Constellation Brands has acquired as second craft brewery, today announcing it has bought Florida’s Funky Buddha Brewery. Constellation, which also imports popular Mexican brands such as Corona and Modelo, purchased Ballast Point two years ago.

Ballast Point cost Constellation $1 billion. The terms of the Funky Buddha deal have not been disclosed.

Funky Buddha, founded in 2010 and based in Oakland Park, is projected to produce 35,000 barrels of beer in 2017, up 29% from 27,000 barrels in 2016.

“Adding a fantastic regional brand such as Funky Buddha to our craft beer portfolio, along with Ballast Point, advances our strategy in continuing to lead the high-end beer segment,” Paul Hetterich, president of Constellation Brands’ beer division, said in a press release.

Funky Buddha is known for beers such as Hop Gun IPA and Floridian Hefeweizen, as well as its Maple Bacon Coffee Porter and Last Snow Coconut Coffee Porter.

Japan’s Sapporo Holdings has purchased Anchor Brewing, the San Francisco brewery credited with igniting the American craft beer renaissance. Sapporo reportedly paid $88 million for the brewery, considerably more than AB InBev spent ($38 million) to acquire Goose Island but much less than Constellation brands paid ($1 billion) for Ballast Point Brewing.

Sapporo’s statement announcing the deal describes Anchor in a most modest way:

“Anchor is a prominent and historic US beer producer founded in 1896 in San Francisco. ‘Anchor Steam Beer,’ its flagship brand, is said to be an icon that ignited the current craft beer boom in the US. Armed with its strong brand power primarily in San Francisco, where it is based, as well as other areas across the US, it has been enjoyed by countless beer lovers throughout the years.

“The addition of Anchor’s strong brand power and network to the Sapporo Group’s US beer business portfolio through the conclusion of this agreement is expected to accelerate its speed of growth in the US.”

Although Anchor was founded 121 years ago, American beer enthusiasts focus on its history since 1965, when Fritz Maytag took a stake in the struggling business. He took full control of the company in 1969, first reviving the “steam beer” style the brewery is best known for, but then many others not brewed in the United States. The brewery, and its beers, inspired a new wave of small breweries — that would later be called craft breweries — including Sierra Nevada Brewing.

The Griffin Group, an investment and consulting company headed by Keith Greggor and Tony Foglio, purchased Anchor in 2010. According to Greggor, the sale to Sapporo comes after a year during which the company spoke with “many, many” larger breweries all over the world to find the right fit. “When you take a brand like Anchor, its very soul exists in the heart of San Francisco,” Greggor said. “Of all the people we spoke to, (Sapporo) respected Anchor the most, what it stood for and the importance of its connection with San Francisco.”

SFGate asked Greggor what does the deal means for the future. Greggor replied that Sapporto agreed to keep using the Potrero Hill brew house — at least for the time being. “Sapporo committed to investing in the Potrero Hill brewery until we exceed capacity of that brewery, but I have no idea when that would be,” Greggor said. “We are currently running at about 55 to 60 percent of that capacity.” The deal also likely means that Anchor’s long-delayed Pier 48 expansion is likely to be dead in the water, though Anchor would not comment on the status of the project.

The Brewers Association has made a new seal designed to help consumers identify independent breweries. The seal is available for use free of charge by any of the more than 5,300 small and independent American craft brewers that have a valid TTB Brewer’s Notice, meet the BA’s craft brewer definition, and sign a license agreement. It is available to both member and non-member breweries of the BA.

It features a beer bottle shape flipped upside down, signifying that craft brewers have upended beer.

“Independent craft brewers continue to turn the beer industry on its head by putting community over corporation and beer before the bottom line. They continue to better beer and our country by going beyond just making the beverage. These small businesses give back to their backyard communities and support thousands of cities and towns across the U.S.,” said Bob Pease, president & CEO, Brewers Association, in an association press release. “As Big Beer acquires former craft brands, beer drinkers have become increasingly confused about which brewers remain independent. Beer lovers are interested in transparency when it comes to brewery ownership. This seal is a simple way to provide that clarity—now they can know what’s been brewed small and certified independent.”

All 19 of the Brewers Association board members approved the initiative, Pease said, adding that each of the 16 brewery representatives committed to printing the seal on packaging. Boston Beer Company, the second-largest U.S. craft brewery, and Maine’s Allagash Brewing Company are among the initial breweries that have agreed to place the seal on their packaging.

