Sheehan Family to Sell Craft Vermont

Craft Vermont is being sold to Farrell Distributing (an Anheuser-Busch distributor) and Baker Distributing (a Molson Coors house), in a transaction expected to close in February, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights.

The deal amounts to 400,000 cases of beer and non-alcoholic beverages, including craft brands from The Alchemist, Burlington Beer, Boulevard Brewing, CANarchy, Hermit Thrush, Jack’s Abby, Lagunitas, Oxbow Brewing, and Victory Brewing, as well as non-alcoholic producers such as Athletic Brewing, Hoplark and Liquid Death, among others.

Farrell Distributing CEO David Farrell confirmed to Brewbound the planned acquisition of “potentially 25 suppliers” and “an aggregate of around 250,000 cases.”

Baker is expected to take on The Alchemist, brewer of the popular Heady Topper, amounting to around 125,000 cases, with cold-chain distribution, according to Insights.

Sheehan has offloaded several of its craft distributors this year, including Hunterdon in New Jersey to five A-B wholesalers; Legends Distributing in Maryland and Washington, D.C.; Craft New Hampshire to A-B wholesalers; and Craft Rhode Island to Molson Coors house C&C Distributors. The company offloaded Craft Maine in 2022.

Sheehan’s remaining distributors include: Craft New York, Craft Massachusetts, Union Beer Distributors (NY), Tri-Valley Beverage (NY), T.J. Sheehan Distributing (NY), Specialty Beverage (VA), Seaboard Products (MA), L. Knife & Son (MA), Craft Connecticut, Beer House Distributors (KY), and Beechwood Sales & Service (WI).

Previous Brewbound coverage of Sheehan’s sales:

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect that Farrell is an A-B house and Baker is a Molson Coors distributor.