Bend breweries react to 10 Barrel sale

A bit of shock and curiosity still lingered after Wednesday’s surprise announcement that 10 Barrel is selling to Anheuser-Busch, the world’s largest brewer.

“Being in the industry, my reaction was like everyone else’s — I really didn’t see it coming,” Deschutes Brewery founder Gary Fish said Thursday.

“As this industry is where consumers are moving, those growth numbers attract a lot of capital,” Fish addeid.

And that’s capital that Anheuser-Busch is hoping to cash in on as it looks to break into the craft beer market. And 10 Barrel has welcomed them, surprising some of its local beer brothers.

“I mean, this is still a competitive industry,” Fish said.

Fish said he gets at least 15 calls a week for different offers. But he’s never even entertained the idea of selling.

“I don’t really want to work for a big company, and quite frankly, I’m very happy doing what I’m doing right now,” Fish said.

We called at least seven other Central Oregon breweries Thursday to get owners’ reaction. Many didn’t want to go on-camera but told me the move is a bit of a sensitive subject.

As it turns out, 10 Barrel is the second small brewery Anheuser-Busch has bought this year. Back In February, it snapped up Blue Point in New York, which made 60,000 barrels last year.

So 10 Barrel isn’t the first to be bottled up by the big guys — and Fish said it won’t be the last.

“The market will determine whether or not they did the right thing, and I think you’re going to see more of this,” Fish said.

The owners of 10 Barrel have not disclosed the exact price tag of the sale but said the deal should be official by the end of the year.