“Craft brewers build communities and the spirit of independent ownership matters,” said Allagash founder Rob Tod, who is chair of the BA board. “When beer lovers buy independent craft beer, they are supporting American entrepreneurs and the risk takers who have long strived not just to be innovative and make truly great beer, but to also build culture and community in the process.”

Massachussets-area private equity firm Castanea Partners has bought a majority share of The Bruery, a Southern California brewery known for its esoteric beers. In announcing the deal on its website the brewery stated it will “enable us to continue to grow in ways consistent with our ideals.”

“We chose to make Castanea a part of Famille Rue because of their talents and their appreciation and understanding of our vision, and because they want to contribute to our continuous improvement,” CEO Patrick Rue wrote. He and his father, Mike, started the The Bruery in 2008. The Rues expect to sell about 13,000 barrels in 2017, much of it directly to customers.

The brewery answered the question about why it would make the deal with a private equity firm this way: “The Bruery started out as a very small operation, and nine years later we’ve transformed into a proud leader in specialty craft beer. We’ve had plans for growth, some of which you have seen realized over the past couple of years, with the implementation of our more efficient brewhouse, our new packaging hall for our clean beer, and the extension of our sour and wild program into our Bruery Terreux brand and facility.”

The companies Castanea has invested in include Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, Urban Decay cosmetics, Essentia Water, and drybar.

Longtime New Belgium Brewing brewmaster Peter Bouckaert had announced he will leave the Fort Collins brewery to form a new one, also in Fort Collins. He will team up with Zach and Laura Wilson, formerly of 1933 Brewing, to form Purpose Brewing and Cellars. Bouckaert will begin working with his new partners immediately, but no formal timeline has been established for when he will leave New Belgium. It likely won’t be before the end of the year.

“We believe that everything in life has a purpose. Our mission at Purpose Brewing and Cellars is to inspire creativity, promote craftsmanship, and support our local community,” Bouckaert and the Wilsons said in a press release.

Bouckaert, a native of Belgium who previously worked at Rodenbach Brewery, began at New Belgium in 1996. “I got to work for 21 years in the best company in the US, since Google does not create beer,” he said. “I got to work with people that realize daily their love and passion. I said from the get go that I wanted to stay as long as I can learn. Now I want to learn new things. It will be hard to leave all this passion but change is good for learning.”

English brewer Marston’s has agreed to a £55 million deal to buy the brewing arm of Charles Wells Group, which will enhance the pub chain’s presence in London. As part of the acquisition, the brewer will supply all beer, wine and spirits to the Charles Wells pubs estate.

Charles Wells has a portfolio of more than 30 brands, including Bombardier, Young’s and McEwan’s. The business also has UK distribution rights for the Estrella Damm lager brand and other beers under license including Kirin and Erdinger. In a press release, Marston’s stated the deal would, “increase our ale market share from 11% to 16%, this acquisition will also strengthen our representation in London and the South East, and present an opportunity through the McEwan’s brand to expand into Scotland.”

Martson’s CEO, Ralph Findlay, said: “The acquisition of Charles Wells Brewing and Beer Business builds on Marston’s established brewing prowess and is a further step in our objective to develop the leading premium beer business in the UK market. We have demonstrated our ability to acquire, integrate and develop beer brands evidenced by the success of brands such as Hobgoblin, Wainwright, and Lancaster Bomber.”

Hunters Point Brewery has purchased San Francisco’s Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, both the company’s brewing equipment and the brands. Hunter Point is a new company founded by Ces Butner, former owner of Horizon Beverage Company in Oakland.

“I worked with Speakeasy Ales & Lagers for five to six years as a distributor,” said Butner. “We were one the first companies to expand their distribution beyond San Francisco. There was a tremendous amount of growth and interest in the Speakeasy brands. It was one of the best craft breweries we worked with and the beer quality is very high. I thought it would be a shame if the brand, and one of the few production breweries left in San Francisco, disappeared because of financial problems. Keeping Speakeasy’s San Francisco born and brewed tradition alive is very important to me.”

The brewery began in San Francisco in 1997, opened a taproom in 2011, and underwent a major upgrade in 2015 with the addition of a new 60-barrel brewhouse, malt handling system, fermentors, canning line, and more. The $7.5 million expansion lifted capacity from 15,000 barrels to 90,000 barrels, and the brewery reported sales of 32,500 in 2015.

