Birmingham, Alabama-based Good People Brewing Company has acquired Avondale Brewing Company’s brewing equipment and assets.
The sale was part of a larger transaction, announced Saturday, in which Avondale Holdings, a subsidiary of real estate development company Orchestra Partners, purchased the six-year-old Avondale Brewing Company. That transaction also included the brewery’s neighboring taproom, The Sour Room, and several other businesses on the same historic block, according to The Birmingham News.
In a press release, Good People Brewing Company said its founders had acquired the brewery from Avondale Holdings, adding that it planned to maintain the Avondale brand and continue day-to-day operations of the Avondale brewery, taproom and outdoor concert venue in East Birmingham. Good People Brewing will also operate The Sour Room, a neighboring tasting room dedicated to barrel-aged sour and funky beers, according to a spokeswoman.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We’ve always really admired Avondale Brewing Company and what it has done for Birmingham and the culture of this city,” Good People Brewing Company co-owner Michael Sellers said in a press release. “We look forward to continuing to brew great beer in the city of Birmingham and bring that beer across the Southeast.”
Good People spokeswoman Lauren McCurdy said the company would continue to sell beers under the Avondale label.
“On any given day, ABC and GPBC cater to different demographics and serve varying beer styles, so we did not feel that merging brand names would be beneficial to our beer consumers,” she wrote in an email to Brewbound.
A press release said the two companies would “combine the strengths of both organizations,” which will lead to “more quality offerings and innovative brews.”
“Today is our first day together, so we are all still getting a lay of the land,” McCurdy wrote. “We are all working together to determine future decisions regarding sales, marketing and brewing.”
Good People does not expect to conduct any layoffs following the sale, McCurdy added.
“We have not had any employee turnover and do not expect there to be any,” she wrote. “All employees at Avondale Brewing are still on staff.”
Avondale Brewing Company was launched in 2011 by Coby and Hunter Lake. The brothers opened The Sour Room about 14 months ago. Last year, sales of Avondale’s beer increased 16 percent, to 4,630 barrels, according to data from the Brewers Association.
For its part, Good People Brewing Company sold 14,000 barrels of beer last year, and the company is on track to sell about 17,000 barrels by the end of the year, according to McCurdy.
A press release with additional details is included below..
Good People Brewing Company Purchases Avondale Brewing Company
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA—Good People Brewing Company, Alabama’s oldest and largest brewery, has announced that they will be the new managers of Avondale Brewing Company. The founders of Good People purchased the brewery and its assets from Avondale Holdings, a subsidiary of Orchestra Partners.
“We’ve always really admired Avondale Brewing Company and what it has done for Birmingham and the culture of this city,” said Michael Sellers, co-owner and founder of Good People Brewing Company. “We look forward to continuing to brew great beer in the city of Birmingham and bring that beer across the Southeast. We wish the Lake brothers the best of luck on their new ventures.”
The new management team will continue to build upon the already established success of the Avondale brand. The name and location of the brewery will remain the same. Guests and fans will continue to see the same faces they’ve seen at Avondale Brewing over the years. The brewery will host all events and performances already scheduled. The leadership team will not be overseeing management of any of Avondale’s previously affiliated restaurants.
The purpose of this new venture was to combine the strengths of both organizations. By combining forces and becoming more collaborative, the local beer community will see more quality offerings and innovative brews.
“We are so excited to start this new chapter in the brewery’s history,” said Taylor Lander, Director of Marketing & Events at Avondale Brewing Company. “We are looking forward to showing you what we have on the horizon.”
Avondale Brewing Company, located at 201 41st Ave Street South, was founded in 2011. Known for a wide selection of craft beers and offerings from The Sour Room, the brewery produces 6,000 barrels per year. Avondale has hosted such acts ranging from The Wailers to Gov’t Mule to Yelawolf in their outdoor venue.
For up-to-date information about news and events, “like” Good People Brewing and Avondale Brewing on Facebook or follow on Twitter or Instagram at @GPBrewing and @AvondaleBrewing.
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Good People Brewing Co., located in Birmingham, Alabama, is a leader in the South’s craft beer movement. Founded in 2008, it was the first craft brewery in the Southeast to can its beers. For more information on Good People’s beers—and the good people behind them—visit goodpeoplebrewing.com.
Avondale Brewing Co., founded in 2011, is a small brewery housed in a fully renovated, historic building in the Avondale neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama. With a passion for creative beers and good music, the brewery offers a good story with each pint. For more information on the history and stories behind Avondale’s brews, visit avondalebrewing.com.