Roadhouse Brewery Group closed on its acquisition of Alpine, Wyoming-based Melvin Brewing Co. on December 22.
Financial terms of the deal, which was announced in November, were not disclosed. Melvin’s intention to find a buyer or partner was made clear in June, when the company secured investment banking advisory firm GLC Advisors & Co. LLC and beverage brand portfolio and marketing strategist Ethan Stienstra to aid in the search for its next act.
See previous Brewbound coverage for more details on Melvin’s production history and the alleged 2017 sexual harassment incident that resulted in the ouster of co-founder Kirk McHale.
A press release about the acquisition is below.
Roadhouse Brewery Group acquires Melvin Brewing Company
JACKSON HOLE, WY – Roadhouse Brewery Group, a regionally distributed B Corporation brewery with an auxiliary brewpub, Roadhouse Pub & Eatery, located in Jackson Hole, WY, is excited to announce that they purchased Melvin Brewing Co. and its Alpine, WY production facility and tap room. The move will join two celebrated, award-winning Wyoming breweries.
“The Melvin Brand is audacious and bold, and aligns with our values of independence and innovation. Both breweries have a similar origin story, which began with the love of craft beer, homebrewing, and the mountain lifestyle. We are carving out a space where psychedelic rockers and hip-hop revolutionaries come to party together,” says Colby Cox, co-founder of Roadhouse Brewery Group.
Melvin Brewing Company has broad distribution across 27 states, and a history of impressive accolades, including winning Small Brewpub and Brewery Group of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival in 2015 and 2017 respectively.
Roadhouse has gained its own notoriety as an award-winning regional brewery, often touted for cross-breeding old world styles with American-Craft ingenuity.
The two breweries share humble roots. “We both started in a garage with a chip on our shoulder”, says Cox. “We were contrarians with unwavering passion, and a brash belief that we could influence the future of Craft Beer. I can promise you that won’t change.”
The combination of both breweries, located only 35 miles apart, will produce 50,000 barrels in 2023, and will have the ability to grow to 80,000 barrels in the coming years with new investments that Roadhouse plans to make. Among those are a state-of-the art rotary canning line, and the expansion of the Melvin Tap Room in Alpine, WY.
Says Gavin Fine, co-founder of Roadhouse Brewery Group, “We are incredibly excited for the road ahead and the opportunity to bring together two fiercely craft-centric organizations. Our focus at Roadhouse on our people, our products, and the relentless pursuit of progress has served us well, and will carry our combined organizations to what’s next.”
Zander Doroski, president of Melvin Brewing’s Board of Directors, adds, “In addition to simply maximizing value, the Board and our advisors marketed the sale of Melvin in an effort to find a buyer that sought to retain and grow our staff, valued our partnership and shared vision with the town of Alpine, and had the experience and leadership to grow the Melvin brand and distribution platform. In Roadhouse we believe we found a perfect fit.
Closes Fine, “When we set out, we wanted to live at the intersection of beer, food, and music. In this sense, Melvin is our soul mate.”
Roadhouse completed their acquisition on Thursday, December 22nd, 2022. The combined organization will be among the top-100 Craft Breweries in the United States.
ABOUT ROADHOUSE | www.roadhousebrewery.com
Built upon its two founders’ unique backgrounds as an award-winning home brewer and noted restaurateur, Roadhouse Brewing Company draws its inspiration from the improvisational dance between beer and food. Its home base is in the iconic mountain town of Jackson Hole, fostering its independent spirit and affinity for the outdoor lifestyle. For two years in a row, Roadhouse was named a Best for the World™ B Corporation, ranking in the top 5% of all B Corps in its size group worldwide for its sustainable business practices. Always embodying the wild, curious and passionate; it’s how the team approaches life, and how they approach their beer.
ABOUT MELVIN
Melvin Brewing was born in the back of a Thai restaurant in 2009, with a 3-barrel system, a hip-hop soundtrack, and dreams of global domination. Riding the success of revolutionary beers like 2×4 and Ch-Ch-Ch-Cherry Bomb, Melvin went on to become one of the most awarded breweries in the country. After winning Small Brewpub of the Year at GABF in 2015, the brewery moved into its new digs at the Mothership in Alpine, cranking out exponentially more brews fit to match the spectacular surrounding views. Embracing the chaos and riding the wave, Melvin continues to take its world-class suds on a worldwide tour, creating unforgettable experiences along the way, living under the mantra – “If Your Beer Is Not Madness, It’s Not Beer.”