It briefly ceased brewing in March because it failed to repay its primary creditor, Union Bank, and was forced to enter into an assignment for the benefit of creditors, an agreement that some companies pursue as an alternative to bankruptcy. Three days later, a Los Angeles court appointed a receiver to oversee the sale of the company. It then resumed operations with a skeleton crew of six employees.

Sam Cappione has been appointed vice president and general manager to oversee all aspects of company operations. The eight employees who remained at Speakeasy Ales & Lagers during the sale of company assets will continue working at the brewery. Additional staff will be hired in the next few weeks and months to fill key positions in operations, sales, packaging, the tap room, and brewing departments. The tap room will be opened as soon as possible.

There will be no changes to the Speakeasy beer lineup at this time.

Anheuser-Busch’s The High End division is not done shopping.

The brewing giant’s business unit focused on its specialty brands announced this morning that it has acquired Wicked Weed Brewing. Founded in Asheville, N.C., in 2012 by Walt and Luke Dickinson and lifelong friends Ryan, Rick and Denise Guthy, Wicked Weed is one of the breweries that has made Asheville one of America’s best known brewing destinations.

“This is an exciting time for the entire brewing team,” said co-founder Walt Dickinson. “Our ability to create a wide range of really well executed beers that are focused on creativity, quality and drinkability is what makes Wicked Weed great. We have chosen to partner with The High End to position ourselves to make Wicked Weed what we imagined it could be when we first sat at a craft beer bar and talked about opening a brewery. As a brewer, giving our team more resources to continue innovating our portfolio and the ability to reach more craft drinkers, allows us to keep putting the beer and the people first.”

Wicked Weed Brewing owns and operates four facilities in Asheville: their original Downtown brewpub where they produce over 150 different beers a year, the “Funkatorium,” the first dedicated sour beer taproom and barrel house on the East Coast, a 50-barrel production brewery in West Asheville, and the “Funk House and company headquarters,” a custom-designed brewhouse and training facility.

“We are excited to welcome Walt, Luke, Ryan, Rick, Denise, and the entire Wicked Weed team into our High End family,” said Felipe Szpigel, president, The High End. “It’s clear to me Wicked Weed is redefining what sophistication in beer can mean, with their amazing offerings being relevant in a wide variety of occasions. Their ability to brew the highest quality beers, in a variety of styles, along with their exciting barrel program, leads me to be optimistic about what our futures hold together.”

Since A-B InBev acquired Chicago’s Goose Island Beer in 2011 it has continued to purchase other regionl breweries, eventually creating The High End as a separate division. It includes brands such as Stella Artois and Shock Top as well as Goose Island, Blue Point, 10 Barrel, Elysian, Golden Road, Virtue Cider, Four Peaks, Breckenridge Brewery, Devils Backbone, and Karbach Brewing Co.

The Brewers Association announced that craft breweries* produced 24.6 million barrels of beer in 2016, 6% more than in 2015. It was the smallest increase since 2008. Retail dollar sales grew 10% to $23.5 billion. Microbreweries and brewpubs delivered 90% of the growth.

“Small and independent brewers are operating in a new brewing reality still filled with opportunity, but within a much more competitive landscape,” BA economist Bart Watson said in a press release. “As the overall beer market remains static and the large global brewers lose volume, their strategy has been to focus on acquiring craft brewers. This has been a catalyst for slower growth for small and independent brewers and endangered consumer access to certain brands.”

Additionally, in 2016 the number of operating breweries in the U.S. grew 16.6%, totaling 5,301 breweries, broken down as follows: 3,132 microbreweries, 1,916 brewpubs, 186 regional craft breweries and 67 large or otherwise non-craft brewers. Small and independent breweries account for 99%t of the breweries in operation. Throughout the year, there were 826 new brewery openings and 97 closings. Combined with already existing and established breweries and brewpubs, craft brewers provided nearly 129,000 jobs, an increase of almost 7,000 from the previous year.

During on online press conference, Watson reminded reporters that 75% of the breweries in the country make less than 1,000 barrels annually. As the number of small breweries increases, he said, so does diversity of both business models and beers produced.

* The Brewers Association defines craft breweries as small, independent, and traditional. Some breweries once defined a craft no longer are, and the math behind the numbers can be complicated. Watson provides back ground in a post at the association website: Breaking down the craft beer numbers.

