Just a few weeks ago, Eater also reported that some of Yanow's former employees were filing a lawsuit for unpaid wages and unfair compensation.