The Brewers Association has released its annual lists of the top 50 craft and overall brewing companies in the U.S., based on beer sales volume. Of the top 50 overall brewing companies, 40 were craft brewing companies.

For details, a larger version of the map, and the list of the 50 largest breweries visit the BA website.

Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and his wife, Katie Gonser, have presented UC Davis with a $2 million gift to support the campus’s brewing science program. The gift establishes an endowment to provide ongoing funding for a full-time staff brewing position, focused on excellence in hands-on brewing education in the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology.

The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Endowed Brewer position will be dedicated to mentoring and managing students and teaching assistants, maintaining the campus brewery and its equipment, and assisting in teaching brewing classes.

“This endowed brewer position will allow us to provide outstanding practical brewing experiences for our students as we continue to align hands-on training with the best theoretical education,” Charlie Bamforth, the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at UC-Davis, said for a press release. “Students don’t get that combination in most other brewing programs.”

“My family and I have supported the brewing program at UC Davis for nearly two decades,” Grossman said. “Charlie Bamforth is not only an expert in brewing science, technology and engineering, but a frequent guest speaker at our brewery and a close, personal friend. The ideals that he and the rest of the staff instill in the students are the very same principles that have guided our success in craft brewing for the past 36 years.”

The first Sierra Nevada Endowed Brewer will be Joe Williams, who has been serving as a staff researcher at UC Davis.

New Holland Brewing Co. in Michigan and Pabst Brewing Co. announced today they will enter into a partnership agreement that focuses on the national distribution and sales of New Holland’s full portfolio of craft beer.

“This partnership allows us to distribute our beer brands to more consumers throughout the country by leveraging PBC’s robust sales and distribution platform,” said New Holland president Brett VanderKamp.

Once the partnership is fully implemented, Pabst’s sales force will sell all of New Holland’s beers to wholesalers nationwide. New Holland, entering its 20th year, will remain independent and will continue to manage all other business functions for its beers, including production, marketing, and finance. All beers will continue to be brewed in Holland, Michigan, and New Holland’s spirits, restaurant and retail operations will continue to operate as they currently do.

Pabst will not take an equity statke in New Holland and currently there are no plans in place for Pabst to invest in additional brewing capacity at New Holland. However, the partnership arrangement does contemplate the opportunity for expanded production of New Holland brands at facilities where Pabst already has contract brewing agreements in place, Pabst CEO Simon Thorpe said.

Asahi Group Holdings has struck a deal to acquire five eastern European beer brands from Anheuser-Busch InBev, including Pilsner Urquell. The €7.3 billion ($7.8 billion) purchase is the largest ever made by a Japanese brewing company. A-B InBev is selling the brands to allay the concerns of European competition regulators after it completed its merger with SABMiller.

The sale includes Czech brewer Plzensky Prazdroy, which brews Pilsner Urquell, and Polish beer brands e Tyskie and Lech. The brands will give more international heft to Japan’s Asahi, which is one of the top beer makers in its home market but only a small player globally.

Asahi spent much more than initially expected – the price driven up from an an anticipated $3 billion to $4 billion by other bidders. Asahi previously bought Peroni and Grolsch from SABMiller, as the company made divestitures to get regulatory clearance for its sale to A-B InBev.

Anheuser-Busch announced Texas brewery Karbach Brewing Co. is the newest addition to The High End, the business unit within A-B that focuses on its craft and import brands.

Ken Goodman and longtime business partner Chuck Robertson said existing management and brewers will remain in place and the Houston company will retain much of its independence while also gaining access to the resources that will help it continue to grow. Brewmaster Eric Warner said the move will allow his team to collaborate with those other craft breweries. “The High End wants to see us innovate,” he said.

Karbach has been one of the fastest growing breweries in the country since it was launched in 2011 and expects to produce 80,000 barrels this year. A-B plans to continue adding brewing capacity, which will reach 150,000 barrels by 2019.

“Chuck and I started the brewery five years ago on Karbach Street in Houston, where the warehouse was located for the beer distribution company we started decades before. After watching so much great beer move through our warehouse over the years we decided it was time to add our own to that list,” Goodman said for a press release. “Karbach is the heart and soul of our beer industry careers, and we are thrilled about this new partnership with The High End and what it will mean for our dream to give more Texans the most unique, unexpected, and exciting beers they’ll have fun drinking.”

The deal comes three months after MillerCoors announced it would take over the Fort Worth area’s Revolver Brewing.